Topic: Critical Discourse Analysis of Sindh textbooks. “A case study of English textbook of 9th class”

By

GHULAM QADIR SARIO BS IV LINGUISTICS 2k12eng/147

Submitted to Madam Nazish Memon

Abstract School education is dependent on textbooks. There are some parameters to know the standard of education is strongly based on textbooks. Surprisingly to say that in our Pakistani society children spend their most of time in reading textbooks therefore they are deprived of creating new reforms. Further to say that textbooks are like platform where both teacher and students meet their possibilities what to teach or what to learn. I have chosen 14th lesson “Nursing” from the textbook of English (Compulsory) class IX with the help of Critical discourse analysis. My aim is to find whether there are appropriate methods of teaching English as second language and also to find out ideological messages either they leads to indoctrination or education. After critically analyzing the text of English textbook I got following findings as outdated editions, less pedagogical practices, non-visual vocabulary

teaching, focusing on beliefs and faith rather than knowledge, repetition of same events in different textbooks, narrow teaching approaches and Material used as full of dogmatize, bias and demarcation against fellow citizen. The findings also clearly show that Sindh textbooks as compare to others don’t fulfil requirements of teaching English as second language at secondary level but believe in grading.

Introduction The developed countries are those who believe in education which is backbone of building nation and enriching the economic corridors. The famous Politian Gandhi while emphasizing the need and importance of education, said: “Education is central way to generate awareness among people of being Independent”. The root learning comes from school education. School education entirely depend upon Curriculum because it is way to teach accordingly.

In Sindh province three different textbooks are being taught to students from KG-12. The following are Sindh textbook board, English textbooks and Oxford University Press. Surprisingly Sindh textbooks board (STB) are taught in Sindhi medium government schools and private non-elite English medium schools in colleges wherever English textbooks and OUP books are preferred in very elite schools and colleges as English medium. There is total absence of equalization of education and therefore regional disparities arise. English book of 9th class is very junk of STB. On which I am here by do critical discourse analysis. Either the diction used in Class IX is worthy or just fulfilling the requirement of material. Still it will not be enough to fetch only manner of content but a part of it, use of vocabulary according to level of students or not. From the English 9th book I have chosen the lesson fourteen “Nursing”. While reading this lesson there are so many observations emerged in my mind which I will share further so on. It includes

comprehension, composition and communication. I also put my huge efforts to know how they have added exercises and their effects on student. Do students are really enjoying or just grading. Further yet to be analyzed how much amount of space has be reserved for teachers to prevail task and activities students. It will be deeply concerned some of that most important problems in Sindh textbooks. The followings are mention as outdated editions, less pedagogical practices, non-visual vocabulary teaching, focusing on beliefs and faith rather than knowledge, repetition of same events in different textbooks, narrow teaching approaches and Material used as full of dogmatize, bias and demarcation against fellow citizen. I will also mention vision and critical thoughts of different analysts, columnist, authors and critics. We could have some more proofs and claims about related topics.

Literature review: it is really broad topic to work on therefore I have gone through so many articles, research papers and even discuss with some teachers. Why does Sindh textbook board always fail to meet the challenges of new era? Today western people are busy like bees to explore the inventions and discoveries in Nano Science, like experimenting over time-machine, thirsty to reach other plants, making chip less display screens, small robots etc. You are witness to see difference of their work and compare our textbooks, just like we are still confuse to make difference between curriculum and syllabus. As I mentioned above School education is totally dependent upon “Curriculum”. Syllabus, being a part of the curriculum, contains facts, concepts, generalization, principles etc. (International Journal of Research in Linguistics and Social &

Applied Sciences Volume 1: 2012). Syllabus is being followed accordingly by teacher for students in classroom. But textbooks instruct the teacher what to teach or what not! Curriculum is entire preplanning policy for enduring betterment and progress in education. “Curriculum involves all areas of learning which the school has responsibility” (Lee, J.M). Every school is dependent on textbooks because these are great sources of showing reflection of society, promote culture, introduce customs and heritage to new generations. “Textbooks are actually the parameters to know the standard of education. Because, only the textbooks can decide what a teacher has to teach and what a student has to learn. And the wrong use of the textbooks can be harmful in the long term not only for the student and for the teacher but for the scope of education as well” (American educationists Wesley and Sheetle (1989).

Language is medium of communication, it is also powerful tool to rule over the world. Unfortunately in Sindh textbooks there are biases and less pedagogies strategies. There are so many different analysts, columnist, authors, critics and linguists. Naming as Rubina Saigol, A.H Nayyar, Tariq Rehman, K.K Aziz, Pervaiz hoodbhoy and Ahmed Salim. They all generally differentiate between education and indoctrination. All we learn from Sindh textbooks such indoctrination, believing islamization, patriotism and bigotry against citizen. But we must have step in education where everyone believe what is right! By describing the issues from multiple and critical points of views where opposing views can be fairly represented. Textbooks are designed in way that there can have only route learning rather than conceptual and critically analyzing. “As textbooks are published every year so, therefore, it was necessary to critically analyze the most recent ones to see whether they contain ideological or biased material.” (Muhammad Tahir Yaqoob 2011).

