Access to English in Pakistan: inculcating prestige and leadership through instruction in elite schools

摘要

In Pakistan, English is one of the official languages and the language of higher education, a prerequisite for professional positions, and the most prestigious language. However, access to English may not be the same for people belonging to different socioeconomic statuses because of different school systems. There are different schools for the elites to which ordinary people have no access. This study explored access to English in different schools employing a qualitative design strategy, a phenomenological case study. Data were collected through participant observation in four different types of schools, through interviews of the administrators, teachers, and students. The symbolic power of language and sociolinguistics of English were used as theoretical framework. The data were coded and analyzed using constructivist grounded theory. The study found that English language instruction prepares students for variant social roles in different schools focusing on developing different linguistic resources and social capital, which perpetuate class structure.