Department of English

Permanent URI for this communityhttps://repository.cuilahore.edu.pk/handle/123456789/19

Browse

Now showing 1 - 20 of 96

Exploring Alternative Method for Teaching English: Assessing the Effectiveness of Corpus Based Discourse Analysis
(Library Information Services, COMSATS University Islamabad, Lahore Campus, 2017) Muhammad Kamran; FA14-MSENG-003; Dr .Mudassar Mahmood Ahmad; LHR TP 4797
In this case study, English language teaching scenario in public sector Pakistani institutions at undergraduate level from grade 11 to 14 is evaluated. In this evaluation, the most preferred English language teaching method is brought to light and the problems in its use for language teaching at the levels mentioned above are explored. Moreover, the reasons for preferring it in spite of being aware of the problems in its use are evaluated. Above all, a better possible alternative method is introduced and its effectiveness is assessed by taking language teachers’ viewpoints. The paradigm of the study is qualitative and case study research design is used to work on the problem. Data is collected through interviewing the participants and through direct observation and multiple case study design is used. For observation, a time span of two weeks was spent in a college and for interviews 5 students and four teachers from different colleges were selected. Data is collected from students in order to know the most preferred English language teaching method and to observe the defects of using it; and to suggest an alternative teaching method i.e. Corpus Based Discourse Analysis (CBDA). Case study research design is preferred over experimental to understand the problem deeply and to suggest a better alternative teaching method as a solution to the problem. The collected data is interpreted by considering propositions of the study and discussing viewpoints related to the proposition in order to accept or modify the proposition. The results of the study show that GTM is the most favoured and preferred language teaching method in Pakistani public sector institutions and it has a negative impact on learners. Data also shows that teachers seem compelled to use it due to the structural differences in English and regional languages. The situation demands that a new alternative teaching method needs to be introduced to teachers in order to teach students effectively. The new method should be able to influence positively the written language skills of learners. It should also improve the learners’ knowledge of English language so that they can use syntactic constructions appropriately in a required situation to communicate their intended meanings successfully. Above all, it should have a positive impact on the students’ performance in their final term exams. The researcher of the study introduces corpus based discourse analysis for English language teaching and collects opinions of English language teachers to assesses its effectiveness if applied at intermediate and B.A or equivalent level. Teachers’ viewpoints are found very interesting when they are asked about the effectiveness of using corpus based discourse analysis at the levels mentioned. Teachers’ views suggest different ways of using the application to the students of different levels and disciplines. The application will have a positive impact on B.A students or students who have English as a major subject if corpus exploration focuses collocation, connotation, technical words, and semi-technical words. Whereas the application is suitable for intermediate students and the students of science discipline, if its exploration concentrates only the different functions of a linguistic expression or different meanings of a syntactic construction.
Revisiting in Correct Ideaological Constructs: The Critique of Gender in Children Literature
(Library Information Services, COMSATS University Islamabad, Lahore Campus, 2017) SANA TARIQ KHAN; FA14-MSENG-004; Dr. Mirza Muhammad Zubair Baig; LHR TP 4849
When it comes to folktales and fairytales, a woman’s role has always been considered pivotal. Women have been presented in very effective roles as queens, princesses, and maids while, on the other hand, they have been shown in very negative roles like stepmothers and witches. Different researchers and writers vividly believe that the imagery of women is a mixed portrayal of passivity, beauty, goodness, wickedness and evil. Whereas on one side, a woman is appreciated in the capacity of a loving mother or a caring wife signifying the qualities of nurturing, calmness, love and affection, the characters of cruel stepmother or witch depict darkness associated with such characters. Moreover, the feminist movement replaces the female voice from margin to center by revisiting these stereotypical tales. On one hand, the feminist scholars refuse to accept the differentiation between men and women on the basis of gender in societies and, on the other hand, they challenge the patriarchal authority that needs to be reviewed and reconsidered against the assigned role of a woman. Through (re)presentation of women in the character of a queen, a princess, a maid, a witch, a stepmother, or a godmother in women-centered tales, the feminist rewriters have transformed a woman from as an object of a story to a subject of the rewritten stories. These fairy tales help us in publicizing and implementing the publicly suitable male-female relationships. In this research, the researcher has examined the roles of women in fairytales. The present research study has been conducted on three different versions of fairytales written by Grimm, Garner and Barbara to examine how ideologies change with the passage of time. Fairclough’s understanding of intertextuality has been used as a research method to interpret and analyze the text. The present research evaluates the significance of the new perspectives, importance of revised interpretations of the fairy tales, and the impact of fairy tales on young minds. The research findings guide that fairytales change with the passage of time. In gender role, they find a set of societal norms which tells them what type of behavior is generally acceptable and appropriate for a girl or a boy. The new content in children literature gives opportunity to the readers to reanalyze their gender beliefs, break old trends and adapt new attitude towards gender. In the traditional fairy tales, women have not been equal to men and are shown as subservient to men. This thinking has changed with the passage of time, and the equality between men and women has been claimed by the feminist writers.
