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Abstract The present study explores the stylistic linguistic differences in short stories, written for children and adults, published in Pakistani English magazines on the second dimension of Biber’s (1988) study. The second textual dimension deals with narrative and non-narrative linguistic features showing the narrativeness in fictional texts. The purpose of this study is to explore the different linguistic choices made by the short story writers writing stories for children and adults. It is the norm that the data of short stories published for children is shorter than the stories published for adults and due to the space availability certain linguistic choices may vary for both short stories writers. Furthermore, the study also identifies the stylistic linguistic variability among male and female short story writers. A corpus-based methodology has been used by applying MAT (Multidimensional Analysis Tagger) which is a replica of Biber’s (1988) tagger generally applied for studies on text types and genre variation. The corpus consists of 300 short stories, 150 each for children and adults, published in Pakistani English magazines during 2014-2017. The findings of the study reveal that short stories written for children are more narrative than that of adults showing high narrative discourse. Comparison of male and female short story writers show that male short story writers use high frequency of narrative features than female writers. Keywords: Short stories for children and adults, linguistic variation, Popular Pakistani English magazines, Multidimensional Analysis

Abstract This paper examines the misogynistic and patriarchal construction of Freidan’s concept of the ‘feminine mystique’ in Pakistani context. It critically evaluates the language of social media users which creates a dichotomy between the representation of women as angels or monsters. We conducted feminist critical discourse analysis of two events that took the social media by storm in 2020. The first controversy pertains to Uzma Khan, an actor who was abused for having an affair with a married man by his very affluent wife; the second is that of Sadaf Kanwal, an actor/model who came under intense scrutiny when she tied the knot with Shehroz Sabzwari, a recently-divorced actor. Our focus is on the symbolic violence and the character assassination which are the results of derogatory terms and labels given to the women. We illustrate that such symbolic representations about women who conform to the social norms construct them as homemakers and the ones who digress as home-breakers thus creating a clear bifurcation between women by labelling them as good or bad women. Key Words: Home wreckers, homemakers, feminist critical discourse analysis, Pakistani social media

Abstract The paper analyses the revolutionary discourse masked by romanticism in Faiz Ahmed Faiz and Walt Whitman’s poetry in the light of the socio-cognitive approach of Teun. A. van Dijk. By using the approach, this paper explores the choice of lexemes and selective pronouns in poets’ work to investigate whether their poetry was an upsurge of powerful emotions or consciously constructed by manipulating socio-cultural awareness of readership to accelerate the process of change in respective societies. It is observed that the selective pronouns “I” in Whitman’s and “we” in Faiz’s work evoke the holistic concept of democracy, rather than creating polarizations, eliminate it and invite readers to participate and respond. The lexemes in Whitman’s poetry are celebratory to propagate the collective American idiom; the word choice in Faiz’s poetry poses a protest for the democratic state. Nonetheless, both poets are socio-cognitively involved in revoking shared knowledge through lexemes and selective pronouns. Keywords: Revolutionary Discourse, Socio-cognitive Analysis, Pronouns, Lexemes

Abstract The main purpose of this study was to investigate or inquire the external factors affecting the process of English Language Acquisition (ELA) that is second language in regards to Pakistani context. For analysis purpose, quantitative approach was applied and data was collected from 40 learners of intermediate in context of Pakistan by administrating the proposed questionnaire and the writing test of the same learners. The questionnaire inculcated 10 items about socio-economic external factors to be investigated and discussed while the writing test included the item types guided by the Punjab Textbook Board. The collected data was analyzed and presented statistically with the help of Microsoft Excel and Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS). The findings of this study reported significant effect of the said external factors, moreover correlation between questionnaire and the marks of the written test discussed variation between positive or negative and more or less impact of the said factors: Mostly social and economic factors have negative impact on Second Language Acquisition (SLA). Keywords: external factors, second language acquisition, English language acquisition, Punjab textbook

Abstract The focus of the research study is to analyze the concept of existentialism in Shafak’s The Forty Rules of Love (2009), for in this piece of literature the characters are found in search of meaning of life. This research aims at unveiling the search of meaning in one’s life and applies Existentialism to elucidate the burden of hardships and sense of betrayal in a person’s life. It also deals with the plight of modern man in Kierkegaard’s existential perspective as it is suitable for achieving the proposed research objectives. It also highlights the lives of the people who face existential angst in their lives. This novel shows Kierkegaard’s conception of leap of faith as it enables the characters of the novel to find meaning in their lives. This research concludes that the characters stuffer from existential angst but as long they do not take some decisions by making some choices and taking a leap of faith, they are unable to add essence in their lives and understand true meaning of their existence. This self-recognition not only helps them to find meaning in their lives but also happiness which it results in. Keywords: Existentialism, Leap of faith, Meaninglessness, Mystery, Existential Angst

Abstract This research study has been conducted to study the phonological deviations made by native Punjabi speakers while speaking English. Specifically, this study is concerned with the articulation of consonant clusters on the onset position in a syllable. Contrastive Analysis Approach has been applied for this research study in which the phonology of Punjabi and English languages has been compared to find the root of the error. The sample of the study consists of 20 undergraduate native Punjabi participants of Sargodha by using a mixed sampling technique. 10 participants from 2 colleges had been taken from each college by using purposive sampling technique to ensure that they were native speakers of Punjabi. English Sounds Pronunciation Passage (ESPP) given by Akinsola and Olaosebikan (2019) has been used in the study to answer the research questions. The findings of the study show that the female undergraduate native Punjabi speakers of Punjabi language do commit errors when they articulate consonant cluster on onset position in a syllable under the influence of the native language of the speakers (Punjabi). Keywords: native language, purposive sampling technique, ESPP, Contrastive Analysis Approach

Abstract The advancements in the field of technology have led to a shift in the learning techniques of students and the different formats of electronic books are accommodating traditional printed books. This study investigates how the new paradigm of e-learning is assisting university students through the use of smart gadgets such as mobile phones, tablets, and laptops. The reading preferences of 62 undergraduate students were examined based on the compatibility and ease of using either e-books or printed books for their academic purposes. The data were analyzed in light of the Attributes of Diffusion of Innovations Theory by E. M. Rogers (1962). The results of the study show that due to more advantages, compatibility, observability, and no issues regarding trialability and complexity, students prefer printed books over electronic ones. Keywords: E-learning, electronic books, traditional books, printed books, observability, complexity, compatibility

Abstract This paper explores the dynamics of poetry to reveal how poets of the Saraiki language invest cultural and historical metaphors in the process of rewriting the history of the Saraiki Region. This phenomenon of exploration takes Socio-cognitive discourse studies as a framework of analysis while choosing Saraiki poetry as a matrix of examination. The poetic symbols serve as a guide and allow us to observe how cultural traditions are enriched with history. This quality directs us to travel back into the past to see the antiquity of the region. The paper concludes with the idea that the aesthetic form of poetry contains broader implications. It identifies that the poets of indigenous languages are consciously rewriting the history of the Saraiki region. Keywords: Dynamics of poetry, Saraiki Region, Poetic symbols, Cultural traditions, Indigenous languages

This paper explores the function of linguistic choices in literary text “Homeboy” (2010) that express the underlying ideology and point of view of the writer H.M. Naqvi. Halliday’s model of transitivity: a lexico-grammatical theory (Halliday, 1985) has been employed for investigation and analysis of these linguistic choices in this literary piece of art. This analysis has proved that patterns of linguistic choices that are used inside and across the texts build the ideological foundation of this selected text under investigation. The model of transitivity (Halliday, 1985) which demonstrates the participants, processes and circumstances with cline of dynamism as 6- band scale (Thompson, 2009) helps the researcher to find the ideologies behind the linguistic choices. Thompson’s (2009) Transitivity ‘Concordance’ or the tabulation of all the participants for the purpose of analysis with reference to the cline of dynamism has been incorporated in the analysis of this research work. The data is taken from the literary text-book Homeboy (2010) that is based on the theme of phobia prevalent in Muslim’s mind. The Pakistani writer assigned lesser transitivity roles but more dynamic roles to the Americans, while the more transitivity roles and lesser dynamic roles are assigned to the Muslims, the crux of the findings. It gives the ideology that Americans are the most influential and strong population in the American surrounding, while Muslims is the affected in America. Key words: Systemic Functional Linguistics; Ideology; Transitivity; Concordances; Cline of Dynamism

