Pakistan Languages and Humanities Review

Negotiating Identity and Confronting Racism: A Postcolonial Analysis of Mohsin Hamid’s The Face in the Mirror

Javairia Soomro, Dr. Muhammad Ajmal, Dr. Saima Yousaf Khan — Wed, 08 Jan 2025 00:00:00 +0500

The main objective of this research is to analyze Mohsin Hamid’s The Face in the Mirror which highlights issues of identity and racism. This research is qualitative in nature and utilize a postcolonial theoretical framework of Homi K. Bhabha. The analysis is undertaken within the post-colonial context to show the struggles faced by people on a personal level as they search for identity in a racially defined society. The moment of the protagonist’s engagement with her image in the mirror testifies to the effect of society on the self, pointing to the origin of prejudice and the desire to be accepted in a certain kind of society. The research explores how Hamid portrays the identity of his characters as being in constant flux and dependent on special and sociocultural circumstances. The findings imply that racism and identity are testing, clarifying the complicated relationships that influence experiences of people.

Unraveling the Eco-feministic Perspective of Pakistani Drama Sultanat: A Critical Study

Munaza Javed, Abida Parveen, Gulzar Bibi — Wed, 08 Jan 2025 00:00:00 +0500

The present study aims to explore a Pakistani drama entitled Sultanat through the lens of ecofeminism. The main objective of the study has been to explore the patriarchal mindset that does not perceive women more than a property or possession and usurp all their basic rights in the context of this particular drama. However, the secondary objective has been to reveal the way those female characters react to all these types of oppression. Warren (1987) Eco-feministic notion has been applied as the framework of this study. As for the sample is concerned, the researcher selected fifteen scenes from ten Episodes of the particular drama. The findings revealed the oppression of the female characters by the male protagonist who considered them his own property and wanted to maintain his firm control over their lives at any cost.

Enhancing Communicative Competence: Pragmatic Instruction in English Language Learning

Shafaq Khalid, Dr. Saira Maqbool, Kishwer Nazli — Thu, 09 Jan 2025 00:00:00 +0500

The main objective of this study is to explore the use of pragmatics in teaching and learning of English at undergraduate level. Pragmatics is known as the science of language in context. However, pragmatic competence is not frequently given more concern in instructional approach to languages where the focus is mainly on grammar and vocabulary. This paper explores how pragmatic features including speech acts, politeness strategies and cultural relevance influence the language acquisition process among undergraduate students. This research is a case study and data are collected through interviews, questionnaires and classroom observations to evaluate the practical dimension of students’ pragmatic learning context. The findings raise the awareness of pragmatic awareness in classroom practices. This research offer recommendations in relation to the identified gaps that will enrich the discourse on how best to promote communicative competence and integrate a holistic approach of meaning and form in teaching English.

Analyzing Pragmatic Markers of Gender and Power in James Joyce's Araby

Dr. Ghulam Mujtaba Yasir, Uzma Safdar, Kanwal Fatima — Fri, 10 Jan 2025 00:00:00 +0500

The objective of this research is to investigate the pragmatic markers in James Joyce’s Araby in connection with language and power. This pragmatic analysis explores the speech acts, and inferred meaning when the protagonist of the play interacts with other characters. Analysis reveals the protagonist’s youthful idealism as a result of the immediacy of conveyed information and socially constructed notions of gender. The study reveals how requests, directives and refusals are used in communicating power relations. The study also analyses how these pragmatic markers facilitate disillusionment of the hero and how Joyce framed the problem of perverted desires, power and established norms. This reading of Araby as a pragmatic study of communication as a social accomplishment provides a powerful appreciation of how language is used as a resource not only for symbolic interaction but also for manipulation of the gendered power dynamics in the story’s social setting.

