Language matters
A STORY that went viral recently was of a little boy whose teacher marked his face with a black dot. The other children were then asked to shame him. Where…
Language matters
Climate change is a complex and multifaceted phenomenon that encompasses a myriad of scientific concepts, policy frameworks and socio-economic implications. Amid the discourse surrounding climate change, people encounter a multitude…
Language of war and peace
Austrian linguistic philosopher Wittgenstein says, “The meaning of a word is its use in the language.” This implies that words do not have intrinsic meanings in language themselves, and they…
The languages of history
In Pakistan, there are not many writers who write about history in Urdu or any other regional language, with an independent and objective lens. But there are certain writers who…
History, language and Sufism
Seldom does one come across two books by the same writer that enchant readers so deeply. As a student of history and languages, I am compelled to share my impression…
How a language dies
A language dies when nobody speaks it anymore. Why a language dies is a pertinent question asked by linguists and activists alike. Linguists and activists across the world have shown…
Japanese language to be made part of curriculum
Punjab Higher Education Commission (PHEC) Chairman Prof Dr Shahid Munir Friday said the PHEC had decided to make the Japanese language part of curriculum. According to a press release, the…
Whose language is it anyway?
Recently, a person from the village that one of the writers of this piece comes from approached him about applying to the Prime Minister’s Youth Skill Development Program (PMYSDP). This…
Promoting mother languages
The Indus Cultural Forum (ICF) has been organizing the Pakistan Mother Languages Literature (PMLL) Festival in Islamabad for the last eight years. It coincides with the International Mother Language Day…
What endangers a language?
Students of the Institute of Management Sciences, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) organized a two-day literary and academic event called Peshawar Literary Festival on February 4 and 5, soon after the January…
