About this Book

"This book is a lengthy study of language learning among the Muslims of Pakistan and North India. It consists of sixteen chapters, in addition to a preface, fourteen appendices, a comprehensive bibliography, and an index. In Ch. 1, the introduction, Rahman provides a detailed description of the school system in Pakistan, including both schools supported by the state and others established and funded by religious institutions or groups. Ch. 2 establishes the theoretical framework for the study, in which R provides definitions of concepts such as power, ideology, worldview, and language acquisition. Each chapter from 3 to 13 is devoted to an examination of the history of the teaching of individual languages such as Arabic, Persian, English, Urdu, Sindhi, Pashto, Punjabi, Balochi, and other, minor languages, in addition to their present status in the school system. Ch. 14 explores the teaching of foreign languages that were not included in the Pakistani school system in the past such as French, German, Chinese, Japanese, Russian, Turkish, and Hindi. Ch. 15 examines, from a theoretical perspective, language texts and how they shape learners' worldviews. And, finally, Ch. 16 provides a conclusion to the study and makes recommendations, for example, that English should be taught to all children in Pakistan in order for them to gain access to a liberal democratic worldview and for them to acquire international mobility. Furthermore, R identifies problems facing the teaching of English, important among which is the problem of finding competent teachers". - Language, vol. 80, num. 3, setembre 2004.