Conflicting behavior between US and Afghanistan and Its Implications on Tribal Areas of Pakistan

Hassan Ali — Fri, 10 Jan 2025 00:00:00 +0500

The US-Afghan relationship, marked by decades of conflict and strategic alliances, has considerably effected Pakistan, mainly its tribal areas. This paper employs Realist Theory to analysis the geopolitical dynamics between the United States, Afghanistan, and Pakistan, focusing the socio-economic and security challenges posed by Pakistan’s tribal areas. The study delves into key players of the US-Afghan conflict, such as strategic goals and power struggles, and scrutinizes the spillover effects, containing militant actions, refugee influx, and economic instability in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA). Pakistan’s realist approach, shaped by military operations such as Zarb-i-Azb, FATA’s union in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and strategic involvement with Afghanistan’s Taliban-led government, reveals its struggles to regulate sovereignty and regional stability. Qualitative methodology is used also have secondary sources utilized for data collection, providing a detailed understanding of the interconnectedness of local, regional, and global dynamics encompasses these complicated triangular relations. The study underlines the importance of multilateral cooperation, economic resilience through initiatives like CPEC, and governance reforms in combating long-lasting challenges. This study suggests to address the interrelated security, economic, and governance issues in Pakistan, Afghanistan, and the surrounding area by taking a regional strategy. Show a consistent dedication to and involvement in advancing regional security and stability. Put an emphasis on sustainable and inclusive development to raise quality of life, alleviate poverty, and advance stability in the region. To confront common security challenges, regional stakeholders should strengthen their counterterrorism collaboration.

Effectiveness of AI-Based Corrective Feedback in Improving Academic Writing Skills of IELTS Candidates

Nayab Waqas Khan, Madya Asgher, Amina Shah — Thu, 16 Jan 2025 00:00:00 +0500

The main objective of this research is to explore the impact of corrective feedback that is in the use of artificial intelligence in enhancing the performance of IELTS prospective candidates in Lahore. The present study employed a mixed-methods research approach involving 30 IELTS candidates who used AI-based tools, including Grammarly and Writefull, to provide them auto feedback on their writing tasks for six weeks. The quantitative data was obtained through the pre and post- test scores. The qualitative data was obtained through interviews. The study establishes a clear demonstration of a positive effect in candidate’s grammar, their use of appropriate terms and the overall quality of their writing coherence and cohesion. The participants expressed their ability to modify their work independently using AI feedback with greater self-directedness. However, concerns including absence of the context-based recommendations and excessively strong reliance on certain AI technologies as potential pitfalls were raised. The findings of the study reveal that corrective feedback that is based on AI is useful in the improvement of students’ academic writing.

Self-Esteem and Facebook Addiction: An Impact of the Global Outbreak on University Students

Dr. Syed Murad Ali Shah, Dr. Syed Muhammad Farrukh Bukhari, Iqra Syed — Fri, 17 Jan 2025 00:00:00 +0500

Facebook has been instrumental in the lives of people; specifically amongst the students. The objective of the work underhand highlights the impact of the pandemic on the Facebook addiction and also on the self-esteem of university students. With an intent to check and prove a low or high degree of self-esteem particularly in university students due to the excessive use of Facebook especially after the global outbreak in the shape of COVID-19; 100 of students from the University of Azad Jammu & Kashmir, Muzaffarabad whose age ranges around 19-26 were tested by collecting their data with two standardized scales namely Bergen Facebook Addiction Scale (BFAS) and Rosenberg Self-Esteem (RSE). The data analysed by computing reliabilities of scale, correlation coefficient, and independent-sample t-test. It is concluded that excessive use of Facebook activities during the global outbreak has increased self-esteem. The study also proposes positive use of Facebook, including connection and learning.

Role of Pakistan in Doha Peace Accord: An Analysis

Nazik Ali, Muhammad Saeed, Dr. Ghulam Mustafa — Sat, 18 Jan 2025 00:00:00 +0500

This paper aims to analyze the role of Pakistan in Afghanistan peace dialogue, bring Taliban and US to the table talks, held in Doha in 2020. Afghanistan has historically been haunted by civil wars and invasions and peace in the region has been a subject to the peace in Afghanistan. The latest peace process-initiated years ago was completed by Doha Accord held in Doha, Qatar, between US and Taliban leaders. Pakistan being a spontaneous neighbor and sharing multiple borders with Afghanistan has always been keen in a peaceful Afghanistan. In the Doha Accord Pakistan has used its influence over Taliban to bring them into the talks. This qualitative research found that the role of Pakistan negotiating peace deal among Taliban and US was significant. Pakistan has been a key ally of US and also has a prominent influence over Taliban leadership since the war against Soviet Union. Using this influence Pakistan managed to play its role in the Doha Peace Accord. However, results of the article also found that sitting government of Afghanistan was ignored in this peace process and hence a participation of all stakeholder lacked. Therefore, it is recommended that Pakistan should play its role for intera-Afghanistan peace dialogue as well to hold a prolonged peace and stability in the region.