RECORDER REPORT

HYDERABAD: Scholars from across the globe have urged the youth of Pakistan to learn English to survive and progress in a competitive, fast-paced and demanding world; characterized by ever-changing technological, economic, political and corporate challenges.

This they said while addressing the inaugural ceremony of the 3-day International Conference on Language and Literature organized by Institute of English Language and Literature, University of Sindh at Shaikh Ayaz Auditorium of Faculty of Arts.

The conference was presided over by Vice-Chancellor, University of Sindh Prof Dr Fateh Muhammad Burfat, whereas, former Speaker of Sindh Assembly Abdullah Hussain Haroon was the Chief Guest.

Abddual Hussain Haroon in his address as the event Chief Guest said that English in the given global context had grown to be a mandate not an option, adding that those who advocated the premise that national or regional languages be adopted as medium of instruction at all levels of education had not perhaps had the proper understanding the issue. “It is so very convenient to wish for the local languages to replace English in academic settings across the board; but almost impossible to translate and make available thousands of course books, voluminous text materials and other millions of literacy titles that published every other day in one or the other corner of the world. So, the very argument therefore becomes self cancelling”, he argued.

Hussain said English had, whether one liked it or not, become an international lingua fraena-being the language of trade, politics, international interaction, expansion, communication, internet, fashion, sports, law and personal expression. “We must not fear English as a threat to indigenous languages. Our indigenous languages will sustain and thrive on their own as they have millions users, who are using and will preserve them. Use of English, I no way see jeopardizing the local linguistic entities, it would rather consolidate indigenous languages if the masses who spoke them spoke English and thus significantly enhanced their financial standing to promote their native languages”, he advocated.