Within diasporic studies, the temporal magnitude has remained subaltern, together with the essence of spatial dissemination; mirroring female characters specifically. This paper is aimed at speculating the inescapable nexus of time and space in the fabrication and refabrication of feminist diasporic apprehension in Lahiri’s title story “Unaccustomed Earth” and the subsequent story “Hell-Heaven”. Delineating on, Chronotope (Bakhtin, 1937), particularly in Diaspora literature (Clifford, 1994), the study unfolds, in the selected data, the ideology of ‘diaspora antecedents’ as prognosticated on elimination, not merely from a specific spatial position and temporal juncture but also in addition to the time and space-specific social activity by which a society conceptualizes its terrains and positions itself within them. Governing through the discourses of displacement of the rendered locality, employing the methodology of descriptive text analysis the evaluation demonstrates that the writer creates substituting archives, utilizing the Postcolonial Feministic lens (Ashcroft, 1989). The findings suggest that the intriguing intricacies of Lahiri’s diasporic discourses, examined by analyzing lexical stretches, elucidated that the text construes the sociocultural diasporic identity. The findings also provide insightful incarnations for chronotopicality based on qualitative analysis by contributing explorations of gynocentric identity (Showalter, 1986). And, ultimately, it is deduced that the text is mirroring the social and cultural aspects of life, which deal with the position of diasporic women in a Neo-colonial timeframe. Keywords: Feminism, diaspora, chronotope, Colonialism, fiction, Bakhtin, identity, Neo-colonial

A language is a tool of expression that can be biasedly exploited explicitly or implicitly by different ideological groups to exercise power relations. Critical discourse analysis serves to analyze opaque as well as transparent structural relationships concerning dominance, discrimination, power, and control exhibited in the language (Fairclough, 1993). This paper aims to critically analyze the sexist remarks passed by 12 different Pakistani politicians belonging to three political parties (Pakistan Tehrik e Insaaf, Pakistan Muslim League N, Pakistan People’s Party). The data comprise of sexist remarks passed on women of opposing political parties by political leaders published on e-news sites including Express Tribune, Dawn News, Pakistan Today, Geo TV site, NayaDaur, and other social media including Twitter and YouTube. A mixed model of Van Dijk's (2004) socio-cognitive approach and Mill's (2008) overt and covert sexism theory is applied to analyze the excerpts taken from different sources. The results reveal that Pakistani politicians see sexism as their primary tool to hit their opponent using humor, collocations, semantic derogation, presupposition, metaphor usage, entitlement, negative evaluation, severe judgments, personal attacks, and public harassment, public defaming as major techniques. However, it is also found that not all women oppose sexist attitudes. This research is of great significance for now-active-feminists in Pakistan to get a realistic estimate of prevalent sexist attitudes among Pakistani politicians which helps them to get shaped up for the range of challenges regarding present and future time. This would also help them to know how far they have succeeded, and what is still left to cover as their goals in Pakistani society. Keywords: Sexist discourse, Pakistani political leaders, Socio-Cognitive model, Overt and Covert Sexism Theory

The present research will be a study of FaiqaMansab’s This House of Clay and Water through the lens of Feminism. The conceptual framework of this qualitative research will be based on Pakistani Feminism, which is derived from Third World Feminism and Islamic Feminism. The key issues of this study will include an in-detail analysis of the manipulation of religion by Pakistani men to oppress women which is the cause of the major areas of struggle for most women here, including domestic violence, honor killing, and the pain Pakistani women have to endure in order to locate their identities outside of their familial relationships. The research will represent, through the characters of the selected book, the fact that the road to salvation is paved with pain and sufferings but the light at the end keeps the women motivated and consistent. The research will further explore how feminism helps provide emancipation to oppressed women through the characters of the selected book. The study of the novel depicting marginalization of women belonging to different social classes in Pakistan will help us comprehend ways in which women suffer patriarchal oppression in Pakistan and how religion is used more as a weapon, a tool for domination instead of a path of faith. Keywords: Religious manipulation, gender oppression, feminism, marginalization, patriarchal oppression, emancipa

The study aims at exploring the differences in the English translation of Urdu short stories selected from “The House of Loneliness” by Zahida Hina in 2017. Munday (2012) argues that in translation, the source text is reworked and rearranged causing change in the evaluative meanings of the text (Alsina, Espunya&Naro, 2017). The paper builds on the appraisal framework (Martin & White, 2005) of discourse analysis developed within systemic functional linguistics (Halliday & Matthiessen, 2014) with a focus on appraisal domains of Attitude, Engagement and Graduation. The study finds the answer of the main research questions regarding the distribution of appraisal resources which vary across the source text and its translations and three subsidiary questions. The first one is regarding exploration of evaluative meanings in the source text. The second one focuses on the investigation of the evaluative meanings in the translated text and the third one explores which appraisal resource produces maximum nuances. The data comprises of short story originally written by ZahidaHina named as ‘Kumkum is Fine’. It is translated by Yousuf Shahid namely ‘کم کم بہت آرام سے ہے’. For comparison of both texts (i.e in Urdu and in English), the data was tagged manually. The results of the study have shown that the translated text lacks the evaluated values which the source text (Urdu) has. Also, Graduation (subdomain of Appraisal) went under maximum nuances explored in the study. The present study can be considered pioneer as there isn’t sufficient literature available on the application of the Appraisal framework in Urdu language so, it is significant. Keywords: Short story, appraisal, translation, nuances, evaluation.

Abstract The present research aims at exploring the phenomenon of code-switching as a marker of identity in three popular Pakistani TV Morning shows. It analyses the tendency of code-switching and the identity of the speakers through the choice of language being used. The research takes Myer-Scotton’s Code-switching within Markedness Model (Myer-Scotton, 1989) as its theoretical framework. The data analyses indicated that code-switching is being used as a marker of Identity in the Morning shows. The participants are indicating their linguistic identities through the unmarked or marked choices of language. The matrix language used in all the shows is Urdu as unmarked choice of language in the Pakistani context, whereas English is the major code-switched language both as unmarked and marked according to the context of the situation. Persian and French usage is also found in the show which is marked choice. Other than these languages Punjabi, Sindhi, Pashto are also being used as a marker of regional identity by the speakers. Keywords: Code-switching, Markedness, identity, marked choice, unmarked choice.

Abstract This research aims at unveiling the struggle involved in search of individuals’ identity and also highlights the burden of hardships and sense of betrayal in a person’s life. The focus of this learning is to assess Kamila Shamsie’s Home Fire in the bright of Erich Fromm’s (1994) analytical philosophy through which the characters will be analyzed, that how they suffer from identity crisis and how the psychoanalytical conflicts are portrayed through them. Home fire tackles the story of migrated people in a foreign land where they feel alienated. Therefore, the researcher has focused on self decentredness as enunciated by Fromm (1994) and is deciphered in the characters of the novel. The current learning is momentous in highlighting the psychological issues which the people face after migration. The findings of the study elucidate the existence of psychological conflicts hence, these conflicts along with identity crisis prohibit the main characters to live their idealized version of life. The selected novel can also be analyzed from the perspective of trauma and post colonialism. Keywords: Identity, psychological conflicts, decentredness, identity crisis.