Textbooks are only stuff where students mostly spend their time to study specially in our Pakistani society. Taking this as serious, textbooks should be enriched with authentic materials as well as teaching strategies. Textbook is an additional aid to teacher because he or she must not be dependent on it. On other hand textbook is also helping hand too for affective teacher. . Prof. Syed Sajid Hussain worked over the characteristics of good textbooks. He read many books and collected the list of the following characteristics of the good textbooks: 1. They meet all the challenges of Curriculum. 2. They are facilitative towards the completion of purposes of education. 3. They must define a certain school of thought. 4. They must be according to the cognitive level of desired group or grade of students. 5. They match to intellectual requirements of the students.

6. They must have progressive strategies 7. They must define different people of a community belong to different ideology. 8. They use literalism and naturalism in their contents. 9. They must contain some knowledge and be helpful for grooming and the development of personalities of the students. 10. Their material should be given along with the visual representation. 11. They must relate with certain pedagogy approaches.

These are following are some principles to use textbooks. They would be helpful, if applied skillfully: 1. A teacher should be well lesson planned and well-versed in the text material before she goes to the classroom. 2. A teacher should know what to teach rather than how to teach. Because, inside the class,

she has to teach in one or the other way, which depends upon the context and receiving capabilities of the students. 3. Teaching through examples is not the other way to teach but it is the only way to teach. A teacher should keep-on mentioning examples from the textbooks and from other reference books, magazines, newspapers etc. 4. Textbooks can be utilized as a best source of learning new vocabulary and for making notes. 5. Textbooks must be used along with the audio-visual aids.

In the Education Policy of Pakistan of 1970, it was approved and later-on extended in all the Education Policies and Conferences that, 1. Begin with the name and praise of Almighty Allah in the Textbooks of all the Subject of all the Classes

2. Islam and Ideology of Pakistan as Every chapter must be started with concepts given by 3. There must be given ample examples for the sake of explanation in every chapter and in every book. (Abdul Sattar Gopang, Sheeraz Illyas Shaikh, Dr.Saleha Parveen & Dr.Mohammad Khan Sangi) International Journal of Research in Linguistics and Social & Applied Sciences) Volume 1, 2012.

Critical Discourse Analysis: The good textbooks fulfil the targets of curriculum, neglect indoctrination and inspire towards education. And if it is textbook of English, it must focus on following areas: 1) lessons may stimulates interest of students in the subject of English. 2) In composition, exercises represents technical usages rather predicating ways. 3) It may contains very simple words that students can comprehend the passage as knowing process of reading

comprehension. 4) The content should be as beautifully written as students could write good paragraph including unity, order and variety. 5) Exercises must be audio-visual aids that students could improve their language rather than just marking the answer. Language of textbook reflects the personality of student. The textbooks should be included with certain school of thought that may be helpful for the development of personalities of the students. Now the questions arises here, do English textbook of 9th class contain the same elements as same mentioned above? I am very much close to proof the failure of Sindh textbooks after analyzing a lesson from it.The topic of lesson is “nursing”. I match the above principles of good textbook than with this lesson.I found, this lesson does not fulfil the required characteristics. The half of the part of the lesson is reserved for praising Islam rather than social reforms happened in our society. And the other half of the lesson describes the

personality of Florence Nightingale. Now it is quite difficult to judge either lesson is about nursing or biography of Florence Nightingale. This lesson is written in ordinary style that hardly anyone can get motivated. There is only one example given of Florence Nightingale. It would have been so interesting if they had taken added more examples. At the end limited exercise are given that are hardly been able to test the comprehension.Composition should be emphasized more at this level that students may not hesitate while using grammar. Here they focus on tenses rather other parts of speech and their usage. The title of lesson is less attractive. Some students might understand the meaning of nursing as it is only female job. It is very strange that there is no single picture which may illustrate taking care of people. Exercises should contain skill learning and their activities that students can enjoy and get interested in English subjects.

Findings: I got many results from Sindh textbooks as it include the contents related to culture, religion, nationalism, us and them, gender, and English. It does not analyze the contents related to politics, environment, health, geography, general knowledge, morality and science and technology. They give more focus on limited content which cause the producers of parrots – rote learning nonCritical students. They only focus on how to teach but not on what to teach. There is no equalization of education in Sindh. Poor people send their children to government schools in Sindhi medium who are taught religious and patriotic content through these textbooks. Middle class parents get their

children admission in non-elite schools and rich class have rich choice to send in elite schools in total English medium. Critical thinking is neglected in textbooks. It is primary task to make curriculum so affective which avoid the content of indoctrination but encourage freedom of expression.

Conclusion Thus, it is proved with critical discourse analysis that Sindh textbooks do not fulfill the requirements of secondary level students who need to learn English as a Second language, not as a subject. There is absence of real occurrence

of events therefore we remain in doubts either to agree or not. They have put such ideologies whom we are deprived of our own society, customs and traditions but make us belief on religion, nationalism, and militaristic and gender biased. Sindh text books encourage teaching English as subject where only focus on grading rather than teaching language skills. There is no space left for creativity of students but limited with certain exercises from textbooks. Age of 9th class students is young therefore pictorial as well interesting lessons should be added to enhance their skill of writing as well as reading with the help of visual vocabulary. It is time to stand against these outdated textbooks and demand for latest version with real-life teaching approaches.