Patterning through Linguistic Posterity: A Socio Cognitive Discourse Analysis of Bhutto’s Political Rhetoric
(Library Information Services, COMSATS University Islamabad, Lahore Campus, 2017) Syeda Rida Zahara Naqvi; Sp16- MSENG-004; Dr. Mudassar Mahmood Ahmad; LHR TP 4846
The present research study has been conducted on six political speeches of three political leaders of the same family namely Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, Benazir Bhutto and scion of their legacy Bilawal Bhutto to examine how political leaders of same party have propagated their ideologies using linguistic strategies. It is imperative to investigate language as an instrument used by these politicians to persuade their public with assertion of power or power abuse. This study will also endeavour to explore rhetorical and ideological changes over the period of three generations. To investigate the discourse critically and to appraise the ideological foundation of political speeches socio-cognitive approach to CDA has been adopted to analyze and interpret the underlying ideological structure of discourse with reference to Van Dijk socio cognitive discourse theory (1993) and macro level structural arrangement, communicative situations and linguistic ideological structures like meaning, polarization, verbose style, emotive nuance, presuppositions and implication identification, and parallelism. The study revealed the ways in which political leaders exploit the power given by people and control the minds of people by manipulating discourse. The research finding guide that Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto delivered his speech as microcosm of the nation. No other leader of Pakistan had used such emotive and diplomatic discourse to persuade his nation. It was Bhutto’s rhetorical style which had made him alive in hearts of his followers. Benazir Bhutto the daughter of zulfiqar Ali Bhutto idealized her father and Bilawal Bhutto do not construct his identity completely subservient to Bhutto dynasty. Benazir criticizes Zia for her father’s hanging and Bilawal criticized Pervaiz Musharraf for her mother’s assassination. Finding revealed through discourse analysis that power validates and affirms itself in possible dimensions which continue fluctuating though in specific variety of orbits such as control, ideology, language, and society. Persuasion is just to gain power, to surpass, dominate, to prevail, and to stand out of all. They have confidently conveyed with them the insignia of their part at public stage. From structural, thematic, and discursive points political leaders have been found using persuasive devices.
Demonization of Pakistan: Critical Discourse Analysis of Bollywood Anti-Pakistan Movies
(Library Information Services, COMSATS University Islamabad, Lahore Campus, 2017) Marya Khalid; FA15-REL-001; Dr. Mudassar Mahmood Ahmad; LHR TP 4848
The current study aims at finding out how India uses cinema to demonize Pakistan. The study exposes the Bollywood’s propaganda against Pakistan and explores that in what ways Bollywood movies portray Pakistan as the land of evils and terrorists. By the use of Critical Discourse Analysis as a research tool, a corpus of 3 Bollywood movies is analyzed which are produced after 26/11 Mumbai attack, 2008, namely, Agent Vinod (2012), Phantom (2015), and Baby (2015). All of the movies belong to ‘spy’ genre in which the heroic actions of RAW agents against Pakistan are represented. Fairclough’s three dimensional model has been used to explore the linguistic features, and discourse structures. Furthermore, it is researched what kind of discourses are embedded in the texts and what are the ideological, and power structures behind the discourses which are represented in the selected movies. On the level of textual analysis, we observe that ‘mental processes’, ‘statements (both declarative and interrogative)’, and ‘epistemic modality’ are highest in frequency i.e. 35%, 69%, and 94%. On the level of discursive and social practices, it is found that different vocabulary items are used to demonize Pakistan. We find different discourses i.e. discourse of terrorism, discourse of conflicts, and discourse of religion etc. which have been used to demonize Pakistan. It is suggested that film industry should discourage the production of such movies which ignite the hatred between the people of both the countries as it would be helpful in stabilizing Pak-India relations.