This research paper embarks on an intellectual quest into the domain of existential exploration. It is guided by a meticulous analysis of the central character, Mian Sohel, within Daniyal Muaeenuddin’s latest literary masterpiece, ‘Muscle.’ By drawing from the profound existentialist philosophy of Jean-Paul Sartre and the associated literary criticism, this scholarly investigation aims to unfold the intricate layers that compose Mian Sohel’s existence. The study thoroughly analyzes the character’s experience of inauthenticity, the torment of bad faith, the burden of indecisiveness, and the echoing pangs of loneliness that reverberate within his being. Through a rigorous examination of Mian Sohel’s innermost thoughts, the choices he makes, and his intricate interactions with the narrative’s setting and its other characters, this research endeavors to illuminate Mian Sohel’s profound existential journey. By foregrounding Sohel’s existential struggles, the paper aims to shed light on the dilemma faced by returning Pakistani students, who spent their formative years in West, in assimilating back into local socio-political ambience. It also examines the broader existential implications that echo within the human condition, going beyond the confines of this literary work and offering insight into the universal human experience. Keywords: Existentialism, Inauthenticity, Loneliness

Trolling is a pervasive phenomenon world over which came into being with the spread of social media. Many countries in the West were the frontliners in facing trolling; hence, in order to grapple with it, their academics came to the forefront to investigate its language. However, language is situated and contextual; thus, the understanding of the phenomenon of trolling through the lens of west cannot encompass the regional differences of this phenomenon. Therefore, in order to understand the phenomenon of trolling in Pakistan, this study explores the lexico-grammatical variation of Pakistani trolling on X. For this purpose, a corpus of 2,317 trolling posts is developed. A Short Text Multidimensional Approach formulated by Clarke (2017, 2018, 2019, 2020) is used. After the initial tagging of data by Multidimensional Analysis Twitter Tagger (MDATT), the data is further subjected to multiple correspondence analysis (MCA) in R Studio software. The results obtained in the form of dimensions are then further interpreted. The findings reveal that Pakistani trolling has one major dimension i.e. interactive vs informational which exists in other genres and registers as well. However, the trolls with an informational communicative function also use linguistic features of nouns and adjectives from Urdu which are used to name-call or insult people. The study will prove to be significant not only for the general understanding of the phenomenon of trolling in Pakistan, but also for advancing further research on trolling in Pakistan from different perspectives. Keywords: Online trolling, Twitter, Pakistan, Multidimensional Analysis, Multiple Correspondence Analysis

Leisure practices serve a dual purpose- they allow people attain self-recovery and self-actualization; they can be adopted as covert means of resistance by the marginalized groups to record their protest against oppression. The present study attempts to explore the leisure-based practices and behaviour that the female protagonist of Hamid’s Moth Smoke adopts to subvert and undermine the oppressive circle of patriarchy. Adopting a poststructuralist perspective, this study draws insights from Wearing’s leisure resistance theory for the analysis of the data. Data have been analysed qualitatively using purposive sampling technique. The results indicate that the female protagonist, Mumtaz, finds herself confined in acting out the traditional gender roles and adopts many covert leisure-based practices to challenge the set social norms of womanhood. She shows resistance against the patriarchal authority that denies her the due right to have control over her body and mind by indulging in leisure-based smoking, drinking, and sex outside of the marriage and by leading the life of a secret investigative journalist. The study is significant as it highlights the effects covert means can have in the subversion of unjust authority. Keywords: Leisure practices, self-actualization, resistance, oppression, patriarchy

This research delves into the captivating intersection of Literature and Psychoanalysis, examining Kahlil Gibran's masterpiece, The Madman, His Parables and Poems (1918), to unravel the fragmented nature of human identity. The book is a collection of 35 life-affirming moral stories, which begins with a description of a man's out-of-control mind and the idealized persona, he puts on to avoid encountering his actual self and the not-so appealing world. The research is anchored upon the Alan Sheridan translation (1977) of Lacan's seminal essay, "The Mirror Stage as Formative of the Function of the I as Revealed in Psychoanalytic Experience," originally published in 1949. Lacan proposes that when the child encounters his image in the mirror for the first time, he begins to think that the mirror self is the ideal-I and his own body/self is the fragmented version of the mirror image. A detailed textual analysis of the respective book has been done and the researcher has found that the Madman is compelled to wear masks because he has the fear of public opinion, societal expectations, and perceived inability to challenge deep-rooted worldly traditions. However, stripping off the masks exposes him to the risk of alienation, yet, by shedding the protective masks, the Madman opens himself up to authentic self-expression and the possibility of self-discovery. The significance of the study lies in the fact that it sheds light on the identity crisis faced by people, who avoid confronting the world and their actual selves, and thus opens up the possibility for further study. Keywords: Psychoanalysis, Mask, Madman, Mirror.

Pronunciation is one of the most important components of speaking skills, if one has poor pronouncing abilities, their message may not be understood by the audience. There are many techniques to improve the pronunciation of the English language. But song media is considered a precise comprehensible and direct media to learn pronunciation. This research aims to study the impacts of English songs on the pronunciation of learners and how it can be used to improve the ESL learners’ pronunciation. The study uses a quasi-experimental research design and the sampling technique is purposive. The participants of the study are 10 students of English language and literature (MUL). These participants are divided into experimental and control groups. A total of 3 meetings are conducted with the groups. The data is collected in form of tests. Test results helped in estimating the correct and incorrect words which are pronounced by the two groups. A comparison is drawn on the attained result, which eventually helped in drawing the conclusion that English songs are a very effective and result-oriented technique to improve the pronunciation of the learners. Key words: English songs, English language, ESL learners, Language teaching & Pronunciation

This study’s objective is to highlight a range of politeness strategies used in the Punjabi language and to implicate how requests are made in the Punjabi language and culture for meaningful interaction and effective communication as it is required to use certain linguistic and non-linguistic strategies. The objective of this study is to investigate the relevancy of Brown and Levinson’s theory of politeness in the context of Punjab and to explore widely used request strategies in the Punjabi language and culture. The study also delves into the comparison of these request strategies with British English speakers. The role plays were adopted from Márquez-Reiter (2000) which consisted of twelve situations and were translated into the Punjabi language. The data were coded following the framework of Blum-Kulka, House, and Kasper (1989). The findings revealed that both the British English and the Punjabi language respondents used a variety of strategies to make the request and to sound themselves as polite beings. These findings implicate that there is a need to teach pragmatic competence, especially request strategies, and that they would need to take ownership of their rich Punjabi culture, tradition, and heritage. Keywords: Punjabi language and culture, politeness, request strategies, intercultural pragmatics

This study deals with the phonological adaptation of English loanwords into Khowar. It aims to find out the English loanwords in Khowar language, investigate the processes involved, and document the phonological changes that occur during the adjustment. The data for this research study is collected from different semantic domains using the technique of participant observation. A qualitative approach is used for the analysis of data. A total of 10 English loanwords are collected and analyzed using the Optimality Theory framework. As for sampling, this study uses a purposive sampling technique. The findings show that Khowar has extensively borrowed many English words. Secondly, three repairing techniques i.e., deletion, substitution, and epenthesis are found to be used to adjust the illicit structure of English loanwords. Among these techniques, substitution is the dominant one.Furthermore, the studyreveals that complex consonants and vowels are not allowed in Khowar, and the coda consonant is often voiceless. Keywords: Phonological Adaptation, English Loanwords, Khowar, Optimality Theory, Repairing Techniques

Pakistan is one of the developing countries which is facing a significant increase in the rate of mental health problems as a result of ongoing political unrest, geographical conflict and large-scale violence (Munawar et al., 2020). The study examines the fictional portrayal of insidious trauma suffered by members of the Pakistani Christian community. The novel under study i.e. Our Lady of Alice Bhatti (2011) by Hanif has been selected to fulfil the aforementioned objective. Embedded in literary trauma theory, this research is a qualitative exploratory study. It focusses on culture sensitive issues related to the field of trauma studies. The theoretical concept of insidious trauma and the related concepts such ascoppression and privilege presented by Brown (2008) have been studied incdetail. The text under study has been analyzed using the trauma literarycmodel presented by Balaev (2012) which deals with the use of differentcnarrative techniques in trauma fiction. The findings revealed that the protagonist of the novel Alice Bhatti who is a member of the PakistanicChristian community suffers from insidious trauma as a result of discrimination, bias and humiliation faced by her in daily life. The different narrative techniques employed in the novel include narrative dissociation, silence, landscape imagery and animal imagery (Balaev, 2012). These narrative techniques not only highlight the traumatized protagonist’s psychological distress but also aid in establishing the relationship among identity, remembrance and place in the selected novel. The study delineates the role of place in shaping the consciousness of the traumatized protagonist. The present research aims to bring awareness among the Pakistani public regarding the psychological distress caused in minority communities as a result of their maltreatment by majority groups. This shall pave the way for future researchers to study the cultural specific issues related to trauma based on other underprivileged groups present in Pakistani society. Keywords: cultural sensitivity, insidious trauma, minority groups, narrative techniques, trauma studies

This research paper investigates light verse features in Muhammad Athar Tahir’s selected poems: “Basant” (The Gift of Possession, 2012, p. 37), “Buffaloes” (Boody Loom, 2006, p. 64), “Bulbul” (The Last Tea, 2015, p. 85) and “Jikka Gali Evening” (The Gift of Possession, 2012, p. 42). These poems are taken from Tahir’s three volumes of poetry: Body Loom (2006), The Gift of Possession (2012)and The Last Tea (2015). The aim of this study is to publicize how some of Tahir’s poems fall into the category of light verse poetry. The writers of light verse have to be more careful and crafted than the poets of high verse as light verse requires precise technical work. In order to study the characteristics of light verse poetry in the selected poems, the researcher utilizes the concepts of W. H. Auden and Kingsley Amis. According to W. H. Auden (1938), light verse poems are written in a plain, straightforward style and in a language close to familiar speech and they should be related to a common experience. Kingsley Amis (1978) takes Auden’s concept a step forward. He includes wit, virtuosity and subversive quality in the features of light verse poetry. In addition to this, Amis (1978) points out that the writers of light verse deploy best words in the best order. The findings of this research study affirm that Tahir’s poems can be rated as light verse poetry. His poetry gives the impression of ease and thus evokes a good-natured smile. Keywords: light verse features, selected poems, virtuosity, impression of ease, good-natured smile.

