JSSH

AI in Language Education: Transforming the ESL Learning Experience

Aamina Zubair — 2025-08-25

In Pakistan, EFL/ESL learners seek to improve their language skills through formal and informal means. Embracing AI, a key aspect of Industry 4.0, can empower the youth to become independent and efficient in language learning. This study aims to gauge the effectiveness of generative AI tools in learning vocabulary and evaluate ESL learners’ user experiences and perceptions. Involving 12 students from a public sector university in Rawalpindi, this study has employed the case study approach with a triangulation design. The quantitative data is collected using pre and post-tests and the qualitative data is collected using semi-structured interviews. Between the pre-test and the post-test, the participants engaged with ChatGPT focusing on the 3 Cs of 21st-century skills i.e. communication, creativity, and critical thinking, following the Cognitive Taxonomy model by Anderson and Krathwohl (2001), for four weeks. The quantitative results (pre-test: M=18.08, SD= 6.598 and post-test: M=31.33, SD=6.946) reveal a substantial difference of 13.25 between the mean scores which indicates a considerable growth in participants’ vocabulary after the intervention. Whereas, qualitative results indicate positive experiences and perceptions of using ChatGPT for vocabulary learning, while challenges include response reliability, time management, and user suspicion of AI chatbot accuracy. Thus, the study concludes that ChatGPT and other similar AI-powered tools can be the panacea for language learning and teaching in the 21st-century world, given their appropriate and systematic use. This research can aid in developing effective teaching methodologies and integrating AI tools in language learning curricula, benefiting learners, researchers, and educators.

Towards an Informed Society: A Critical Analysis of Media Literacy in Pakistan

Syed Abdul Siraj — 2025-08-25

Understanding media literacy in the digital age is essential for interpreting complex media narratives about critical issues and mitigating the risk of public misguidance, which is imperative for a democratic culture. This research investigates the state of media literacy in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), Pakistan’s nonmetropolitan region. Media literacy among the people in AJK has not been previously explored, so this research gap provides new insights and solutions using Critical Media Literacy Theory (CMLT) to examine the phenomenon. Key findings of the study reveal that social media serves as the primary source of information; however, users exhibit little understanding of media literacy when interpreting the embedded discourse within media content on political and critical events. Nevertheless, individuals with higher education express confidence in identifying disinformation and acknowledge that fact-checking is useful for mitigating deceptive media narratives, but users rarely practice it. These findings highlight the need for a structured media literacy initiative to reduce the risks of public misguidance.

Keywords: media literacy, media consumption, disinformation, fact-checking

Motivational Practices in English Language Teaching: Insights from Students and Teachers in Federal Government Educational Institutions

Hazrat Umar — 2025-08-25

This study attempts to explore the motivational practices of English language teachers at the Intermediate level at the Government Higher Secondary Schools and Colleges in Islamabad, recognizing that motivation plays a crucial role as both an influential and instrumental factor in effective pedagogy. Data were collected through questionnaires administered to 400 students and 100 English language teachers, and 29 out of 30 non-participant observations were conducted. The response rates for teacher and student questionnaires were 90.25% (361 students), 79% (79 teachers), and 96.6% for non-participant observations (29). The data were analyzed using the chi-square test and Z-test for proportions. The results of the study show that there is a lack of motivation in teaching and learning processes at the Intermediate level in Model and FG Colleges in Islamabad. It is recommended that the teaching material and teaching practices be related to students’ interests. Various teaching strategies should be employed to avoid monotony and better address the diverse needs and learning styles of the students. Active participation should be encouraged, teaching aids should be provided, and language laboratories should be established to enhance the learning experiences.

From Thriving to Driving Innovation: Millennials’ QWL in Pakistan's Telecommunications Industry

Sophia Ali — 2025-08-25

In contemporary workplaces, Millennials have introduced their inimitable values and unique expectations that have completely transformed workplace dynamics over the last several years. Thus, it is imperative for organizations to understand aspects that influence their innovative capacities to enhance organizational productivity. However, a noticeable lack of scholarly work investigating the impact of Quality of Work Life (QWL) on thriving at work (TAW) and its subsequent relationship with Millennials’ Innovative Work Behavior (IWB) within Pakistan’s telecommunications sector can be witnessed. This manuscript deals with this gap using Amabile's Componential Theory of Creativity as the theoretical foundation for investigating the relationship between QWL and IWB, along with TAW as a mediating variable. An online survey of 270 millennials employed in telecommunications service providers across Lahore, Islamabad, and Karachi was undertaken and the hypothesized relationships were tested using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) in SmartPLS. Results demonstrate that QWL is positively related to both TAW and IWB, and TAW plays a partial mediating role in the relationship between QWL and IWB.

Keywords: Quality of Work Life, Thriving at work, Innovative work behavior, Millennials, Telecommunications, Pakistan

Challenges of Teaching English in A Multi-Lingual Setting: A Survey at Government Secondary Schools of Muzaffarabad

Shafaq Mubashar — 2025-08-25

The major focus of this study is to highlight the problems that are faced by the teachers while teaching English to the secondary level students of Government schools in Muzaffarabad which is the capital of Azad Jammu and Kashmir, a northern part of Pakistan. This is a region of various languages and teacher has to teach in the classroom having a blend of students with various linguistic backgrounds. Though being a multilingual is advantageous over monolingual, but it is challenging for the teacher to teach English in a multilingual setting. This study aims to look at the challenges of teachers while teaching English in this situation. Questionnaire and observation checklist was used for data collection and analyzed through excel sheet. Purposive sampling was used to select 10 teachers, including 5 males and 5 females, from 6 different Government schools of Muzaffarabad. The findings of the study show that in a multilingual classroom negative attitude of students towards English is the biggest challenge for the teachers to cope with. Students cannot concentrate on stress, intonation and pauses when English, a stressed-time language meddles with the syllable-timed language like Urdu. Along with that underdeveloped skills of students that are required in order to learn a language is yet another big hurdle for the teachers. Teacher faces time and curriculum coverage pressure. Furthermore pedagogy and examination system does not meet the requirement of current age. It is suggested that lesson planning is helpful in minimizing half of the problems that are highlighted in the current study, so teacher should plan it before entering the classroom and there should be innovation in the teaching styles and students’ assessment criteria. There should be a practical use of English in the classrooms. Homework should enhance the learning capacity of students.