Identity Negotiation of Female Esl Learners: Communities of Practice Perspective

This qualitative study employs Communities of Practice (Lave& Wenger, 1991) framework to map out how female learner identity is built and negotiated within Post-colonial Pakistan. The study traces out the ongoing identity struggles of young Pakistani female ESL learners at The Institute of English Language and Literature (IELL), University of Sindh, Jamshoro, Pakistan, from a broadly poststructuralist perspective. Data analysis and interpretation were guided by CoP framework which views learner as essentially part and parcel of the learning environment within which learning takes places. The data revealed a complex picture of Female English Language Learner Identity (FELLI), as diverse subject positions emerged while the participants developed a sense of alignment with different CoP and displaying acts of resistance to counter discrimination. Higher education appeared as a site of identity negotiation and transition into new CoP for the participants. The participants demonstrated signs of social, linguistic and academic participation in as participating members of academic CoP.

Explaining stock returns in Pakistan: the CAPM, FAMA-French model and the Carhart model

The present study contributes to the literature by analysing the performance of the Carhart's Four-factor model on the Pakistan premier stock market, Karachi Stock Exchange (KSE). In this study, the Capital Asset Pricing Model (CAPM), Fama & French three factor model and Carhart's Four-factor model are comparatively analysed to determine their ability to explain the differences between the returns on portfolios sorted on size and book-to-market. The results show that in the period between January 2002 to December 2008 and from January 2009 to April 2014, the size and the book-to-market ratio of equities and the momentum of the companies significantly explain the returns of portfolio that are sorted on size and book-to-market. Furthermore, the coefficients of determination of time-series regression are not very high which indicates that the Pakistan's premier stock market responds less to fundamental variables