The issue of representation of women in the literature and other domains of society emerged as an important field of study from mid nineteenth century with a focus on the subjugation of women in the male patriarchal society. Although, the status and rights of women have been widely discussed and women as an individual identity with their own rights and role in society remained the subject of various research. The analysis of women needs, is much needed to highlight the humanistic psychological perspective. The aim of this study is to identify the portrayal of women protagonists in the 19th and 20th century literature based on their needs analysis to highlight the difference in how this portrayal changed over the period of time. It is done by using Maslow’s hierarchy of needs model. Two short stories, one from the 19th and the other from the 20th century have been analyzed. The study concludes that the representation of women in literature had undergone major changes in correlation to the emergence of feminist theory and the change in socio-political scenarios. The results show that the woman protagonist in the late nineteenth century short story was portrayed as submissive, dependent upon the opinions of male characters, therefore, suffering at the hands of patriarchy. Whereas the woman entering 20th century is more independent, ambitious, aware of her potentials and is eager to achieve the highest state of freedom and autonomy, even compromising marital relations. Keywords: Representation, Individual Identity, Needs Analysis, Patriarchy, Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs

This study uses multidimensional analysis to investigate linguistic variations in the autobiographical works of four Pakistani political figures. The analysis is grounded in the 67 linguistic features defining different dimensions of the texts introduced by Biber. The results unveil several compelling trends. Dimension 1, assessing the informational style of the text, manifests a shift towards a more factual and objective tone over time. Dimension 2, measuring the narrative quality of the text, exhibits a growing emphasis on storytelling and the engagement of readers through compelling narratives. Dimension 3, quantifying the explicitness of discourse, demonstrates that autobiographies are becoming more direct and explicit in their language. Dimension 4, assessing the argumentative quality of the text, indicates that these autobiographies are becoming increasingly argumentative and persistent in their presentation of arguments. Finally, dimension 5, evaluating the abstractness of discourse, illustrates a trend towards a more abstract style of discourse over time. These findings offer valuable insights into the evolving linguistic landscape of autobiographies by Pakistani political figures. The study concludes by discussing the implications of these findings for the understanding of the role of language in Pakistani politics by highlighting the dynamic nature of the linguistic environment in the autobiographical works of Pakistani political figures. Keywords: co-occurring linguistic features; linguistic variation, multidimensional analysis, Pakistani political autobiographies,

The Indigenous vocabulary of fiction discourse reflecting sociocultural perspectives of society as an essential linguistic device illuminates the rich cultural load within itself. his paper deals with the emergence of discourse analysis in literary contexts. It also sheds light on contextual dimensions and how their relevance to Pakistani Anglophone fiction will contribute to the social construction of patterns. This paper aims to identify patterns of activity built through Urduized vocabulary revealing a complex fictional world of discourse that defies mere plot of local variety. Following Baker’s (2008) synergy approach, this study follows a combination of corpus linguistics and discourse analysis. This research investigates the representation of social actors and their actions in the discourse of Pakistani American fiction. Corpus analysis tools yield findings with informed knowledge filtered through tagging and annotation systems of different text varieties of various domains. Corpus of Uzma Aslam Khan’s fiction Trespassing was used to analyze concordance lines of the selected word ‘dupatta’ as texts are described and explained using Gee’s (2011) approach and method of discourse analysis. The activity-building task is exploited along with the ‘social language tool’ as a tool of inquiry for data analysis, to develop a deep understanding of the discourse and related sociocultural aspects built around the target word, ‘dupatta’. The findings of the analysis show unique linguistic patterns and activities built around the indigenous vocabulary items from the corpus of fiction. Unique features of the discourse are also identified through female representation, character building and actions around the text. Overall, the findings suggest that the ‘dupatta representation’ and views of social reality are diverse, contradictory, and changing as per the character and context wherever needed. Keywords: Indigenous vocabulary, sociocultural perspectives, corpus linguistics, discourse analysis

This research is a contribution to a growing critical debate on the ethnocultural contest, and exercise of hegemonic coercive powers to constitute class stratification and marginalization of the weak. Since hegemony is the dominant class’s manipulation of social standards, principles, and perceptions, even then, it is not governmental control, but rather, domination over the ruled by their consent incorporated in them through “false consciousness”. The Secret Sky (2014) demonstrates cultural clashes in a community of diverse ethnicity – Pashtun and Hazara, where one dominant tribe through its hegemonic ideology imposes its values upon the others, thus suppressing and marginalizing their culture/s. The paper’s objective is to highlight the transformative efforts of the others, who resist, and undo the conservative power structures by constructing the Counter-Hegemonic Project and renewing the culture to save society from stagnation. This qualitative research uses Marx’s idea of class stratification, and social division into the bourgeois and proletariat, with Gramsci’s notion of Cultural Hegemony, and the Counter-Hegemonic Project, as a lens for textual analysis. The research concludes that conservative hegemonic power acts as a fence against intercultural mixing to leave society monolithic and oppressive, while, resistance under the actual dynamics of intellectuals brings evolution and moral leadership. Key Words: Hegemony, Culture, Counter Hegemonic Project, Bourgeoisie, Proletariat

Diminutive is a morphological category common to majority of the languages- often taking the form of suffix. Some over 50 languages have been investigated for the uses and functions of diminutivity (Mintsys & Mintsys, 2015). Though scholars have identified markers attached with Pashto noun for inflections (Khan et al., 2016), the wide-ranging uses of diminutive marking of noun has not been investigated until very recently (Khan, 2023). Its morphological variations, lexical and semantic functions have not been sufficiently accounted for. A comprehensive morphological description of diminutive markers in Pashto, its utility and productivity needs thorough investigation. The present study aimed to provide an account of different morphological realizations of diminutive markers of Pashto nouns and to enlist its several lexical and semantic functions with English diminutive. Analysis was confined to noun only because noun is considered as the prototypical class for diminutive marking (Schneider, 2003). Unstructured interviews of 10 Pashto experts, purposively selected as key informants, were conducted to obtain primary data concerning diminutive in Pashto. For its comparison with English, the researchers utilized the existing body of research on English diminutive. The study found different morphological realizations of diminutive that are attached with nouns in Pashto. Diminutive plays the dual role of inflectional morpheme as gender marker and source of bringing change in meaning of noun in Pashto simultaneously in several instances. It also serves a lexical function as a source of word-formation- since many nouns marked for diminutivity acquire the status of independent lexemes. Semantically, diminutive adds the senses of smallness, pejoration, endearment and affection, as well as, disdain and contempt to the meaning of nouns. Lastly, diminutive is used for hypocorism in the case of proper nouns. Each of the pattern and function of Pashto diminutive has been exemplified and illustrated by comparing to its equivalent form and use in English language. The study is helpful in enriching the knowledge of researchers dealing with Pashto Morphology, Semantics, grammar and lexicography. Keywords: Diminutive marking, Pashto and English nouns, Word-formation