Evaluation of English Textbooks in Pakistani Context: 7th and 8th Grade
(Library Information Services, COMSATS University Islamabad, Lahore Campus, 2017) Malaika Tehreem; SP16-REL-007; Dr. Aasia Nusrat; LHR TP 4875
It is a frequent practice to evaluate and examine textbooks in the area of academic process in order to get assistance for the selection of a suitable book for a particular context. The present study focuses on the analysis and evaluation of English textbooks Step Ahead 2 and Step Ahead 3 which are taught to grade7 and grade8 in elite English medium schools, Beacon House School System in Pakistan. It is to investigate to what extent a pre-use textbook meets the requirements of a learning process and how much favourable the tasks and activities are. McGrath’s impressionistic and in- depth methods (2002) have been applied by using his checklist technique to interrogate the contents of the textbooks. The analysis reveals some problems related to the four skills and cultural representation which demand an apt attention for improving. The major skills lack to find equal emphasis and mere foreign culture has been overly exposed. The findings assert the essential proceeding of revising the textbooks by the authors for this act would play an active role for the improvement of the English textbooks at school level.
Meaning Potential in Semiotic Remediations: Understanding Comprehension Prospects Through Multimodal Discourse Analysis
(Library Information Services, COMSATS University Islamabad, Lahore Campus, 2017) Hira Saleem Khan; SP16-REL-006; Dr. Mudassar Mahmood Ahmad; LHR TP 4841
The digital era ascertain the emergence of multimodal studies that lend an immense potential to the viewers to generate synergistic meanings from multitude of semiotic resources infused together. By virtue of multimodal remediated texts, the meanings and comprehension process can rekindle the prior mental concepts into a new dimension owing to ensembles and visual affordance it employs. Therefore, the study aims to analyze the tendency of remediated text in multiplying the meanings and upgrading the understanding of an older text refashioned into a new medium. For this purpose, the study is designed in two phases. The first phase is a preliminary analysis of an adapted film Pride and Prejudice which is examined through metafunctional approach of multimodal discourse analysis while the second phase encompasses three participants to explore their comprehension process through qualitative methods i.e. verbal protocols (Concurrent and Retrospective) and Semi-Structured Interviews. The results imply that remediated text supplied a holistic perspective of an artifact and it added to the comprehensive meanings of the narrative. It was also found that multimodal text has enriched participants’ comprehension about the narrative as it reinforced their critical understanding of the content
An Investigative Study of ESL Teachers’ and Students’ Attitudes towards Corrective Feedback
(Library Information Services, COMSATS University Islamabad, Lahore Campus, 2017) Gulshan Shahzadi; SP16- REL-014; Dr. Aasia Nusrat; LHR TP 4844
The study aims to analyze the students’ and teachers’ attitudes towards teachers’ corrective feedback on the language errors of ESL students. The present study also analyzed the students’ attitudes on the basis of their gender and educational background. Teachers’ attitudes with respect to their teaching experienced explored. The population of this study is 200 students (121 males and 79 females) and 12 ESL teachers (2 males and 10 females). The participants are the undergraduate students and the ESL teachers of the COMSATS Institute of Information and Technology Lahore. In the study four instruments are used to achieve the objectives of the study: 1) Teachers’ questionnaire; 2) Students’ questionnaire; 3) Teachers’ interviews and 4) Students’ interview. The analysis of the data shows that teachers and students have positive attitudes towards the corrective feedback of teachers on the students’ language errors. The results reveal that students and teachers considered the feedback necessary for the effective learning. The teachers’ corrective feedback is a very significant technique to improve the students’ second language speaking and writing. A t-test analysis indicates no significant difference between the attitudes of students and teachers towards the corrective feedback on the basis of their gender and educational background. To investigate the impact of teachers’ language teaching experience on their attitude to corrective feedback, t-test analysis is used. The findings reveal no significance difference between the teachers’ attitudes with respect to their language teaching experience.
