A Bilingual Dilemma: Lexical Attrition and Language Attitudes among Urdu-English Bilinguals of Karachi

Abstract

Pakistan's linguistic context is defined by an asymmetric relationship between English, the language of institutional power and professional opportunity, and Urdu, the national language of daily communication and cultural identity. This study investigates the phenomenon of L1 (Urdu) lexical attrition among Urdu-English bilinguals in Karachi, examining the role of three key variables: frequency of L1 and L2 use, attitudes toward the native and target languages, and exposure to each language across educational, professional, and domestic domains. A mixed-methods sequential explanatory design was employed, combining quantitative data from closed-ended questionnaires and Verbal Fluency Tasks (VFTs) administered to 40 undergraduate students aged 18 to 22, with qualitative data drawn from semi-structured interviews conducted with 6 participants. Findings reveal three principal patterns. First, an inversely proportional relationship exists between frequency of L1 use and lexical attrition: participants who used Urdu more frequently demonstrated stronger Urdu lexical retrieval, while those with higher L2 frequency showed greater Urdu attrition. Second, a significant ideology-practice gap was identified in participants' language attitudes: while the majority expressed strong emotional attachment to Urdu and identified it as their cultural and national language, they demonstrated greater extrinsic motivation to improve their English due to its perceived professional necessity. Third, increased exposure to English in educational and professional settings was directly associated with higher rates of Urdu lexical attrition, as evidenced by participants' comparatively weaker performance on Urdu VFT tasks relative to English ones. The study situates these findings within Paradis's (2004) Activation Threshold Hypothesis and draws on qualitative interview data to argue that the attrition of Urdu lexis in Karachi's urban bilingual community is not an individual failure but a structural consequence of a language policy environment that systematically privileges English over Urdu. Implications for educational policy, language maintenance, and bilingual curriculum design are discussed.