Perspectives of University Academics on Language Attitudes and Beliefs: A Mix Method Approach

Abstract

This research aims to investigate the language attitudes and linguistic beliefs among private University academics in Lahore. It delves into the intricate interplay between Pakistan's national and its official language, investigating their influence on the perspectives of private University teachers’ language attitudes and beliefs in Lahore. Employing Spolsky's national language policy theory (2004), the study focuses on female English academics working in private Universities. Based on the observation that the majority of the faculty members of the English department are females, the research sample includes 50 female English academics working in eight private Universities in Lahore. Considering the complexity of the field of language beliefs and the linguistic diversity in Lahore, a mixed-method research (MMR) approach has been employed. The research uses an explanatory sequential approach; the quantitative data collection through an online survey was followed by short interviews of 10 randomly selected participants. A descriptive approach has been used to analyze the quantitative and the qualitative data side-by-side; the quantitative data has been analyzed using bar graphs that were obtained from Google Forms, whereas the qualitative data has been analyzed by manual thematic analysis. The findings of the study reveal slight signs of linguistic biases towards the three prevalent languages in Lahore i.e.: Urdu, English, and Punjabi. Future researchers can benefit from this research to study the language attitudes and language beliefs among either Urdu or English academics working in government Universities. Comparative analysis between the current and future research endeavors promises to enrich this field further.