The Determinants of Choice of Language Learning Strategies in an IT University of Pakistan
(Library Information Services, COMSATS University Islamabad, Lahore Campus, 2017) Muhammad Azam; FA14-MSENG-002; Dr. Filza Waseem; LHR TP 4845
The aim of this study is to investigate the use of language learning strategies by undergraduate students of an IT university of Pakistan. It focuses on the relationship between university students’ use of language learning strategies with their achievement in the English, different majors along with English, the type of school they got their last degree from, their background area, study hours after university and their attitude towards the target language. Two instruments were used for the purpose of data collection: The Strategy Inventory for Language Learning (SILL) developed by Oxford (1990) and Aiken’s Attitude Scale (1979) adapted by Tunc (2003). The instruments were administered to 126 undergraduate students of four different departments of the university who were studying the same courses of English in their second semester along with different majors. The gathered data was analyzed using SPSS program and descriptive statistics and frequencies, Coefficient Correlation and one-way ANOVA tests were carried out. The statistics suggest that Pakistani university students are moderate in the use of language learning strategies. The research participants report that they use compensation, cognitive and metacognitive and memory strategies of moderate frequency while social and affective strategies of low frequency. The study found a significant difference among the students of four different departments in the use of language learning strategies. The successful learners use affective strategies more often than any other strategy.
Ideologies in Making: CDA of Emerging Narratives in the Background of CPEC
(Library Information Services, COMSATS University Islamabad, Lahore Campus, 2018) Hamza Amin; SP16-REL-001; Dr. Mudassar Mahmood Ahmad; LHR TP 4850
Language helps us to retain our culture and identity amongst the societies in the world. It gives us a unique and specific ideological platform on which people represent themselves. The basic aim of this research is to study the language used in articles written regarding an under-construction project named CPEC (China Pakistan Economic Corridor) with financial aid of Chinese government in between Pakistan and China for economic and strategic purposes. The focus of this research remains on the development of different ideologies with regards to the CPEC project either in favour or in opposition to it. Sample for this research is collected from secondary sources, specifically from English language newspapers which are published daily in Pakistan. For this purpose, four articles were selected from two different English language newspapers and analyzed through CDA (Critical Discourse Analysis). Fairclough’s three-dimensional approach is being used to analyze the text. Micro and Macro levels of analysis were used- Micro level for textual analysis and Macro level to check its discourse, genre and style. CDA helps to reflect the relationship amongst the language and society. CDA evaluates its specific discourse, and relationship between text and context. It is found that regarding CPEC project two different, parallel ideologies are emerged within our society, in many of the newspapers and journals, critics and columnists have written in the favour of project. A few critics are trying to highlight the problems and hurdles coming with this long-term development project. Media is circulating multiple ideas side by side on national and global platforms. Media also highlighting both ideologies by mediatization and exaggeration of positive and negative elements. This research will lead a reader to understand and investigate the ideological concerns hidden behind the word-play.
