Observance of English as a Second Language in Academic and Professional Career Development of Journalism and Communication Studies Students

Abstract

In this study the landscape of English has been explored in terms of ESL and its professional and non-professional practice patterns in Pakistan. The reflections of theoretical underpinnings are applied to demonstrate a comparative picture of the magnitude in public and private sector universities in Lahore region. The official associative status and tendency levels of English in journalism and communication departments are observed by examining their relationship with the tertiary management, their contribution to different functions including converging in medium of instruction and thinking approach, their preference within dominant coalition, their involvement with the students and their expertise level and usage patterns of ESL as a discourse. This study is quantitative in method and survey instrument has been adopted. The data are collected from the public universities having iconic historical prestige and highly ranked private universities by modern infrastructure in HEC recognized social sciences universities of Pakistan. The results of this study clarified that J and CS institutes in Pakistan consume all six defined patterns while performing their educational and professional tasks. As an adherer of continuous feedback system through information communication mediums is the first priority of students while ESL’s coming together from different directions so as eventually to bear down on Urdu is the least agreed upon context but not the last in their paradigmatic roles. Proportionately public than private universities adjudged second language more as confluent, dispenser, endorser, broker, liaison and facilitator to be the source of providence for media students in Pakistan. Interesting fact of this study was that both public and private sector universities in Pakistan are showing similarities of positive treatment towards importance and prestige of Observance of English as a Second Language in Academic and Professional Career Development of Students viii ESL’s functions in academic and professional career building of their students but with the difference of managing its impact according to their atmospheric obligations. Keywords: ESL Practices, ESL’s Observance, Public and Private Universities in Pakistan, Career Development, Professional and Non-Professional Students