Law is of utmost importance for each society as it ensures access to justice. In our increasingly interconnected global community, characterized by diverse, multilingual populations, the use of monolingual legal systems can present significant impediments. Consequently, the imperative emerges to translate legal texts into multiple languages. Such translations fall into distinct categories, with some pertaining to domestic legal systems within society and others extending to international legal contexts. The act of translation becomes a multifaceted challenge due to the inherent differences in linguistic and social structures of languages, each offering a unique lens through which to interpret reality. Drawing upon Even-Zohar’s (1979) polysystem theory, Saussure's semiotic framework, and Halliday’s metafunctional language analysis, this paper attempts to find out the way translators deal with these challenges when translating English-Urdu legal texts. The investigation uncovers that the conceptualizations of legal reality may undergo some shifts during the translation process, as influenced by the idiosyncrasies of the target language and its social context. The study proposes that legal texts should receive parliamentary endorsement, especially in their translations, to ensure comprehensive legal harmonization. This research paves the way for future research where issues in the implementation of translated law can be highlighted and the ways to eradicate those problems can be discussed. Keywords: linguistic system, legal translation, SFL, corpus, transitivity

This study aims at analyzing linguistic choices portraying violence and abuse in Noor (Khan, 2003) by employing Thematic Roles (Andrews, 1958; Radford, 1988, as cited in Saeed, 2016) which underline the roles of the participants according to the described situation. The purpose of the study is to explore the exhaustiveness through which the text breaks down and portrays the torturing situation of women under suppressive socio-cultural tensions and requirements. The data has been selected and then scrutinized under the variables such as violence, marginalization, abuse, victimization, and objectification of female characters employed by the writer. The study mirrors the destiny of women as conjugal joy and their job to fulfill their familial commitments as opposed to fostering any design for the accomplishment of individual objectives. The findings reveal that among the male-centric society, the tragic downfall of the females give rise to marginalization, victimization, violence, and abuse. Therefore, the study is significant to unfold that females are treated as the man's property especially in the Asian culture in focus; subsequently, the committing of the rape against them is not only to suppress them but to endorse a particular prejudice. Keywords: Violence, Abuse, Victimization, Linguistic Choices, Female-portrayal.

The Punjabi language is primarily spoken in the Punjabi region of the subcontinent. In Pakistan, the variant spoken is known as Shahmukhi Punjabi, and it is written in the Perso-Arabic script, while in India, it is written in the Gurmukhi script. Punjabi serves as the mother tongue for 38.77% of Pakistan's population. Despite its historical significance, literary wealth, and a large speaker base, Punjabi has not attained the status of a prestigious, digitally advanced language. To address this, our study aimed to develop a Punjabi WordNet and align it with the English WordNet. The analysis process involved collecting a corpus of nine million (9M) words, cleaning and tagging it to extract grammatical categories, and morphologically analyzing vocabulary items to understand word formation patterns, placing them under specific grammatical tags. The morphological analysis was conducted using Distributed Morphology (DM), revealing the patterns of combining derivational and inflectional morphemes with the root. During this research, a variety of software and digital resources were developed. These include a spell checker, a morphological analyzer, a parts of speech (POS) tagger, a semantic tagger, the Punjabi WordNet, and an alignment tool. Keywords: Alignment, English and Punjabi Wordnet, Corpus based study

n both everyday life and political debate metaphors are among the most widely used language domains. The speaker's cognitive activity can be inferred from the cross-domain mapping between the source and target domains. In Imran Khan's political speeches, metaphors are frequently used. This article examines the use of metaphors by Ex-Prime Minister Imran Khan, who is known for being a skilled orator. Successful politicians utilize compelling language, and among other rhetorical devices, they frequently employ highly conventionalized metaphors. This study primarily employed a mixed method approach because both the qualitative and qualitative data were gathered. The information was gathered from political department students at Punjab University and Riphh International. 150 to 200 students from the Political Science departments of Punjab University and Riphh International participated in the study. By using SPSS, a descriptive analysis of the data was performed, and the percentage of each item was then calculated. The findings demonstrate that metaphors are employed to portray the speaker and his political allies in a favorable light while simultaneously portraying the Khan's political adversaries in a negative one. Khan also projects himself to be the father and the rescuer that the general public needs so desperately. Keywords: Imran Khan, political speeches, metaphor, rhetoric, persuasion.

Paraphrasing is an important skill for learners to take part in academic discourse and successful paraphrasing provides solutions to learners of the difficulties they face during the academic writing process (Chen & Liou, 2015). With the advancement of AI paraphrasing tools, learners paraphrase and incorporate that text in their writing without double-checking the validity of the paraphrased text. This article aimed to investigate the differences between students' paraphrases of academic texts and the paraphrases done through different AI tools. Furthermore, this study also explored how corpus can help students evaluate the paraphrases of academic texts. The concurrent mixed methods approach was used. Twenty-five graduate students were selected randomly and five AI tools were chosen purposively. Five passages in English with different levels of complexity were given to the participants to paraphrase. The grammar, coherence, academic vocabulary, and organization of the paraphrases were then assessed through the Independent Samples Test. The triangulation was sought through the corpus-based approach. The independent samples t-test results show statistically significant differences between the three variables except for the academic vocabulary variable. The results of academic vocabulary and grammar variables obtained hrough the corpus website also support the results obtained through the t-test. While AI technologies are less precise and coherent when paraphrasing English texts, there could be a better sense of grammar and academic vocabulary use. As a result, it is advised that students may use AI tools to benefit from the technology, but they need to be the decision-makers for the relevance, accuracy, preciseness and validity of the paraphrases.  Keywords: concurrent, paraphrase, AI tools, t-test, corpus 

This article intends to comprehend the complex relation between gender, intersectionality, and climate vulnerabilities. For this purpose we have chosen the fiction work Thinner than Skin[] by Uzma Aslam Khan. The theoretical framework for conducting this qualitative research has been built by using the underpinnings from Nixon’s Slow Violence and the Environmentalism of the Poor[]. The term slow violence stands for delayed destruction that is attritional and incremental in nature because exploitation of the poor people and their ecology results in delayed destruction that spans over time and space. The theory of slow violence underscores intersectionality by defining ‘poor’ as a compendious category that is used for those people who are victims of marginalization on biological, economic, racial, ethnic, religious, or other grounds. There is intersectionality between various systems of oppression that make the existence of the poor vulnerable. Textual exegesis of TTS accentuates that Maryam is marginalised on the basis of gender, ethnicity, religion, and class. There is a whole chain of hegemonic overlords with intersecting interests which worsens the standard of life and even threatens the very existence of Maryam’s family. This family of Steppe herders faces stationary displacement as their vernacular landscape is slowly and gradually turned into official landscape. Hence, they are pitted against climate vulnerabilities owing to incremental and attritional slow violence. The article concludes that poor stratum of the society is more likely to confront climate vulnerabilities because human disposability and ecological disposability are inseparable. The research anticipates to disrupt the conditions of repudiation faced by women who confront climate vulnerabilities due to marginalization on various intersectional grounds. Keywords: intersectionality, slow violence, poor, disposability, climate vulnerability

This study aims to investigate how various factors affect the learning of the English language. Several significant factors that impact student motivation are; parental involvement, classroom factors, English class anxiety, teacher attitude, student interest, teacher feedback, peer-related factors, desire to learn English, and social motivation. The study follows a descriptive research design that utilizes a quantitative questionnaire to gather numerical data. Secondary school students constitute the population. Through simple random sampling, a sample of 300 secondary school students in grades nine and ten was selected. This study adopted a questionnaire comprised of 41 items. The data were analyzed using SPSS through percentage, mean, and standard deviations. Findings show that most participants believe parents' encouragement and peer support are crucial factors in promoting English language proficiency among students. Students in the English class experience a lack of confidence and anxiety and perceive their fluency as inferior to their peers. They value positive teacher-student interactions and prefer teachers who are kind and patient. They emphasized the importance of studying English, which was critical to their future academic pursuits. It was suggested that teachers might design engaging lessons that are relevant, and practical for their students to increase their motivation. Moreover, teachers might also establish a conducive classrooms environment. Key Words: Parental Involvement, language Anxiety, Teacher Attitude, Teacher Feedback, Social Motivation