Dynamics of Power Relationship in Doris Lessing’s The Grass is Singing and To Room Nineteen
(Library Information Services, COMSATS University Islamabad, Lahore Campus, 2018) Samar Muhammad Ali; SP16-REL-009; Dr. Jaleel Akhtar; LHR TP 5175
Doris Lessing contributes to the notion of power dynamics through self-representational social divisions and power-structures in her works. The aim of this study is to explore how Doris Lessing’s The Grass is Singing and To Room Nineteen portray the dynamics of power behind the social constructions of forces like patriarchy and social constraints. The study aims at finding out how structural power and resultant strategic action are related to each other and to outcomes of these from Lessing’s perspective. Identities are individual and collective that answer the question ‘who am/are/I/we?’ Hegemonic discourses of power and identity politics create invisible experiences of the more marginal members of that specific social category and construct a homogenized ‘right way’ to be its member. This is where the female protagonists of Lessing are Outsiders. The androcentric biased concept, ‘power-dependent’ or ‘power-independent’ complicates the positioning and placement of these women against social and personal domains. Because of the values and culture of male domination and of discrimination against women, women have been deprived of their subjective position. Fanatic patriarchal norms are regulated to suppress women’s exercise of power. The intersectional social divisions or the power structures influence an individual’s identity and control them. These power relations are based on control over authority, legitimacy, resistance, and power-dependency
Multiplicity of Identities in the New Millennium
(Library Information Services, COMSATS University Islamabad, Lahore Campus, 2018) Arooma Kanwal; FA16-REL-013; Dr. Jaleel Akhtar; LHR TP 5173
In our contemporary era of subversion of identities, the issue of millennial identities has assumed unprecedented significance and scope. This research intends to discuss the complexities and nuances of the millennial identities at the dawn of 21st century. One of the basic contentions is to find patterns by explicating Simon de Beauvoir and Judith Butler's perspectives of identities in Toni Morrison's latest novel God Help the Child. At the turn of 20th century, Simon de Beauvior talked about performative nature of gendered identities. She famously said "one is not born, but rather becomes, a woman". Famous American writer Scott Fitzgerald also defined human embodiment as a series of performative gestures. What these writers were defining about nature and mercurial essence of human personality or identity is equally true and valid about the millennial identities or the 21st century gendered, queer and closeted identities. Butler's statement "one does one's body" adds weight to the argument that in the new millennium all identities are up for grab as they have become more fluid, malleable and plastic. There are plenty of examples, like Oprah Winfrey, Rachel Dolezal, Tiger Woods, Obama, Micheal Jackson and the list goes on. All of them embody the spirit of the new millennial in their own unique fashion. However, the main objective is to bring in the politically, socially and sexually persecuted oppressed minorities or the subaltern identities, who do not necessarily occupy positions of acclaim and prestige and are struggling to create some space for themselves without giving in to existing societal norms and scripts. For example, in Pakistani context, the new millennial women are those who appropriate aspects of identities which are non-conventional and perhaps multi or transcultural. Their act of passing as the new millennials resides in their ability to demolish gendered prejudice and stereotypes by establishing avenues of cross-racial understanding. This research ix on the new millennial identities aims to demonstrate this by way of comparative study with Toni Morrison‘s latest novel God Help the Child. It is important because Morrison's take on the new millennial in the God Help the Child talks about these kinds of subversive identities to highlight how the queerness of identities and malleability of the black body, in fact, all the bodies in God Help the Child has contemporary relevance to our society.
Other Mother: A Critical Study of Toni Morrison’s Home
(Library Information Services, COMSATS University Islamabad, Lahore Campus, 2018) Farwa Muneer; FA16-REL-002; Dr.JaleelAkhtar; LHR TP 5164
Motherhood has been one of the prominent theme in literature, especially in Afro-American literature. The deconstruction of motherhood has become the intractable problem of twentieth century. Toni Morrison has used the image of another mother who is always there to cater a child when the real mother is missing. This dissertation analyzes the long-term effects of lack of parenthood on adults. Through the This story of two miserable siblings is universal, it is rather a story of every ignored child. Through the mouth piece of characters Morrison has thrown our attention on this sensitive issue. The effects of mismatched couple, slavery, lack of resources and displacement of feelings have always been prevalent in an African society. The mother of twentieth century is entirely different from the mothers of earlier age. The surrogates and other mothers have taken the charge over the irresponsible mothers. All the characters are there to mother Cee Frank, Sarah and Miss Ethel did it positively but Lenore and Dr. Beau even deconstructed the sacred image of a surrogate. The in depth textual analysis will reveal all the discrepancies and minutest details found within the text.
