Chitral’s Endangered Vernaculars in the Shadow of Language Policy: A Linguistic Exploration of Kalasha Language

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of Khowar's dominance in communities and schools on the health of the Kalasha in Chitral. There are serious concerns over the sustainability of the region's great linguistic diversity and the future of its endangered languages when the Khowar is taught as a subject in Chitral schools, since many of the students come from diverse linguistic origins. This study was carried out to investigate the impact of language policy on the Kalasha in District Chitral, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. Focusing on the dominance of the Khowar and its impact on the endangered minority language. Using a survey, the research gathered quantitative data. The quantitative data were collected through written questionnaires from 120 participants (Grades 6 to 10), using random sampling from students.  Using SPSS software, the quantitative data from questionnaires were analyzed with descriptive statistics. The study results showed that while Khowar makes it easier to communicate across borders, the Kalasha is seriously threatened by its widespread use in the educational system, which causes language shift and cultural loss. Due to Khowar's dominance in Chitral's educational system, kids from different linguistic origins struggle academically and participate in school and the community. The results also showed that Khowar's dominance in school has influenced the frequency of using minority languages in their community and slowed the growth of the Kalasha in the community.

Keywords: language policy, endangered languages, Chitral, Kalasha, Khowar