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This is the first book-length study of the history of language teaching and learning among South Asian Muslims. It looks at language teaching policies and texts to prove that they are meant to support certain ideologies which, in turn, support certain power structures. It also argues that, in most cases, people learn language to empower themselves by equipping themselves for powerful jobs.
This book investigates the historical intersection of language pedagogy, ideological indoctrination, and the maintenance of power structures among Muslim communities in Pakistan and North India. Dr. Tariq Rahman, a scholar of linguistics and history, utilizes a rigorous analysis of educational policies and instructional texts to demonstrate how language learning is rarely a neutral act. He argues that curricula are intentionally designed to reinforce specific social hierarchies, while simultaneously acknowledging that learners often pursue language acquisition as a pragmatic tool for economic advancement and social mobility.
What You Will Find
Experts in South Asian studies and sociolinguistics recognize this work as a foundational text for understanding the political dimensions of education in the region. Readers frequently note the academic density of the prose and the extensive archival research that supports the author's conclusions.
Page Count:
712
Publication Date:
2002-05-02
Publisher:
Oxford University Press
ISBN-10:
0195796446
ISBN-13:
9780195796445
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