Newspapers are considered one of the reliable sources for disseminating information worldwide. Therefore, people tend to believe that every national and international event is depicted from an unbiased and neutral stance. However, on careful observation, one can understand that this belief is no longer true. Various political interests shape reality while writing down the news. Based on the idea that newspapers recreate reality according to their ideologies, the present study analyzes two US newspapers, The Wall Street Journal and The Washington Post, to understand how the identities of Russia and Ukraine are constructed in the event of the Russia-Ukraine war in the news editorials. The selection of editorials was based on purposive sampling, and those editorials were selected that discussed the events of the Russia-Ukraine war. Ten news editorials from WP and ten news editorials from WSJ were selected. A mixed-method analysis was employed to achieve the desired objectives of this research. The 3-D Model of Critical Discourse Analysis by Fairclough (1995) was used as a theoretical framework. Corpus analysis and CDA of editorials show that Russia is assigned a negative image in war and is depicted as a brutal country that has destroyed various places in Ukraine and has indiscriminately killed people. On the other hand, Ukraine is presented as a naïve, victimized, and war-ridden country, and its soldiers are shown as brave and persistent in their resolutions who have forced Russian forces to move back into the war, hence presenting a positive image of Ukraine in the war. The implication of this study suggests that the perception of objectivity and neutrality traditionally associated with newspapers might be challenged. Despite being widely considered reliable sources of information, newspapers may not always present events from an unbiased standpoint. Keywords: News Editorials, Corpus Analysis, Critical Discourse Analysis, Russia- Ukraine war, Identity Construction

The occupation of Palestine, which began in 1948, has caused immense suffering for Palestinians, confining them in their own land like captives in an open-air prison. This study employs qualitative and close textual analysis to examine the distress and acute psychological traumas that Palestinian women endure, as reflected in Shibli's (2020) novel Minor Details(Tafṣīl Thānawī), translated by Elizabeth Jaquette. Shibli expertly weaves together the narratives of two Palestinian women differentiated by decades, their pain intermingling throughout the course of the narrative. Caruth's trauma theory (1996) will furnish as a theoretical framework to deftly explore multiple levels of traumatic experiences embedded in the characters' stories. The study's emphasis on Palestinian women's often-overlooked experiences may resonate with South Asian women grappling with cultural pressures and limited agency. This study emphasizes the vital need to amplify female voices by delving into the characters' various points of view. By lending voice to their narratives, we develop an improved awareness of the challenges which women confront and the societal transformations needed to build a more equitable world. Keywords: Oriental Literature, ,Feminism, Gender, Intergenerational Trauma, Palestinian Identity ,PTSD (Post-traumatic stress disorder)

Paraphrasing is an important skill for learners to take part in academic discourse and successful paraphrasing provides solutions to learners of the difficulties they face during the academic writing process (Chen & Liou, 2015). With the advancement of AI paraphrasing tools, learners paraphrase and incorporate that text in their writing without double-checking the validity of the paraphrased text. This article aimed to investigate the differences between students' paraphrases of academic texts and the paraphrases done through different AI tools. Furthermore, this study also explored how corpus can help students evaluate the paraphrases of academic texts. The concurrent mixed methods approach was used. Twenty-five graduate students were selected randomly and five AI tools were chosen purposively. Five passages in English with different levels of complexity were given to the participants to paraphrase. The grammar, coherence, academic vocabulary, and organization of the paraphrases were then assessed through the Independent Samples Test. The triangulation was sought through the corpus-based approach. The independent samples t-test results show statistically significant differences between the three variables except for the academic vocabulary variable. The results of academic vocabulary and grammar variables obtained through the corpus website also support the results obtained through the t-test. While AI technologies are less precise and coherent when paraphrasing English texts, there could be a better sense of grammar and academic vocabulary use. As a result, it is advised that students may use AI tools to benefit from the technology, but they need to be the decision-makers for the relevance, accuracy, preciseness and validity of the paraphrases.  Keywords: concurrent, paraphrase, AI tools, t-test, corpus 

The Last White Man (2022) by Mohsin Hamid is a narrative which symbolizes the physical and psychological struggles of the White people who turned Brown overnight. The novel's portrayal of this transformation is crucial to its investigation of identity, race, and trauma. The research aims to highlight the utility and kinds of frequently used adjectives incorporated by Mohsin Hamid in construction of plot and presentation of significant themes of the novel. The study is based on sequential explanatory mixed methods (Creswell, 2013) to highlight the use of adjectives on lexical level, through corpus tools; AntConc (4.1.4) and CLAWS POS7 tagger and by incorporating the Leech and Short model (1981). Furthermore, the analysis reveals that Mohsin Hamid used attributive and predictive adjectives in abundance to express and visualize the challenges faced by the characters of this novel. Moreover, the research concludes that the adjectives are significantly utilized to enhance the thematic depth of the novel and reflect the physical and psychological dimensions of the characters’ transformation. The study outlines the significance of corpus tools in literary stylistic analysis providing a corpus driven approach to understanding linguistic choices that shape literary narrative. It will help the students, and scholars to understand the new horizons of incorporating corpus approaches to stylistic analysis. Keywords: Corpus stylistics, literary stylistics, adjectives, lexical choices, the last white man

This research takes into account Julian Barnes’s The Sense of an Ending in which the protagonist attempts to make sense of his life. Corresponding to his very endeavor of making sense, this research sets to hunt for the ‘real’. Protagonist’s insights about himself and his friends are therefore put under inquisition. The study sets to search for the answer that whether the protagonist is depicting the real picture of himself and of his friends, for he is observed to be engaged in dismantling his former self, negating his earlier stance and is involved in disowning his past acts. It is being in his very state of making sense of life, in still confronting his former self, contradicting what really was real that the study seeks for the validity of his depiction of others too. The research adopts Jean Baudrillard’s concept of Hyperreality as its methodology and employs his idea of Simulacrum to trail whether the act of recounting is really a self-delusion of those who are defeated for there is an other character in the narrative undertaken, involved in unfolding the events from the past, who exhibits other side of the story. Key Words: Baudrillardian, Real, Simulacrum, Hyperreality

The present study examines the impact of Culturally Responsive Pedagogy (CRP) on the language proficiency and classroom engagement of ESL students in a multilingual classroom at NUML Peshawar Campus, Pakistan. A mixed-methods approach was used that integrated quantitative and qualitative analyses to assess the efficacy of CRP in ESL classrooms. The statistical gains in four skills, that is, speaking, writing, reading, and listening skills, were evaluated using standardized tests like pre-test, formative assessments and post-test data. To qualitatively explore students' perceptions, semi-structured interviews were conducted. The findings showed notable improvements in students’ language proficiency. The paired t-tests indicated statistically significant gains across all language skills. Qualitative data further substantiated the transformative role of CRP activities, such as multilingual storytelling, cultural debates, and folk wisdom integration, in promoting classroom engagement and affirming students’ cultural identities. We also came across a few challenges, that is, difficulties in linguistic transitions and institutional constraints. By demonstrating that CRP has pivotal potential, the present study adds to the expanding knowledge of ESL education in Pakistan. It not only acknowledges the linguistic and cultural diversity in ESL classrooms but also offers practical recommendations and insights into how to modify culturally inclusive teaching practices to meet the best interests of ESL students for future research.

This paper examines the experiences of South Asian Muslims in America after the 9/11 attacks, from the perspective of novel The Submission. It also analyzes the effects of American Exceptionalism among Muslim and non-Muslim characters. By using Martin Lipset's idea of a distinct national identity of America, the study contrasts pre-and post-9/11 attitudes towards Muslims in America. Just before the attacks, there had been a rise in implicit prejudice against Muslims, but immediately after them, overt expressions of hatred, discrimination, and violence became prevalent. The protagonist, Mohammad Khan, became a symbol of injustices faced by South Asian Muslims, which ranged from denial of civil rights to being evicted, threatened, and ultimately, to forced self-exile. Asma and others like her, met tragic consequences, creating growing mistrust among Muslims against their fellow Americans. This would allow through analysis of these experiences a reflection of some of the implicit, complex interactions between Islamophobia and American Exceptionalism and the ways in which South Asian Muslims were kept marginalized after the attack on 9/11 in America.

The rapid pace of development and integration of cybernetics and biotechnology into human life renders anthropocentric attempts increasingly absurd. By decentering the human as 'the subject', the cyberpunk genre, with its frequent employment of virtual reality, cybernetics, and artificial intelligence, engages in the construction of a fluid posthuman identity. The current study aims to investigate how Blade Runner 2049 handles the development of posthuman identity. In order to achieve this goal, the data have been analysed qualitatively through textual analysis using insights from Haraway's posthuman theory. The findings indicate that by rejecting the strict anthropocentric distinctions between human and nonhuman/replicant through the exploration of biological, psychological, and spiritual factors, the movie is at ease promoting a posthuman identity. Furthermore, it cautions against human experimentation with biotechnology that could result in the annihilation of humans by their own inventions.

