Department of English
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Item Impact of Automated Written Evaluated (AWE) Feedback on English Writing Accuracy of ESL University Students of Pakistan.(Library Information Services, COMSATS University Islamabad, Lahore Campus, 2025) Shiza Azam; CIIT/SP23-REL-022/LHR; Dr. Aasia Nusrat; LHR TP 10062Regardless of a lot of researches on use of Automated Written Evaluation (AWE) on students of English as a Second Language (ESL), this Quasi Experimental study examines the long term impact of Automated Written Evaluation Feedback (AWEF) on ESL students of Pakistani University. This study employed this technique because of its significance in examining the impact of AWE and with this design; this study explored how AWE with Grammarly helps students in improving English writing quality. Three testing occasions including Pre-Test, Post- Test and Delayed Post-Test were employed to examine the long term relative efficacy of AWE and Teacher Feedback. Over the course of semester, 60 students were divided into two groups: Experimental and Control group and were provided AWE feedback and Teacher feedback relatively. The study used quantitative techniques including t-test and ANOVA and focused on particular errors categories comprising Subject Verb Agreement, Article Usage and Spelling. The results of the post test showed that both groups, AWE and Teacher Feedback, contributed in short term improvement but the results of delayed post-test revealed that the students from the treatment group retained the improvement and showed a statistically notable improvement. This study advances the understanding of technological use in language acquisition and also pedagogically raises the prospect of using AWE along with teacher feedback to foster learning using limited resources. This study was concluded with discussion and limitations of this study.Item Language, Nature, and the Framing of Death: An Ecolinguistic Analysis of Muneer Niazi’s Taiz Hawa Aur Tanha Phool(Library Information Services, COMSATS University Islamabad, Lahore Campus, 2025) Amina Arif; CIIT/SP24-MEL-014/LHR; Dr. Aasia Nusrat; LHR TP 10058This thesis explores how Urdu lyric poetry, in this case, Taiz Hawa Aur Tanha Phool by Muneer Niazi (1994), is important in solving the global environmental crisis by promoting localized environmental ethics in Pakistan. The study uses the Ecological Discourse Analysis (EDA) according to the six-part framework of Arran Stibbe (Identity, Ideology, Salience, Metaphor, Conviction, and Erasure) to systematically deconstruct the way Niazi uses language as a positive, ecocentric discourse. The study is based on a qualitative, constructivist-interpretivist design, which examines twenty purposively sampled poems to fulfill two main goals: to examine how identity, ideology, and salience facilitate eco-consciousness, and to examine how metaphor, conviction, and erasure re-brand human mortality as an ecological flow. The main thesis is that Niazi manages to create an ecocentric worldview through the active agency of non-human things (challenging erasure), the creation of strong cyclical metaphors, and the creation of a moral belief in interdependence. This discussion moves the study of Niazi beyond conventional social interpretations, using a global approach to non-Western lyrical poetry and providing a resource base to South Asian ecocriticism and environmental communication.Item The Erasure of Nature in Corporate Greenwashing: An Ecolinguistic Analysis of Environmental Claims in Multinational Advertisements in Pakistan.(Library Information Services, COMSATS University Islamabad, Lahore Campus, 2025) Ajwa Sarosh Azhar; CIIT/SP24-MEL-002/LHR; Dr. Aasia Nusrat; LHR TP 10047This study aims to explore how multinational companies market environmental sustainability through "greenwashing" their marketing communication. It focuses on how these companies make "green" claims using linguistic techniques to trick consumers into thinking they are environmentally responsible. The researcher has selected twelve advertisements from an intentional sample of eight multinational companies. Dove, Pond's, Hemani Herbal, Garnier, Ariel, Surf Excel, Bonus, and Express Power. To better understand the issue, a mixed-method approach has been used for this study. The qualitative analysis was conducted through Stibbes Ecolinguistic analysis of the advertisements from the eight selected companies. The quantitative analysis was conducted through a closed-ended Likert-type survey that was given to 200 participants. The SPSS software was then used to analyze the data generated from the quantitative analyses. Qualitative analysis discovered that all of the companies assessed were using language such as "chemical-free," "pure," "organic," and "all-natural." The use of metaphorical language (cleanliness, purity, natural harmony) in the advertisements further reinforced these misleading bio facts. Results of the quantitative analysis showed that participants were aware of certain corporate practices of exploiting consumers through greenwashing; however, they were still impacted by the eco-linguistic cues employed in the advertisements. In summary, this study found that multinational corporations used the linguistic and symbolic tools at their disposal to create an environmentally friendly narrative that influences consumer perception, while simultaneously hiding their lack of true environmentally sustainable endeavor. This study has shown that, in order to establish stronger regulatory control over and enhance the integrity of the way advertising is performed in Pakistan, greater transparency in the methods of communicating an environmental message will need to be established in the marketplaceItem Comparing Grammarly Feedback and Teacher Feedback in ESLWriting: AQuantitative Study of Students’ Perceptions(Library Information Services, COMSATS University Islamabad, Lahore Campus, 2025) Fatima Afzaal; CIIT/SP24-MEL-004/LHR; Dr. Aasia Nusrat; LHR TP 10049This study investigated ESL university students’ perceptions of teacher-written feedback and automated feedback provided by Grammarly in academic writing, with the aim of exploring the benefits, challenges, and overall effectiveness of each feedback modality. Grounded in Sociocultural Theory, the study examined how human and technological mediators support learners’ writing development, skill improvement, and autonomy. A quantitative research design was employed, involving 40 non-English major undergraduate students from two intact classes at a Pakistani university, purposively sampled based on prior English proficiency. One group of 20 students received teacher-written feedback, while the other 20 students received automated feedback via Grammarly across a four-week guided writing intervention. