Multilingual interplay and the influence of the official languages on the use and transmission of the regional language Pashto: a case study of a Pashtun family in Pakistan

• Alam, Intikhab ^[1] ; Linlong, Yu ^[1] ; Kamran, Farrukh ^[3] ; Zhang, Chengming ^[2]
  1. [1] Northeast Normal University

     Northeast Normal University

     China

     
  2. [2] Ningbo University

     Ningbo University

     China

     
  3. [3] Department of Education Development, University of Baltistan, Skardu, Pakistan

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• Localización: International journal of multilingualism, ISSN 1479-0718, Vol. 23, Nº. 1, 2026, págs. 272-287
• Idioma: inglés
• DOI: 10.1080/14790718.2025.2506476
• Texto completo no disponible (Saber más ...)
• Resumen

  • The impact of English and Urdu in Pakistan on the intergenerational transmission and use of the regional language, Pashto, in the family domain is not well known. This paper, therefore, examines language use patterns in a middle-class Pashtun family in Peshawar. The qualitative mode of inquiry includes the mother's report as prepared from a semi-structured interview, followed and authenticated by observations, first, of her son's interaction with her, then, of the whole family's interactions. The thematic analysis of the mother's report reveals that language use patterns in the family are complex, with all three languages being used in various combinations. With Urdu as the overall dominant language in family interactions, English and Pashto are the second commonly used languages. In comparison, the use of English can be deemed to be just a little more frequent than Pashto in the overall family interactions; nevertheless, for the child, the former has clearly replaced the latter as his most dominant language. The results imply the existence of certain internal and external influences on the family language policy, which results in the dominance of the official languages over the regional language in the family domain. Therefore, the study recommends investigating the influences on the family language policy in the light of [Spolsky, B. (2004). Language Policy. Cambridge University Press; Spolsky, B. (2021). Rethinking Language Policy. Edinburgh University Press] basic language policy model.

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