Chatbots are now ubiquitous across fields like education, customer support, and healthcare. Despite significant advances in both artificial intelligence (AI) and natural language processing (NLP), linguistic inaccuracies: somehow termed “slip-ups”, remain present in the answers provided by Chatbots. These errors can be divided into lexical and grammatical, which impair the user experience and the reliability of the Chatbots. The current study analyses the linguistic errors committed by five Chatbots— ChatGPT, Copilot, Google Gemini, Perplexity, and Zapier Central—in eight different categories: adjectives, verbs, articles, and vocabulary range. Whether attributed to limitations in the training data of Chatbots, a lack of lexical embeddings, or a simplistic model of syntactic processing, previous studies have identified these factors as the key causes of linguistic errors. Nonetheless, transformer-based architectures including GPT and BERT have demonstrated improvements but continue to suffer from grammar consistency and contextual correctness issues, highly pronounced in multilingual and culturally rich applications. This study utilised a comparative approach analyzing responses of 200 prompts across eight linguistic categories. Errors were categorised as lexical or grammatical and analyzed according to their frequency, severity, and distribution. We used statistical methods such as ANOVA to find significant differences in chatbot performance in relation to features. The results indicate that the biggest challenges were seen with vocabulary range and adjectives, demonstrating these students' restrictions in lexical range and descriptiveness. However, question words had the lowest number of errors, which suggests strength in forming interrogative structures. Vocabulary range, verbs, and articles showed significant variation depending on the chatbot used, with statistically significant ANOVA results, and most features presented stable results with different Chatbots like orthography and question words. With the growing severity, the differences in the types of errors became more pronounced, we did take note of this difference between Google Gemini, that had a smaller ratio of major errors vs ChatGPT and Perplexity. Overall, this study highlights the importance of language-specific enhancements, particularly in vocabulary variety and grammatical alignment. For improved understanding, utilization of state-of-the-art NLP technologies, varied training data, programming live audit/error correction features may be required.

The study aims to examine the role of metaphors in shaping and conveying poetic iconicity, and to explore how these metaphors reflect or obscure the poet’s perceptions and worldview. The study draws on the theoretical framework of Blending Theory proposed by Tunner and Fauconnier (1995), along with Hiraga’s (2004) analytical model of metaphor and iconicity in poetic texts. Adopting a qualitative approach, the study employs close reading as its primary method of analysis. In particular, metaphors related to war and peace are analyzed to uncover deeper insights into the region’s socio-political realities. The metaphoric and iconic interpretations in this study are extended to the socio-political landscape of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa as depicted in the selected poems. The findings contribute to the growing body of research in cognitive poetics by highlighting the intricate relationship between metaphor and poetic iconicity within socio-political discourse.

In English as a Foreign Language (EFL) education, learners’ Willingness to Communicate (WTC) has become a central construct for understanding speaking performance and communicative engagement. Simultaneously, Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies are transforming language learning through intelligent tutoring systems, speech recognition, and adaptive tools that potentially enhance WTC by reducing anxiety and enabling real-time interaction. Given the rapid emergence of both WTC and AI research in EFL speaking contexts, this study conducts a bibliometric analysis to map the evolution, trends, and influential contributions at the intersection of these domains. Using a dataset of 25 articles published between 2006 and 2025 in SJR-ranked journals and analyzed with VOS viewer and Google Colab, we examine publications’ growth trajectory, the most cited countries, key journals and articles, and the most frequently used keywords. Results reveal a sharp increase in publications from 2022 onward, with Hong Kong, New Zealand, Taiwan, and Iran as leading contributors. The journals System and Computer Assisted Language Learning account for the majority of publications and citations, while landmark papers in ReCALL and International Journal of Applied Linguistics anchor the field intellectually. Keyword co-occurrence analysis shows WTC as the core node connecting AI-related and affective terms such as “chatbot,” and “foreign language enjoyment”. Overall, the field is transitioning from isolated studies to a networked research agenda, highlighting opportunities for AI-enhanced speaking tasks, fostering communicative readiness. This study provides foundational mapping for researchers, educators, and policymakers, offering insight into future directions for integrating technological and pedagogical innovations to strengthen EFL speaking instruction. Keywords: Willingness to Communicate, Artificial Intelligence, EFL Bibliometric Analysis, Technology-Assisted Language Learning

Constructivism, as a learning theory, posits that learners actively construct knowledge rather than passively receive information. Through interaction with their environment and reflective engagement, individuals develop their own conceptual representations and integrate new knowledge into pre-existing cognitive frameworks (schemas). Grounded in this paradigm, the present study examines the effectiveness of the constructivist approach in teaching literature to enhance students' Sustainable Literary Competence (SLC) as articulated by Myren-Svelstad (2020). Sustainability, in this context, refers to the ability to meet present needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own, encompassing environmental, social, and economic dimensions. It explores how critical reflection, active participation, and collaborative learning facilitate deeper engagement with literary texts. Furthermore, the study investigates the impact of constructivist pedagogy on students' analytical and interpretative skills, demonstrating that this approach fosters literary competence, meaningful discourse, and a profound comprehension of literature. Within a constructivist classroom, the teacher assumes a facilitative role, viewing knowledge as dynamic and evolving based on learners’ prior experiences, while students engage in collaborative knowledge construction. The study underscores the significance of both the teaching-learning process and its outcomes, emphasizing the integration of students' perspectives and observations in assessment practices. Additionally, the research highlights the need for an effectively structured curriculum and a balanced pedagogical framework that operationalizes constructivist principles in learner-centered classrooms. By advocating for a holistic instructional model, this study contributes to the discourse on sustainable literary competence, emphasizing its role in fostering enduring analytical and interpretative skills through teaching literature. Keywords: Sustainable Literary Competence, Constructivist Approach, Teaching Literature, Learner-Centered Education, Constructivism

Recently, the development of chatbots assisted by the artificial intelligence has opened up new dimensions in the field of education. Among such is the Chatgpt. It is taken as a Pharmeka – a poison and remedy at the same time. Some had taken it a serious threat to the creativity and human intelligence. While at the same time, generative artificial intelligence had revolutionized language learning process particularly of the English Language. The present study is aimed to gauge readiness and the institutional provisions & challenges to use artificial intelligence for academic purpose in the public sector universities of the South Punjab-Pakistan. For data collection the questionnaire was distributed among 200 hundred students of undergraduate and postgraduate students studying English language and literature at the following universities; University of Layyah, University of Jhang, University of Mianwali, Ghazi University D.G Khan, Islamia University Bahawalpur, Women University Multan, Bahauddin Zakariya University Multan. The population was selected on random sampling-based technique and the questionnaire was distributed online. Ten participants both male and female were interviewed at the University of Layyah as focused group. The findings of the study reveal that there is a high frequency of Chatgpt users in the academic domains. The students are using it for the academic purpose but without any professional experience and training. Hands on training to use artificial intelligence would make the language learning more personalized, interesting and effective for academic purpose. Keywords: Generative AI, AI In Education, Academic Challenges, EFL Classrooms, Language Learning

Pakistan is a linguistically rich country where various languages compete with each other, though English and Urdu largely rule the landscape. Although Urdu is the national language of the country but English serves as the official language in most departments, including the court, which naturally challenges the common man in terms of comprehension. The intricacies of legal language foster linguistic inequality, which, in a way, denies the common man access to justice. This is mainly because of the fact that the English language is rather different from the local language, as they have different developmental histories. Unprecedented importance given to English naturally affects the status and use of Urdu. As a result, this leads to language disparity, which hinders the accessibility to justice. The quantitative data for this study were collected using the probability sampling technique with the aim of finding out the influence of English and Urdu on legal communication and justice within Pakistan's judicial system. In order to explore the linguistic inequality engendered by the predominance of English in the legal sphere, Pierre Bourdieu’s theoretical framework was employed for this study. This was found that individuals express a preference for utilizing Urdu in the legal context, which is the result of their familiarity with Urdu. This means Urdu empowers them to articulate and convey their sentiments, ideas, and perceptions with efficacy. The study highlights the necessity to designate Urdu as the official language so that every citizen of the country can get easier access to justice. Keywords: Official Language, National Language, Linguistic Barriers, Legal Communication, Accessibility of Justice

