A Multidimensional Analysis Of Cultural And Linguistic Influences In Pakistani English: A Comparative Study With British English In Political Press Reporting

Abstract

This research explores the distinctiveness of Pakistani English, particularly in the context of political press reportage, and establishes its identity as a non-native variety with uniquelinguistic features. The study employs a multidimensional (MD) analysis to compare linguistic variations between Pakistani and British political print media from 2009 to 2019. [1]Pakistani English, influenced by cultural and social factors, integrates native language elements and displays significant differences from British English in its use of informational features, agentless passives, and specific lexical choices.

The data collection involved acquiring information about newspaper publications from online articles and consulting Prof. Douglas Biber, who suggested selecting leading papers based on circulation. The researcher chose Daily Dawn, The Daily Nation, and The Daily Pakistan Observer to represent the political press reportage of Pakistani print media. This formed the Pakistani News Corpus (PNC), representing Pakistani English's press reportage register from 2009 to 2019.

By filling a gap in existing literature through the application of MD analysis to Pakistani press reportage, this research contributes to the understanding of World Englishes and the role of local linguistic features in shaping new English varieties. The findings underscore the distinct linguistic identity of Pakistani English and provide insights into the linguistic dynamics of political press reportage, supporting its status as an independent non-native variety of English.