Beliefs about English as an International Language: A Comparative Study of English-Major and Non-English-Major Undergraduates Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

Abstract

The study of English as an international language acts as rich area of investigation. This research studied Pakistani English-major and non-English-major undergraduates’ sensitivity towards English as an International Language (EIL). A 13 items questionnaire was used as a research instrument which was distributed among the English major and non-English major students of different universities of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP). Data was collected from 1080 students. The data were examined through SPSS using a quantitative approach. The findings indicated that there is a significant divergence in EIL perceptions between English major and non-English majors, suggesting that the academic major plays a pivotal role in shaping students' views of EIL. English-major students demonstrate a more inclusive and global perspective of EIL due to their extensive exposure to and engagement with the English language. Thus, the findings reveal that English-major students in Pakistan hold more positive awareness of EIL compared with their non-English-major counterparts.

             Keywords: Perceptions, EIL, awareness, English-major undergraduates.