Languages can serve as instrument of national harmony: speakers

Language should serve more as a unifying rather than dividing factor, we should promote linguistic culture that boosts receptive multi-lingualism guided by an ethos of mutual language-intelligibility aimed at increased national unity in Pakistan. We are primarily an ethno-lingual society in which language comes to be seminal determinant of ethnic, socio-cultural and political identity.

The above conceptual compendium was the upshot of keynote speeches made by eminent linguists at the inaugural session of "The 2nd National Research Student Conference" organized by Sindh University Institute of English Language and Literature at Shaikh Ayaz Auditorium of Faculty of Arts of the varsity.

VC SU Prof Dr Fateh Muhammad Burfat presided over the conference, wherein noted linguists Prof Ahmar Mahboob of the University of Sydney, Australia and Prof Dr Fauzia Shamim of Ziauddin University, Karachi were the Keynote

Speakers in parallel, Dr Nukhba Taj Langah of Forman Christian College, Lahore, Mona Mamac of the University of Sydney, Australia, Dr Fatima Dar of Iqra University, Karachi and Dr Hassan Syed of IBA Sukkur University presented research workshops.

In addition, 110 M. Phil and PhD scholars presented papers, posters and 3-minute thesis presentations in rotation in 8 specially-set up technical session rooms at the institute of English Language and Literature.

Vice chancellor Dr Burfat, in his presidential address said that SU-IELL had taken lead in Pakistan by introducing student-specific national moot for the second time with a view to encourage enrolled M. Phil and PhD scholars to share their researches with their peers and the seasoned scholars from across the country.

Prof Ahmar said language is what has generally been seen to be a point of conflict among communities. As linguists, it became their obligation to resolve any such language identity crisis.

"Language is not just a set of phonemes, morphes, forms and structures. It is our basic tool as humanity to negotiate and appreciate the entire current-phenomena around us also to connect to our ethno-communal and socio-cultural heritage. And this current comprehension and past connectivity comes at its best through indigenous languages which we have to preserve and promote in the face of threat from hegemonic market languages preferred by inadvertent and unknowing populace for better economic prospects at the cost of loss of aboriginal identity", Prof. Ahmar argued.

Dr Fauzia Shamim presented insights on the importance of adherence to ethical codes during the conduct of research project.

"While you are collecting research data, you as researchers must ensure you have sought participants' informed consent; you have refrained from using coercion, have not invaded participant-privacy, not caused stress, compromised respondent self-esteem and have maintained participant anonymity and confidentiality", said Dr shamim addressing the young researchers in the audience in particular.