Myth of English teaching and learning: a study of practices in the low-cost schools in Pakistan

This study aims to shed fresh insight into the problems of English-for-academic-purposes at schools in Pakistan. This is critical because which language to teach, when, how, and where, has been an ongoing challenge for policy-makers as well as immediate end-users. Drawing on data from the low-fee English-medium schools in part of Pakistan, results show that the English-medium policy is fraught with several challenges and limitations. Teaching and learning approaches suggest that teachers seldom use and expose students to meaningful practice of the English language. Although teachers and students make occasional use of English words and short sentences, they demonstrate little communicative potential and natural command of the language. Rote learning and imitation mark the writing, reading, and examination practices. The study concludes that with current policies and pedagogical approaches, English-for-academic-purposes can be counterproductive as most students learn neither language nor subject material substantively. Although English is inevitable for academic purposes in schools, several local factors such as institutional incapacity, unqualified teachers, and students’ weak cultural/linguistic base in English make this policy problematic. We propose a review of the current policy and practices as they stand deviant from the theory of additive bi/multilingual theory, and modern communicative pedagogies.