Conversation Analysis of British and American Entertainment TV Talk-Shows: A Comparative Study
(Library Information Services, COMSATS University Islamabad, Lahore Campus, 2018) Shazia Sarwar; FA16-REL-007; Dr. Aasia Nusrat; LHR TP 5168
This study endeavors to present the contrastive analysis of the conversational process of TV entertainment talk shows between two native English countries. The analysis focuses on the way of using conversational aspects such as turn-taking, response tokens and topic organization by native English speakers and the purposes to be achieved through these conversational aspects during the interaction on the TV talk shows. The data are taken from two talk shows one from UK and one from USA; one full episode of The Graham Norton Show (UK) and one full episode of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon (USA). Mixed-methods approach is applied to find the difference regarding the use and purpose of using these conversational aspects by native English speakers including the host and guest(s) of both of the shows. Turn-taking and response tokens are analyzed quantitatively to differentiate between the conversational processes in terms of frequency in the use of these aspects in the shows understudy by dividing the episode into its beginning, middle and ending sections. In the qualitative analysis section topic organization, turn-taking and response token are analyzed to find out various purposes behind the use of these conversational aspects in both of the shows understudy. The findings reveal that in both of the shows the same conversational aspects were used to achieve same purposes but in a different manner in order to make the conversation a successful one. The study concludes that the findings can provide the learners and teachers of English as target language with a guideline to enhance their communicative skills as well as to maintain the flow of their conversation in English language.
Destruction of Landscape: An Ecocritical Study of Hemingway’s Major Novels (A Farewell to Arms, For Whom the Bell Tolls and The Old Man and the Sea)
(Library Information Services, COMSATS University Islamabad, Lahore Campus, 2018) Muhammad Tayyab; SP16-REL-010; Dr. Jaleel Akhtar; LHR TP 5316
New critical approaches to literature reveal hidden themes which improve our understanding of literary works. Ecocriticism is a combination of ecology and literature. It is an interdisciplinary field in which literary works are analysed in the light of ecological discourses. According to Aristotelian theory, settings play a vital to understand a literary work. Eco critics explore literary works to explain environmental conditions in literature. Earnest Hemingway presents wars and intrusion of machines on panoramic meadows. He depicts macho animal killers in his work. He presents outdoor activities through fishing, bullfighting and hunting. These activities create environmental degradation. His primitiveness creates eco-ambiguity. Warships in his two novels, A Farewell to the Arms and For Whom the Bells Tolls highlight destruction of environment because of human activities. In panoramic meadows, soldiers fight each other which creates destruction for humans as well as for ecosystem. In The Old Man and the Sea, Hemingway depicts marine life. Young fishermen exploit seascape with their modern fishing techniques in the sea. Bullfighting, hunting and fishing are blood sports. These games exploit non-human world. Hunting and fishing might be presented as search for wilderness. Hemingway’s primitivism projects his characters’ contradicting fight against natural environment. This study attempts to understand the interplay of human activities, like war and hunting, and their destructive impact on the landscape through the lens of ecocriticism.
