EXPLORING THE EFFECTS OF GRADUATE STUDENTS’ RELIGIOUS IDENTITY ON THEIR LINGUISTIC IDENTITY IN A PUBLIC SECTOR UNIVERSITY

Abstract

This study explores the effects of religious identity on the linguistic identity of graduate ESL learners at Kohat University of Science and Technology within the multilingual and multicultural context of Pakistan. Drawing on Pugh’s (2007) constructs of identity and Hemming and Madge’s (2011) conceptualization of religious identity, the study investigates how religion influences language use, communication practices, and identity formation among postgraduate students. Using a qualitative research design, data were collected through semi-structured interviews with ten MS/MPhil scholars from the Department of English and analysed thematically. The findings reveal that religious identity significantly shapes linguistic identity through the use of religious expressions, ethical speech patterns, and participation in religious practices. Participants employed different languages such as Pashto, Urdu, English, and Arabic to express ethnic, social, academic, national, and religious identities, demonstrating that linguistic identity is fluid, layered, and context dependent. This research also emphasizes how language practices and identity building are shaped by family, society, history, politics, and nationalism. Furthermore, the results demonstrate the dynamic character of identity negotiation by demonstrating how religious language practices vary across social contexts and degrees of religious participation. The study advances sociolinguistics, applied linguistics, and identity studies by relating language, religion, and identity within the Pakistani ESL context. It also provides insights for educators, policymakers, and researchers operating in multilingual and postcolonial contexts.