Investigating the Role of English in Pakistani Street Banners and Political Poster Discourse

Abstract

The use of English in political banners and posters were studied in Pakistan. It utilized a linguistic perspective of Systemic Functional Linguistics (SFL) and Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) to study ten posters that were gathered from protest scenes in major cities in Pakistan. In these posters Urdu, regional language (Sindhi) and English were used. The study examined the reasons behind protesters' use of English, how it can be utilized with visual components, and what it tells about identity, power and politics. The results indicate that English is used for various purposes. It is a way to get protest messages to the international community. It denotes schooling and progressiveness. It also does not show a sense of resistance to the state. SFL demonstrates the significance of language in terms of meaning and emotion. CDA brings to light the dynamics of power in these messages. The overall impact is enhanced through the use of visual elements like color and typography. This study helps discourse studies because it demonstrates the use of both linguistic and visual means by Pakistani protesters to create the sense of solidarity and influence public discourse

Keywords: English, Political Banners, Systemic Functional Linguistics, Critical Discourse Analysis, Multilingualism, Pakistan