Investigating ESL Undergrad Pakistani Students’ Vocabulary Learning Strategies with Respect to Gender
(Library Information Services, COMSATS University Islamabad, Lahore Campus, 2018) Farhana Ahsan Javed; FA16-REL-016; Dr. Aasia Nusrat; LHR TP 5319
This research study is intended to explore vocabulary learning strategies of undergraduate English as second language students at COMSATS University Lahore, Pakistan. The main purpose of this study is to investigate the most and the least frequently used vocabulary learning strategies, to find out significant difference between male and female students in learning strategies for vocabulary, and to explore the types of strategies for learning vocabulary employed by undergraduate students. Data are collected through questionnaire and interviews. Questionnaire of vocabulary learning strategies is based on Schmitt’s taxonomy (1997). Semi structured interview is conducted to find out what strategies undergrad students employ in learning vocabulary to get in depth detail concerning vocabulary learning strategies. There were 300 participants involving 157 female students and 143 male students who filled the questionnaire. There were 8 participants who were randomly selected for Interview. Descriptive Statistics (Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS), Version 23), Independent sample t-test and ANOVA (Analysis of Variance) are used to analyze data. The findings of this study revealed that there is significant difference between males and females in using strategies for learning vocabulary. Female students most frequently used memory strategies whereas male students use determination strategies. Concerning the most and the least frequently used vocabulary learning strategies, determination strategies are used most frequently, and cognitive strategies are least frequently used by the ESL undergraduate students. Large number of variance is found in the usage of group of strategies for learning vocabulary by the students.
THE STUDY OF IDEOLOGICAL REPRESENTATION OF MUSLIMS IN HOLLYWOOD CINEMA: CRITICAL DISCOURSE ANALYSIS
(Library Information Services, COMSATS University Islamabad, Lahore Campus, 2018) Arfa Aemen; FA16-REL-005; Dr. Aasia Nusrat; LHR TP 5317
The current study aims at finding out how Hollywood presents the image of Muslims in a negative way through the source of media. The study exposes the way film directors and writers set their aim to propagate against Muslims with the presentation of language in forms of dialogues. Critical Discourse Analysis as a research tool has been used to analyze the corpus of two Hollywood movies: The Kingdom (2007) and Zero Dark Thirty (2011) which were produced after 9/11 Twin Tower attack. Both Hollywood movies are based on the terrorism genre in which Muslims are depicted as terrorist. Fairclough’s three dimensional model (1989) has been used to explore linguistics features and discourse structures. Three levels of Fairclough’s (1989) model (descriptive, discursive and social practices) analyze the text on each level separately. The findings reveal that discourse of terrorism is embedded in the text which represents Muslims with the tag of terrorists. It has been examined that through hidden ideology and manipulated language, Muslims are labeled as terrorists and biased picture is shown in Hollywood movies. The findings indicate that Muslims received negative coverage and an exaggerated picture of being shown as terrorists is drawn on a big scale of media and it is very difficult to perceive the true side of the picture.
Representation of Child Abuse in African American Fiction: A Study of Toni Morrison’s God Help the Child and Alice Walker’s The Color Purple
(Library Information Services, COMSATS University Islamabad, Lahore Campus, 2018) Sohaib Ahmad; SP17-REL-006; Dr. Jalil Akhtar; LHR TP 5314
The present research has undertaken an analysis and investigation of the depiction of childhood abuse and the ensuing trauma in God Help the Child by Toni Morrison and The Color Purple by Alice Walker by drawing focus to the characters’ horrible past, distress and anguish and their repercussions on their present. It has focused on the analysis of various forms of childhood violence and abuse such as incest, rape, pedophilia, child molestation and other physical, emotional and psychological forms of torture which many characters in the texts go through in their lives. The current study has highlighted the child abuse in the African American society and also shown how the menace of abuse is affecting the children in our setting too. The study has brought to light an important issue of child abuse and how this curse should be averted in order to nourish our children in a healthy way. Qualitative research design has been employed and the texts are analyzed using the content analysis technique. Ideas of child abuse and trauma theorists like Alice Miller, Judith Herman and James Kincaid are used to interpret the texts under investigation. The notions such as the narcissistic disorder and false self by Alice Miller and post-traumatic stress disorder, intrusion and constriction by Judith Herman are some of the concepts which the texts are seen through
Paradoxical Motherhood in ‘The Bluest Eye’ and ‘God Help the Child’
