Language and instruction
February 4, 2021
I have to disagree with the opinion on language and the medium of instruction expressed by M Zeb Khan (‘Talking Language’, The News, January 28, 2020). The writer has identified the key issue but then let his attention deviate from the main point.
The writer begins with a very important issue that needs attention and bears reiterating: “Like many other unresolved perennial issues in Pakistan, the question of which language to use as medium of instruction during the formative years of school-going kids remains unpacked and hence unaddressed.”
However, instead of remaining focused on the child and assessing the impact of the use of different languages as mediums of instruction on his or her learning, the article ventures into the entirely unrelated adult domains of culture, politics, and political uses of language.