THE LANGUAGE OF POWER: A CRITICAL DISCOURSE ANALYSIS OF ENGLISH-MEDIUM DISCOURSE IN PAKISTANI EDUCATION POLICIES

Abstract

This study investigates how English-medium discourse functions as a tool of power, ideology, and social hierarchy within Pakistan’s education-policy documents. Drawing upon Norman Fairclough’s model of Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA), it explores how language legitimizes English as a symbol of prestige and authority while marginalizing local languages and identities. Using a qualitative analytical framework, the study examines the language used in key education policies from 1972, 1998, 2009, and 2017, focusing on lexical choices, modality, and ideological framing. The analysis reveals that English-medium discourse reproduces colonial power structures by presenting English as a neutral or modern necessity rather than a class-dividing mechanism. While policies claim to promote equality, they implicitly sustain linguistic elitism and educational stratification. The study concludes that Pakistan’s language-policy reform must move beyond symbolic inclusion of Urdu and regional languages toward genuine linguistic democratization.