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| Title | Abstract | Action(s) |
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| The Politics of Green Discourse: A Critical Analysis of Eco-Advertisements in Pakistan | This study conduct a critical evaluation, how greenwashing functions through language and imagery in product advertising in Pakistan. Using a mixed-method design, the research analyzes 110 front and 110 back labels from food, beverages, personal care, and health products. Data was compiled through purposive sampling to capture different product categories across major retail outlets. The research introduces the Tanz Model of Eco-Critical Discourse (TMED, 2025), based in established theoretical paradigms with the association of linguistic and semiotic analysis incorporating ingredient compliance audit and social impact evaluation. The model’s first phase explores the graphical and linguistic structure of green language, examining eco-labeling, green metaphors, signs, and typography. The second phase inspects the validity of environmental claims by benchmarking front-label discourse with back-label factual ingredient description. Through concordance-based corpus analysis, terms like natural, pure, and organic are calibrated against chemically synthesized components such as sodium laureth sulfate, sodium benzoate, and trans fats. The third phase estimates the acceptability of these practices by measuring their latent social and environmental implications. Findings specify a momentous incongruity between green claims and actual product formulation, with many labels using elusive or illusory terms contradict by the ingredients. This deliberate use of green discourse bearing on consumer perception while moderating the presence of non-ecological or chemically saturated approaches. By assimilating quantitative frequencies with qualitative exploration, the study elucidate a linguistically anchored conceptual structure to divulge unreliable advertising and encourage critical consumer awareness. |
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| Semanticity in Literary Genre: A Corpus-Based Diachronic study of Semantic Shifts in Pakistani English Novels | This thesis investigates semantic shifts in Pakistani English novels published between 1960 and 2020. Drawing upon Bloomfield‘s (1933) typology of semantic change— including narrowing, widening, amelioration, pejoration, and elevation—the study examines how the meanings of selected lexical items have evolved over time. The analysis focuses on various influencing factors such as technological advancement, socio- political transformation, informalization of language, Westernization, and gendered discourse, all of which contribute to the dynamic and context-sensitive nature of semantic change in literary texts. A corpus of 60 Pakistani English novels authored by both male and female writers was compiled to ensure diachronic and gender-based representation across six decades. Employing a mixed-methods research design, the study integrates quantitative corpus analysis with qualitative interpretation of context-specific usage. The selection of words was not based on a predefined list but rather on the prominence and frequency of semantic change observed in the data. AntConc software was used to examine concordance lines and identify patterns of shifting meanings. A total of 25 lexical items were analyzed in depth to explore the categories and contexts of their semantic change. The findings indicate that semantic shifts in Pakistani English are heavily shaped by evolving cultural norms, digitalization, localized expressions, and shifting gender roles. Additionally, the study observes that male and female authors exhibit different tendencies in semantic usage, highlighting gender-based variation in language change. These semantic developments contribute to the ongoing indigenization and legitimization of Pakistani English as a distinct variety within the broader framework of World Englishes. Keywords: semantic shift, Pakistani English, Bloomfield‘s typology, corpus linguistics, AntConc, gender variation, diachronic change |
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| Assessment of Communicative Competence: A CEFR-Based Analysis of Elementary Level Textbooks of Punjab | This study evaluates the communicative competence promoted by A2-level elementary English textbooks used in Punjab, aligning them with the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR). The selected grades 6, 7, and 8 textbooks follow the Single National Curriculum and are published by the Punjab Curriculum and Textbook Board. The research addresses the problem of whether these textbooks adequately support the development of communicative competence as defined by CEFR standards at the A2 level. Adopting a qualitative and descriptive methodology, the study examines textbook activities to assess their alignment with CEFR standards. Data is collected through a CEFR-based checklist, which allows for an in-depth and structured evaluation of linguistic and sociolinguistic competence components. The CEFR model, founded on well-known principles of communicative competence, is utilized to analyze the data, ensuring a systematic evaluation. The analysis categorizes activities under CEFR-defined language skill areas: Reception, Production, and Interaction. It further evaluates linguistic components such as vocabulary and grammatical structures, and sociolinguistic elements like greetings, politeness conventions, and appropriate register use. While the textbooks include activities supporting reading, writing, listening, and speaking skills, notable gaps exist in fostering interactive and real-life communication practices. This research offers valuable insights for curriculum developers, educators, and policymakers to refine instructional materials, ensuring their alignment with CEFR standards. |
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| EXPLORING POWER DYNAMICS IN AHMAD’S THE RETURN OF FARAZ ALI: A CRITICAL DISCOURSE ANALYSIS | This study examines power dynamics in The Return of Faraz Ali by Aamina Ahmad through critical discourse analysis, using Fairclough’s three-dimensional model to examine how language reflects and shapes power. It focuses on how dominant characters use linguistics techniques to assert control and how power is negotiated within familial and interpersonal relationships. This research can show different ways in which language techniques are used as a tool for power by looking at the novel‘s conversational elements at the textual, discursive practice, and social practice levels. The research reveals different strategies through which characters maintain or challenge authority and the complex interactions between language, identity, and social hierarchy in the narrative. It means that this analysis provides you with a deeper understanding of the social and ideological occurring in Ahmad's work, providing details into the imagery of power dynamics and the more general consequences for discourse on authority and agency. |
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| MEDIA DISCOURSE AND ECOLINGUISTICS: A CORPUS-BASED ANALYSIS OF PAKISTANI NEWSPAPER STORIES | Title: Media Discourse and Ecolinguistics: A Corpus-Based Analysis of Pakistani Newspaper Stories This research conducts ecolinguistics study as a corpus-based analysis of Pakistani newspaper stories. It examines how the newspaper stories are affected by environmental words and perspectives through the eight dimensions of the model. This research is a mixed method because quantitative and qualitative methods are implied. The Dawn and Express Tribune newspapers data collection is discussed in the light of Stibbe‘s Ecolinguistics model (2015). The newspaper stories of Dawn and Express Tribune are considered to be 60 each and hence 120 newspapers. It is carried out through Antconc software to perform the frequency of environmental set of words of the corpus of each newspaper stories. The finding represented that Dawn corpus contained 216 words, and that the Tribune contained 134 words. Dawn Corpus had 216 environmental words and is larger than the Express Tribune corpus. With respect to environmental degradation, the readers of Dawn might see it as an emotional charged newspaper which makes a great deal of reference to the war and disaster. The Express Tribune, on the other hand, makes its way more frequently with resource-based and economic analysis, and describes environmental problems in a manner that is compatible with the paradigm of sustainable development, which contains institutions and citizens who are caring about the future. Thus, the present research describes the way ecolinguistics is used in media and specifies what differences in semantics, framing, and ideology are at play to the public's concerns. Due to this, Dawn and The Express Tribune have a role to play in progress. Environmental consciousness and discussion is promoting a vast variety of approaches to take an effective ecological agenda. Keywords: Ecolinguistics, conceptual metaphors, newspapers, analysis |
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