Seminar Raises Issues of Teaching English and Need to Formulate Appropriate Policies

The AKU Centre of English Language hosted a two-day seminar in February 2001, to raise issues and ask questions about the language policy and planning in Pakistan, highlighting the need for teaching English and formulating an appropriate policy. The seminar also brought to light the overriding issue of the use of information technology for language teaching in Pakistan.

L to R: Dr. Shahid Amjad Chaudhry, Minister of State, Deputy Chairman, Planning Commission of Pakistan; Ms. Sabiha Mansoor, Associate Professor and Head, Centre of English Language, AKU; Dr. Shamsh Kassim-Lakha, President, AKU; Ms. Zobaida Jalal, Federal Minister for Education; Dr. Naz Rassool, Chair, Board of Advanced Studies School of Education, University of Reading, UK; Dr. Mira Phailbus, Principal, Kinnaird College, Lahore; Ms. Linda Bower, Teaching Centre Manager, British Council, Karachi; Dr. Camer Vellani, Rector, AKU, and Dr. Richard Hardwick, Director, British Council, Karachi.

In addition, it introduced the concept of a Quality Assurance System in language teaching. The seminar gave a unique opportunity to English language teachers in Pakistan to benefit from the expertise of reputed ELT (English Language Teaching) practitioners from all over the world.

The Chief Guest, Ms. Zobaida Jalal, the Federal Education Minister, Government of Pakistan, who inaugurated the seminar, said, "Let me affirm that the government is committed to improving the quality of its English language teaching programmes and supporting the efforts of other institutions through creating partnerships with the private sector."

The Deputy Director, Planning Commission, Dr. Shahid Amjad Chaudhry also attended the seminar. The 400 seminar participants included 15 international and 40 national delegates from all over Pakistan. It was an opportunity for learning and sharing not only for teachers and researchers but also for planners and decision makers.

The President of AKU, Dr. Shamsh Kassim-Lakha, in his address highlighted the need for understanding the importance of English in the regional, national and global context. He also expressed the necessity of formulating a policy that will meet national interests as well as the demands of the global economy. Dr. Lakha in his speech also discussed the role that the AKU Centre of English Language is playing in fulfilling the growing demand for quality English language courses and English language teaching by sharing its expertise with students, teachers and professionals outside the University. 

The day's highlights included the keynote address, plenary sessions, and panel discussions. In her address, the keynote speaker, Dr. Naz Rassool from the University of Reading, UK, stressed the importance of language, literacy, and communication in human development and lifelong learning. She also pointed out the significance of language as symbolic cultural power and economic exchange variable. Dr. Rassool discussed the expanding role of English through different globalizing cultural processes, presenting guidelines for a policy framework.

In one of the plenary sessions, Dr. Tariq Rahman from the Quaid-e-Azam University, Islamabad, traced the history of English from colonial South Asia to the present-day Pakistan, describing the two roles of English in Pakistan as a sustainer of elitism and a sustainer of liberalism. At the second plenary session, language policies and their implications in South Asia were discussed by speakers from various South Asian countries including Ms. Gopa Biswas from India, Dr. Hemamala and Dr. Ryhana Rahim from Sri Lanka, Dr. Razia Sultana Khan from Bangladesh, and Dr. Maya David from Malaysia.

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