Globalization and Challenges to the National Language in Pakistan on Visual Communication Design

The research is based on analyzing globalization in visual communication design in Pakistan. The approach of global corporations toward local cultures in relation to communication design is focused. The western influences are studied and examined into categories. The challenges to the national language Urdu and the dominance of the English language in advertisements are analyzed in the context of Pakistan. The role of visual communication design has become a fundamental ingredient in incorporating cultural values in Pakistani society. Digital technological advancements have promoted western culture and language in visual communication design.


British Art and Design Education in Subcontinent
Since the beginning of human existence on planet Earth, humans are surrounded by designs of things suiting their needs.Beginning from the Maurya reign around 320 BCE until the Mughal rules in 1700 CE, a castbased system prevailed for artists.Until the 20 th CE art education was transmitted from generation and existed in countryside areas.From the post-Industrial Revolution to the contemporary graphic design practice can be outlined in general.Industrial developments raised the need for the application of design to fulfill aesthetical requirements for the mass-produced items.The traditional craft objects were transferred to machine-made processes.Thus, the term industrial art developed to be called 'Design' to label the profession. 1 Following the model of South Kensington teaching design through drawing, British education in colonial Punjab evolved in the publication of visual Al-Nasr, Volume 2, Issue 3 (October-December 2023) literacy.The visual understanding through drawing was a way to read the logic of forms into symbols and statements.To improve the technical skills for manufacturing, visual literacy was essential.The Mayo School of Arts followed the curriculum of South Kensington now Royal College of Art.The Elementary and Advanced studies followed the instructions grouped in a broad subject area.The young students were taught by blackboard presentations of drawings copying outlines from two-dimensional copies of geometry (see figure 1).The students were also taught general writing and reading to get upgrades.The advanced studies included Indian ornamental designs in museums and books.The Arabic or Sanskrit terms were replaced with English terms.The drawing of still life, living model and advanced perspective was studied in art schools.The principal of Mayo School of Art Kipling believed that ignorance of the English language was a drawback for the Indian students.This deficiency made them suffer in their occupations.
The English language was promoted through Art and Design education. 2The idea of Kipling provides an insight into how colonial language was promoted in the period.
Figure1.Mayo School of Arts (now NCA) the 1900s, https://www.facebook.com/lahore.gardens/posts/reshared-mayo-school-ofarts-now-nca-lahore-c-1900s/10151596700538214/The speech by professor U.R. Rao during the convocation at the Indian university, he stated that we can lead world progress towards the future by considering technology as a necessary part of the modern world and sharing it as life ingredients with the rest of humans is just a statement.His words are mentioned below."In fact, the monopoly over science and technology have been have been rigorously shielded by a marginal community of progressive countries.
Colonial domination is parallel to the way it was over underdeveloped countries.The hegemony is operating like imperialism by means of technological competence employed by the developed nations for applying their impact and control over the evolving world.The ideas of developing international economic order are just statements and practically not happening.Technological transfer and sharing can make all the countries progress as part of science and developments to serve humanity.Science and technology have become the most powerful currency of power for continued exploitation and domination of the developing world.We have to implicitly recognize that science and technology is the principal means of producing new wealth and any country which ignores the development of science and technology on a self-reliant basis will inevitably perish in the modern world." 3 Design is also a powerful currency in the 21 st century.If it is not realized that design is part of a powerful currency, then the process of colonization will be promoted.Professional education as design should be specific as compared to Al-Nasr, Volume 2, Issue 3 (October-December 2023) philosophy or general education.The design education has to address the cultural aspects of the location.The colonial design education is producing graduates alien to the native problems and solutions.Eventually, most of them immigrate to the country fit for them.Thus, a poor country produces educated graduates to serve the rich country. 3The discussion here highlights the technological imperialism in design education which lead to globalization and domination of the English language.There is no national policy to check on the colonial influences and effects.

