ENGLISH AS A BARRIER: LINGUISTIC EXCLUSION IN HIGHER EDUCATION IN PAKISTAN

Abstract

In Pakistan, English has assumed a leading role in the higher education system and is the primary language of instruction and is closely linked to academic success and socio-economic opportunities. This superiority, however, brings about linguistic exclusion among the students of less privileged educational and socio-economic backgrounds due to their lack of enough proficiency in the English language. This paper will discuss the role of English as a language barrier in Pakistani higher education and will investigate the effects of English as a linguistic barrier on academic achievement, classroom attendance, socio-economic disparity, and the psychological well-being of students. The proposed study uses a qualitative-dominant secondary research design, which relies on a literature review that is backed by quantitative data of the available empirical studies. The results show that the low level of English proficiency has a strong association with poor academic performance, poor classroom behaviors, increased anxiety, and the replication of socio-economic inequalities. The research also reveals that English is not only a means to an end but also a structural gatekeeping process, which limits fair access to higher education. These results indicate that the linguistic inequality in Pakistan is institutional and not personal. This paper thus suggests a multilingual educational strategy, which is facilitated through bridging courses, teacher training programsteacher training, curriculum reform, and enhanced policy coherence, to minimize marginalization and enhance academic performance.