(Library Information Services, COMSATS University Islamabad, Lahore Campus, 2018) Abdullah Ghulam Nabi; FA16-REL-006; Dr. Jaleel Akhtar; LHR TP 5167
This research study has been conducted on the title ‘Paradoxes of Motherhood in The Bluest Eye and God Help the Child’. The aim of the researcher, to conduct this research study, was to investigate the paradoxical factors and their after effects that how these factors affect the lives of black mothers and restrain them from nurturing their children as normal human beings. One aim of the researcher was to get the comparison of the black mother of the modern era and postmodern era in order to understand that either there was any change in the condition of the black mother or not. In order to investigate all these factors, two novels of Toni Morrison, the black writer, The Bluest Eye and God Help the Child have been selected. The argument of this thesis is that the experience of motherhood, especially, mother-daughter relationship gets complicated due to external factors like: slavery, racism, economy, sexism and the single parent motherhood. Because of these factors, mothers displace violence on their children in the form of abuse, emotional neglect and lack of nurture. This research study has used the lenses of Black Feminist theorists like: Patricia Hill Collins, Nancy Chodorow, Andrea O’Reilly and Bell Hooks. Primary source of data were both the novels, The Bluest Eye and God Help the Child, and the secondary sources of this study were different thesis, books, articles, and interviews of Toni Morrison. Therefore, the nature of this research was qualitative. The research findings are that the there is no change in the condition of the black mother of old times and post-modern times. Black mother still has to endure all the problems by her own as she used to suffer from breast feeding to nurturance. Morrison exposes the failure of American dream for black people in these novels. Factors like colourism, sexism, racism, residential discrimination and economic marginalization still exist in American society. All these factors put the coloured people, including African American, at disadvantage making the realization of the American dream impossible for them.
Effect of English as Instructional Language on Teacher Learning: An Analysis of Government Teachers Education in Pakistan
(Library Information Services, COMSATS University Islamabad, Lahore Campus, 2018) Rabea Saeed; SP17-REL-002; Dr. Aasia Nusrat; LHR TP 5315
Teacher educator development has taken integral position in education sector, and, with launch of various programmes, the emphasis on using English as medium of instructions (EMI) in teacher education has increased too. However, language proficiency of teacher educators, who are placed in EMI immersion programmes, stands as one the biggest challenge not only in Pakistan but globally too (Huq, 2018). Teacher Language Awareness (TLA) (Andrews, 2007) framework connects teacher language awareness to pedagogical content, and reveals that a teacher educators language awareness, with respect to both declarative and procedural knowledge, affects the pedagogical content knowledge. Applying this framework, written assessments of non-native teacher educators (Pakistan) are assessed and analysed. Present study is mix-method research that uses qualitative and quantitative methods for data analysis. Value of relationship coefficient ‘r’ between EMI and teacher performance reveals a strong downhill relationship indicating negative effect of EMI on teacher performance in Pakistani context. Similarly, a qualitative analysis of the assessments reveals that EMI inversely affects subject matter cognitions. These findings necessitate measures to be taken which could help improve language proficiency of the teacher educators, as well as reconsider the choice of medium for maximum output and effective learning.
Impact of Colorism on the Lives of African Americans: A Feminist Reading of God Help the Child
(Library Information Services, COMSATS University Islamabad, Lahore Campus, 2018) Abeer Zafar; SP17-REL-003; Dr.Jaleel Akhtar; LHR TP 5320
This research work is an analysis of the portrayal of women in the latest novel of Toni Morrison God Help the Child (2015). It mainly focuses on the impact of colorism on the lives of black women in USA. In USA colored people are consistently facing this problem. Feminist theory by bell hooks is used as theoretical frame for the study. This study has explored new aspects of feminism such as, violence against children, revolutionary parenting, sisterhood, and colorism. This research has explored that colorism is a phenomenon that is directly related to racism and it increases the difficulties for women in USA. It is also proved that all the difficulties in the life of main character are due to her black color. This research concludes that it is a collective responsibility of parents and the society to rear the children and to teach them the importance of their own values and their own-selves. Feminists need a lot of hard work to erase the wrong concept of feminism from the minds of people and instill a new concept that is “feminism is to end sexist oppression” instead of ‘feminism is to become equal with men’