Graphic Design and Globalization
In the Manifesto of communist ideas written by Carl Marx in 1848, the industrialists are aiming the entire world as a market to sell products.
Marshall McLuhan in 1968 called it 'the global village' to designate electronic media of television, film, and the internet connecting people from all over the world to communicate.This made the flow of culture, images, ideas and technology.The distribution of magazines, newspapers and television programmers communicated information by creating medias capes.
The visuals and language in the text created icescapes.Globalization is presented by theorists as the whole world becomes a single place, although it was unable to familiarize the social differences.The local aspects remained specific characteristics of the culture.Thus, global brands used local cultures in visual communication design to reach the people. 4e chief creative officer Adeeba Khan at Manhattan Communication     The use of the English language for brands is a linguistic mimicry.It is to communicate with customers about modernity.The Western affiliation is used to inspire customers to pay attention to buying the product.Westerninspired imagery and language are considered to promote modernity and international communication.The English language is now part of brand advertisements to achieve superiority.The brand names and tag lines are followed to attract the target audience.8 English language in brands reflects Europeanization and dependability.The Brands of Gul Ahmad and Khaadi exhibit linguistic mimicry.

Visual mimicry
The Pepe Jeans Brand promotes casual wear jeans and jackets.The brand is famous for the latest trends in wear for men and women.The main target audience of the brand is youth all over the world.It was launched in Islamabad and later in Lahore in Pakistan. 9  Levi's an American clothing retail brand, https://www.brandedgirls.com/international-brands-in-pakistan-list/National Language Crisis There are many languages spoken and written in Pakistan.Urdu and English languages are used for communication and information.The private sector school boosts English medium education in Pakistan.The English language is a class not just a language in the country.The lrning English language is considered to secure success in a career.The parents prefer to choose English medium schools for education. 10English language was officially used by the British rulers before the partition of India.The development of social areas and economy was reinforced by the education system devising English language.The English language symbolises the rich class in the early period and Urdu was used by the masses as a medium of instruction.The private school sector flourished during the Zia ul Haq rule.
The education policy in 1998 did not make a policy for the English language in the syllabus.In 2009 the National Education Policy ordered to follow English medium for the subjects of mathematics and science from fourth class.The Supreme Court of Pakistan ordered in 2015 to replace the English language with the Urdu language in official office correspondence.
Urdu language is facing challenges in the digital age to survive.Urdu language exists in Pakistan and India as one of the South Asian languages.Urdu is national language besides the English language in Pakistan.The Perso-Arabic script style is used to write the Urdu language and known as Nastaliq an ornate and droopy style visually.Naskh style is used in smartphone apps and digital devices (see figure 11).The angular script style Naskh came from Arabic.
explained McDonald's decision to launch local products.The experiment by McDonald was encouraging to expand into the local food menu.It was advertised digitally-led through visual communication campaigns and printmedia.This is an example of an international brand focusing on cultural foods (see figure2).5

Figure 7
Figure 7. Fashion retail brand logo Maira Khan is a local model is presented in a western outfit for the brand Pepe jeans in the figure 9. Another fashion brand Levi's for Pakistanis devoted to social networking, technology and music.The western wear demands are fulfilled by a variety in the range of styles.The company is known worldwide for its Denim jeans products.The advertisements of the brand used Western-looking local models.To attract customers, the celebs, act as a role model in the culture.The modern youth is a target for profits.The example of the brand depicts visual mimicry of local model images as Westernized.The attires like jeans, pants and jackets are particularly western styles.The example here presents a female model sitting between unrelated male models (see figure 10).The visual is not a considerable presentation according to Muslim values.The customers are communicated through visuals promoting femininity as appreciated in the West.The traditional approach in this situation is considered to oppose women's rights.The Muslim societies are concerned over these revolutionary images where patriarchy is dominating.The Western mimicry through such visuals represents the postcolonial approaches in communication design.The postcolonial Pakistani advertisements of brands are negotiating with Western styles.The advertisements of brands are mimicking West.The advertisers and consumers are living in a loss of identity.