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire designed to measure perceived benefits, skill improvement, perceived challenges, and overall effectiveness of feedback. Reliability analyses indicated high internal consistency across the scale (Cronbach’s α = 0.70–0.82). Descriptive statistics revealed that students recognized multiple benefits from both feedback types, including enhanced accuracy, motivation, and awareness of recurring errors. Independent samples t-tests indicated no statistically significant differences between groups in perceived benefits, skill improvement, or perceived challenges, while teacher feedback was perceived as significantly more effective overall (t = 2.496, p = .017). The findings highlight the complementary nature of teacher and automated feedback: teacher feedback supports higher-order skills such as coherence, organization, and argumentation, while Grammarly facilitates surface-level linguistic accuracy, autonomous revision, and self-monitoring. The study underscores the importance of an integrated feedback approach in ESL writing instruction, combining human interpretive guidance with automated support to maximize learning outcomes. Pedagogical implications include the need for targeted instruction in interpreting automated feedback and prioritizing teacher feedback for conceptual and discourse-level guidance. Limitations related to sample size, self-reported measures, and study duration are discussed, alongside recommendations for longitudinal and performance-based research. The study contributes to the understanding of feedback-mediated learning in ESL contexts and provides evidence-based strategies for optimizing both teacher and technology- enhanced writing instruction.Item Social Identity Construction in Migration Narrative: A Critical Stylistic Analysis of Mohsin Hamid’s Exit West(Library Information Services, COMSATS University Islamabad, Lahore Campus, 2020) Rida Fatima; FA18-REL-001; Dr. Aasia Nusrat; LHR TP 5998This thesis analyzes the construction of social identity in the migration narrative of Mohsin Hamid’s Exit West (2017) with a special focus on the engagement of text with the identity construction by using tools of textual conceptual functions from Lesley Jefferie’s Critical Stylistics (2010) for codification and Laclau and Mouffe’s Political Discourse Theory (2010). This study explores the ways that how the migrant characters engage with these concepts and how their representation destabilizes the dominant and traditional meaning of identity. For the migrant protagonists in Exit West (2017), the notion of identity is not strictly defined in relation to their place of origin or to any affiliation with a particular place. In other words, the narrative in the text is centered on the fact that although the migrants initially define identity in strict association to their homeland or place of origin, this subsequently changes as they move out of their city of birth and encounter various places and cultures. In the Findings section, this study shows the identity issues of the migrant characters and their problems in social spheresItem Impact of Jigsaw Technique on the Reading of ESL University Learners in Pakistan(Library Information Services, COMSATS University Islamabad, Lahore Campus, 2020) Khushbakhat Ali; FA18-REL-006; Dr. Aasia Nusrat; LHR TP 6002This research work attempts to determine the effectiveness of jigsaw technique in English reading comprehension and it also aims to determine the responses of students to the usage of jigsaw strategy in Pakistan. The data were collected from classrooms by giving jigsaw treatment, and through interviews. The mixed method research design was used to find out the effectiveness of jigsaw intervention. Following a quasi-experimental research design, fifty four undergraduate students of COMSATS University Islamabad, Lahore Campus from four classes were divided randomly into an experimental and a control group to participate in the present study. Each group contained 27 students who could use either jigsaw strategy for reading comprehension task or individual learning over a period of eight weeks. The data obtained from pretest and posttests was analyzed through SPSS. The findings of this work were statistically analyzed through Wilcoxon Signed Ranks test at the final stage of the experimental period. Semi structured interviews were used as an instrument to know about the degree of importance of jigsaw technique according to students’ perceptions. The data analysis through nonparametric Wilcoxon Signed Ranks test showed that the prominent difference exists in the scores of posttest means between both the groups which were control and experimental group. The results of interviews’ analysis also revealed that students found jigsaw strategy as cooperative method of learning which was more impressive and helpful for their English reading comprehension skills. They stated that it could help them to improve their vocabulary, pronunciation etc. and they could share their ideas with each other which enhanced their knowledge. Therefore, this technique would be important for teachers and students alike to help students upgrade their reading comprehension skills of students.Item Social Identity Construction in Migration Narrative: A Critical Stylistic Analysis of Mohsin Hamid’s Exit West(Library Information Services, COMSATS University Islamabad, Lahore Campus, 2020) Rida Fatima; FA18-REL-001; Dr. Aasia Nusrat; LHR TP 5998This thesis analyzes the construction of social identity in the migration narrative of Mohsin Hamid’s Exit West (2017) with a special focus