The current study analyses the needs of language learners enrolled in the English for General Purpose (EGP) course at language centers in Quetta city. The study presents the obstacles faced by learners in achieving their goals in the language learning process and learners' suggestions for improvements in their curriculum. Data was collected through Questionnaires. In this study, 70 students (38 males and 32 females) participated from different language centers of Quetta city. The study’s findings reveal that students learn a language for higher education and a suitable job. They do not have complete command over the use of grammar, pronunciation, and listening skills. Along the way, they are interested in improving their English language skills, with a particular focus on writing skills. They desire more strategies to be adopted for a richer vocabulary in the classroom. It is proposed that to establish a successful curriculum for EGP, the goals and difficulties of EGP learners in the learning process should be considered. In this regard, a needs analysis should be conducted regularly for EGP learners. Keywords: Needs Analysis; English for General Purposes; ESP; Language Centers; curriculum

Comedians bring joy to audiences through their artistic performances. Muslims also laugh, and Muslim comedians, as immigrants or members of the diaspora in America and Western societies, are contributing to the entertainment industry, both artistically and professionally. Muslim women also play a vital role in uplifting the morale of their community. The present study aims to analyze Reem Edan’s stand-up performances using triangulation of intersectionality and Re-Orientalism as a framework. It is a qualitative study, and the collected and transcribed data consist of stand-up performances. These performances include jokes and/or funny stories explored in light of Crenshaw’s notion of intersectionality and Lau’s view of Re-Orientalism. The main aim of the study is to investigate how the Muslim women comedians succeed in constructing their identity within American society, where, as a minority, they have internalized Orientalist stereotypes. The findings reveal that the comedian, as a representative of second-generation Muslims in America, often encounters Orientalist and Islamophobic stereotypes. She draws on these experiences to create humour and make the audience laugh with stereotypes about Muslims internalized. The study is significant because it covers the struggles of a Muslim woman comedian to both entertain and challenge stereotypes about Muslims to construct identity. Furthermore, while shaping identity in American society under the influence of internalized stereotypes, the comedian re-Orientalizes Eastern culture and society to entertain the audience. Key Words: Identity, Intersectionality, Orientalist stereotypes, Muslim Woman Stand-up comedian, Reem Edan

The Palestine–Israel conflict is one of the longest and most difficult conflicts in modern history and the world has paid a considerable attention to it. Likewise, media has remained a constantly powerful tool in portraying the lengthy and complicated Palestine-Israel conflict. This study explores the way Pakistani and US leading newspapers namely: The Dawn and The Express Tribune and The Guardian visually portray the starvation crises of Palestinian people during July 2025. By employing the lens of visual semiotics (Kress and van Leeuwen, 2006) supported with Martin and White’s Appraisal Theory (2005), this study particularly focuses on compositional markers (information value, salience, and framing) and the emotional strategies of affect, judgment, appreciation. The results reveal that Pakistani newspapers highlights shared struggle with weak framing and disordered imagery of crowds with joint victimization and focuses on the aid distribution and symbolic struggle of people whereas The Guardian often uses personal misery through strong framed images and close-ups of individual undernourished children. The findings demonstrate how multi-modal and appraisal resources are deliberately used to conjure concern, trigger belief, and strengthen ideological positions. The study highlights the way print media is playing its role in shaping the ideology and triggering the emotions of the readers on Israel-Palestine conflict through visual portrayal of victim hood, endurance, and humanitarian disasters. Key words: Palestine–Israel conflict, Multimodal discourse analysis, Compositional markers, Appraisal theory, Starvation crisis

This paper investigates how Pakistani television advertisements employ linguistic strategies to target distinct social classes. Using Fairclough’s three‑dimensional model of Critical Discourse Analysis (textual, discursive, and social practice), a purposive sample of ads aimed at upper‑, middle‑, and lower‑class audiences was examined. Textual analysis revealed that luxury brands use sophisticated, aspirational language that foregrounds exclusivity and elite identity; middle‑class ads mix cultural familiarity with aspirational cues that emphasize value, quality, and upward mobility; and lower‑class ads rely on straightforward, pragmatic diction that highlights affordability and everyday functionality. Discursive practice shows how these linguistic choices engage audiences and reinforce prevailing cultural scripts, while the social‑practice dimension uncovers the ways in which advertisers reproduce and legitimize class hierarchies. The study demonstrates that advertising discourse in Pakistan is not neutral but actively constructs and normalizes class distinctions, thereby shaping consumer behavior and sustaining social stratification. After analysis of selected advertisements in Pakistan from different social media platforms, this research paper demonstrates the use of language to build social personas and resonate with the priorities and goals of each social class. The findings unveil that how language is used to build stratification among various social classes and affecting customers’ behaviors in Pakistan. Keywords Linguistic strategies, advertising, social classes, sociolinguistics, consumer behavior, marketing discourse, social stratification  

This research contests the Fall of Adam and Eve in Milton’s Paradise lost: Book 9, as a narrative of ecological domination, shifting the focus from theology to ecology. In so doing, it highlights the Fall of Adam and Eve as the point of departure, to trace the fragility of the ecosystem in relation to human domination. Moreover, the study aims to challenge the traditionally associated symbolism of the Fall by exposing the ideological basis of the anthropocene, establishing human mastery over nature, leading to ecological imbalance. The objective then, is to situate the Fall in the context of ecological crisis as a means to address the relevance of Paradise lost as an environmental concern. While existing scholarship establishes humans as stewards of the Earth, this paper exposes the research gap in redefining human–nature hierarchical relationship as anthropogenic. An in-depth analysis of selected passages from Paradise lost: Book 9, is based on engagement with Richard Grove’s concept of ecological imperialism. In addition to this, the research employs multiple other secondary sources to support the thesis. This study ascertains the Fall as the initial most fissure in ecological exploitation. Most significantly, the findings of this research can deepen understanding of canonical texts as a repository of environmental challenges encroaching upon the ecosystem. Keywords: Ecology, Paradise Lost, anthropocene, hierarchy, exploitation, environment

Metamodernism is described as a progressive shift in philosophy, art and culture which has evolved from postmodernism. It is a recent paradigm in critical and cultural theory. As a critical/cultural sensibility, metamodernism is considered to be both a new approach to literary composition and a method for analysing and researching literary works for academic study. The current article examines and assesses metamodernism as an efficient tool to gauge its fundamental characteristics in poetics and attempt to apply them to the interpretation of the poem Litany by Billy Collins, an American poet. Although the references are employed to the prominent standpoints of metamodernism, the primary model that will be employed for analysis of the poem is that of Timotheus Vermeulen and Van den Akker pioneered in their groundwork, Notes on Metamodernism (2010). The findings of the study reveal that the poem lacks the ideal balance of modernism, the fragmentation of postmodernism, and possesses the oscillatory motion of metamodernism which mediates between the former two stances, thus implanting the novice perception of “New Sincerity”. Keywords: Metamodernism, Postmodernism, Paradigm Shift, New Sincerity, Neo-romantic sensibility

Literary narratives memorializing historical milestones of a nation are always imbued with the passionate rhetoric that is cherished collectively and projected institutionally. Especially, in case of representational discourses about the revolutionary wars, the junctures epitomizing the ideals of resistance, the narratives turn more belligerent under the burden of the all-pervasive colonial memories and perpetually perturbing legacies. The kind of combative narration is one of the salient features of the literatures being produced in the former colonies across the globe. In this context, the article attempts to negotiate a fictional rendering of the anti-colonial élan scaffolding the American nation’s sense of pride and guiding its historical consciousness with reference to the Revolutionary War. Engaging postcolonial postulates about resistance and the modalities of a revolution in a colonial society, a critique of Jeff Shaara’s The Glorious Cause: A Novel of the American Revolution (2002) is developed. The analysis unpacks the rhetoric of resistance that is buttressing thematic structure of the novel. Various aspects of the novel, ranging from projection of the nationalist ideals to indictment of the colonizer, have been examined to elaborate the polemical configuration of the selected text. Through interpretation of these textual points, it is expounded how the American literary consciousness vociferously rationalizes the Revolutionary War as a national cause. Thus, it is evinced that the ideals of the early national history continue to inform the contemporary American literary discourses. Key words: American Revolution, Fiction, Ideology, Postcolonialism, Resistance