Thesis title: Language Shift and the Speech Community: A Sociolinguistic Study of Tarawara Community in Bandi Shungli Language shift is the course by which a speech community in a contact situation (i.e. comprising bilingual speakers) progressively discontinues employing one of its two languages in favor of the other. Attitudes of speakers of a language and existing domain have been taken as vital indicators of vitality and endangerment. Mankiyali, a minority language, spoken in the village of Dana in the Mansehra District of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), faces looming threat of extinction. The present research has revealed that the use of the language in different domains is gradually decreasing, and total number of fluent speakers of Mankiyali has reduced to less than 500 individuals. The present study aimed to establish genealogical relationship with Hindko, Gujari and Ushojo, Gowro and Bateri. It analyzed the phonological overview of Mankiyali. It also explored existing domains, factors of maintenance of this language, and causes of looming language shift using ethnographic field qualitative methods. Cross sectional procedures were selected for quantitative paradigm. The lexical comparison of Mankiyali with other languages shows that this language belongs to “Dardic” group of Indo-Aryan languages. It shares higher lexical similarity with Bateri than any other language within the “Dardic “group. According to the lexical similarity analysis, field observation and interviews, Mankiyali is not mutually intelligible with any other neighboring languages including Bateri. This study also presented a preliminary analysis of syllable structures, consonants and vowels of Mankiyali language. The thematic analysis revealed seven domains of Mankiyali in Dana village: family, friendship, neighborhood, religion, cricket ground, education and market. This analysis showed that although Mankiyali language has been transmitted to the next generations but this language group was reportedly in contact situation in all the existing domains. This analysis also explored causes of maintenance and shift of Mankiyali language emerged from the qualitative data. The results have shown that it was mainly the geographic isolation, which maintained this language in this hilly village. However, with abolition of the rule of the Amb state and opening up of various possibilities Tarawara community have led to impending language shift. Quantitative part of the study tested nine hypotheses. First two hypotheses included relationship of the variables of the questionnaire. These variables were exploring language attitudes and the existing domains of this language. The next seven assumptions were comparing very crucial demographic variables such as gender, age, marriage pattern, bilingual and multilingual speakers, education, family systems, and mobility with variable of questionnaire. Most of the hypotheses were found statistically meaningful, moreover, all the assumptions were found in line with the existing literature and qualitative data.
سرہڈسن کی وفات گزشتہ دسمبر کا ایک اہم معاشرتی حادثہ سر رابرٹ ارنڈیل ہڈسن کی وفات ہے، سر ہڈسن انجمن صلیب احمر انگلستان کے صدر تھے اور انھوں نے انجمن کی ترقی و توسیع میں بہت کچھ حصہ لیا تھا اور اپنی بااثر شخصیت کی بناء پر اس انجمن کے لیے ایک کروڑ نوے لاکھ پونڈ جمع کئے تھے۔ کیا ہندوستان کی تمام انجمنوں کی متحدہ آمدنی بھی کبھی اس کے برابر ہوگی جس غریب ملک میں صحیح و تندرست لوگ بھوکے مرتے ہوں وہاں مریضوں کو کون پوچھتا ہے۔ (نجیب اشرف ندوی، مارچ ۱۹۲۸ء)
To develop in children a broad range of skills, including the problem solving, interpersonal and communication skills that are essential for successful living in a rapidly changing society. The curriculum encourages student initiative by providing children with materials, equipment, and time to pursue activities they choose. At the same time, it provides teachers with a framework for guiding children’s independent activities toward sequenced learning goals. There are seven specific types of learning styles. Visual learners prefer to learn mathematics through pictures, diagrams etc. A well-balanced intelligent child is able to develop all the types of learning styles. The students have to understand and accept their type of learning style earlier so that learning becomes easier and less stressful in the future. But it is important to train and practice the other types of learning styles so that the children can utilize them as effectively as possible. The teacher plays a key role in instructional activities by selecting appropriate, developmentally sequenced material and by encouraging children to adopt an active problem-solving approach to learning. This teacher-student interaction teachers helping students achieve developmentally sequenced goals while also encouraging them to set many of their own goals uniquely distinguishes the High/Scope Curriculum from direct-instruction and child-centered curricula (high/Scope Educational Research Foundation, 1989). Teachers keep notes about significant behaviors, changes, statements, and things that help them better understand a child’s way of thinking and learning. Teachers use two mechanisms to help them collect data: the key experiences note form and a portfolio. The High/Scope Child Observation Record is also used to assess children’s development. According to Ronald Barnett, learning may or may not take place when a subject is taught. While discussing this point he has presented two contrasting images of quality. They are institutional performance and student experience, student learning or student achievement. The teacher in his opinion is central to higher education. Teaching may be able to improve the quality of student’s learning but the teacher should remind himself that it may also impair the quality of student’s learning. This is partly because student’s learning strategies vary under two polarities, one between deep and surface understanding and the other between holistic and atomistic understanding of their learning experiences. He goes on to add that for a student, learning has three distinct aspects: learning style, motivation and curriculum demands. Therefore teachers have to pursue, beyond teaching strategies to enable their students to attain certain specific skills.
The capital markets witness phenomenal shifts of corporate control. With the shift of world economy into a global one, there has been a rapid increase in the volume of acquisitions. The previous studies shed light on the motives behinds acquisition and its impact on both bidding and target firm. Less effort has been placed to check the ability of a firm dealing in market of corporate control. This study is bridging in the gap in literature by exploring the factors affecting the acquisition ability of the firm. The study has analysed the role of financial strength, corporate governance related variables and regulatory influence on acquisition ability of acquiring firm. Later on, impact of such acquisition ability has been tested on various firm characteristics like cost efficiency, returns and operational hedging of acquirer firms. Data has been analysed with respect to Pakistan stock Exchange for a period of 2004 to 2012. Empirical analysis indicates that firm specific variables are important determinants in firm’s decision to acquire. Chief Executive Officer duality and institutional shareholders presence on the board contributes to this important phenomenon in the life of the acquiring firms. Bidding firm’s financial strength is also another important considerations. The empirical results indicate the better acquisition ability for firms characterized by minimum capacity utilization, lower level of intangible assets, lower debt levels and lower advertising expenses. Acquisition announcement is an important event in the capital markets. The event study technique indicates the significant abnormal returns after 3 days of acquisition announcement. Cost efficiency has been analysed for bidding firms three years prior to the acquisition and three years post acquisition. Overall results suggest an improvement in the efficiency of financial firms after acquisition. Non-financial sector is indicating opposite results where most of the firms are showing declining trend in efficiency. The percentage change in operational volatility is accounted for as operational hedging. The empirical results show a large level decrease in the operational income volatility after the takeover deal. It shows that combined firm after acquisition bring the benefit of diversification thus reducing volatility and increasing operational hedging which may ultimately reduce financial hedging. So acquiring firms should analyse their strength before going for acquisition deal as acquisition impact their short term and long term performance. Key Words: Corporate Control, Acquisitions, Event Study, Data Envelopment analysis, Operational Hedging, Cost Efficiency, Abnormal Returns