on the engagement of text with the identity construction by using tools of textual conceptual functions from Lesley Jefferie’s Critical Stylistics (2010) for codification and Laclau and Mouffe’s Political Discourse Theory (2010). This study explores the ways that how the migrant characters engage with these concepts and how their representation destabilizes the dominant and traditional meaning of identity. For the migrant protagonists in Exit West (2017), the notion of identity is not strictly defined in relation to their place of origin or to any affiliation with a particular place. In other words, the narrative in the text is centered on the fact that although the migrants initially define identity in strict association to their homeland or place of origin, this subsequently changes as they move out of their city of birth and encounter various places and cultures. In the Findings section, this study shows the identity issues of the migrant characters and their problems in social spheresItem Relationship of ESL Pakistani Learners Learning Styles and Writing Strategies: A Correlative Study(Library Information Services, COMSATS University Islamabad, Lahore Campus, 2023) Ashique Ali; FA21-REL-006; Dr. Aasia Nusrat; LHR TP 8481This study deals with the relationship of ESL learning styles and ESL writing strategies used by the ESL Pakistani University learners to learn and improve their method to gain new information (Felder & Brent, 2005). Through the random sampling 200 students studying ECC (English Comprehension and Composition) from the COMSATS University-Lahore Campus at undergraduate level were selected to collect data. A quantitative research design has been followed. To investigate the preferred learning styles Reid‟s (1984) questionnaire (PLSQ) has been used to know the highly and low adopted style. To know the writing strategies at before writing stage, when writing stage and revising stage Petric and Czarl‟s (2003) questionnaire has been used as a tool. Descriptive statistics like mean score and standard deviation has been done to know the use of learning styles and writing strategies at high and low. Furthermore, Pearson Correlation is used to know the correlation between learning styles and writing strategies. Findings show that the most preferred learning styles of COMSATS Lahore are visual and auditory. With respect to ESL writing strategies, they use writing strategies but at the revising stage they use the most. Moreover, there is significant correlation between learning styles and writing strategies as p < 0.05. The study is helpful in pedagogy as it helps the teacher to become familiar with students learning styles and syllabus designer can design syllabus according the preferred learning styles of the students. This study also recommends the future researchers investigate learning style in relation to other variables.Item Union of Myth and Romance: A Study of ‘The Chronicles of Narnia’ as a Realm of Northrop Frye’s Literary Archetypes(Library Information Services, COMSATS University Islamabad, Lahore Campus, 2022) Maryam Nawaz; FA20-REL-001; LHR TP 7905; Dr. Aasia NusratThis research investigates C.S Lewis’ The Chronicles of Narnia as a unification of myth and romance in the realm of Northrop Frye’s literary archetypes. The concept of archetypes is deeply entrenched within the genre of children’s fiction. These patterns or archetypes help create a multilayered canvas for the literary piece of work. Abiding by the widely acknowledged patterns of art, Lewis created this masterpiece for his young audience. In Frye’s terms, the novel fits into the category of myth and romance simultaneously, providing the protagonists that qualify both as mythical and romantic heroes. Archetypes from both genres are rigorously implied in all the books of The Chronicles of Narnia. Embedded under the semiotic expression of the tale, these archetypes serve to convey non-apparent meanings to the readers through the process of symbolization. The given research studies three different forms of archetypes in the seven books of The Chronicles of Narnia that include: the hero of myth and romance, pastoral and animal imagery, and the four mythoi of romance associated with the patterns seasonal cycles. The study, to sum up, explores how the use of archetypes conveys intended meanings by the author in more effective ways which enhances readers’ understanding beyond the surface-level expression of the text.Item Phallogocentrism, Discourse, Linguistic Discursive, Feminist CDA(Library Information Servicers COMSATS University, Lahore Campus, 2021-11-25) Sara Bilal; CIIT/FA19-REL-014/LHR; Dr. Aasia Nusrat; LHR TP 7455Heteroglossic practices against monolingual policy of a school is a reality that needs to be investigated in linguistic research. In Cambridge classrooms, particularly in Asia, bilingual mode of communication is evident even if it is heavily disguised under the shadow of a monolingual policy. A need arises to understand how two different languages play their role in second language learning, inside a classroom. Observing the global trends in second language learning, many countries have embraced the intersection of a student’s mother tongue. However, in Asia, particularly in Pakistan, this was yet to be explored by the stakeholders in the education arena (Chimbutane, 2011; Garcia, 2009). To do so, the researcher drew on sociocultural (Bakhtin, 1981; Vygotsky, Mind in Society: The Development of Higher Psychological Processes, 1978) and cognitive (Collier, 1995; Cummins, 1979; 1981) theoretical perspectives. These theoretical perspectives permit recognition of the importance of native languages in the development of literacy in a second language (L2), as well as the importance of sociocultural contexts as influences on literacy learning (Bakhtin, 1981; Vygotsky, Mind in Society: The Development of Higher Psychological Processes, 1978). The findings showed that traditionally, students used their multilingual resources in speaking practices, even when they were required to use one language. These practices suggest that mixed utterances helped students understand the content to a wider range, establishing a need to revisit monolingual policy.