Independence and Lingual Hegemony: British and American Influence on Pakistan’s Language Ideologies and Education Policies

*[email protected] 1 Department of Infectious Disease, Imperial College London, Du Cane Rd, London W12 0NN UK. 2 Department of Biotechnology, Hezekiah University Umudi, Imo State, Nigeria. This study examines how Pakistan’s language-in-education policies, influenced by colonial legacies and neoliberal globalization, sustain linguistic hierarchies and social inequalities. Applying Tollefson’s historical-structural framework, it examines the language ideologies of one NGO the Society of Pakistan English Language Teachers (SPELT) to explore how this organizations navigate the tension between promoting inclusivity and inadvertently reinforcing English dominance. The findings reveal that policies positioning English as a symbol of modernity and progress marginalize local languages, reinforcing colonial power structures and social divisions. The study underscores the need to critically reassess language policies to dismantle socio-political hierarchies and develop more equitable, context-sensitive educational approaches.