ABSTRACT 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.

中文翻译：

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英语教学的迷思：巴基斯坦低成本学校的实践研究

摘要 本研究旨在对巴基斯坦学校的学术英语问题提供新的见解。这一点至关重要，因为教授哪种语言、何时、如何以及何地，一直是政策制定者和直接最终用户面临的持续挑战。根据巴基斯坦部分地区低收费英语学校的数据，结果表明英语学校政策充满了一些挑战和局限性。教学方法表明，教师很少使用和让学生接触有意义的英语练习。尽管教师和学生偶尔会使用英语单词和短句，但他们几乎没有表现出交际潜力和自然语言能力。死记硬背和模仿标志着写作、阅读和考试实践。该研究得出的结论是，根据当前的政策和教学方法，学术英语可能会适得其反，因为大多数学生实际上既没有学习语言也没有学习学科材料。虽然英语在学校的学术目的是不可避免的，但一些地方因素，如机构能力不足、教师不合格以及学生英语文化/语言基础薄弱，使这项政策成为问题。我们建议对当前的政策和实践进行回顾，因为它们偏离了双语/多语附加理论和现代交际教学法的理论。一些当地因素，例如机构能力不足、教师不合格以及学生英语文化/语言基础薄弱，使该政策存在问题。我们建议对当前的政策和实践进行审查，因为它们偏离了双语/多语附加理论和现代交际教学法的理论。一些当地因素，例如机构能力不足、教师不合格以及学生英语文化/语言基础薄弱，使该政策存在问题。我们建议对当前的政策和实践进行回顾，因为它们偏离了双语/多语附加理论和现代交际教学法的理论。