Exploring Lexical Collocations in Pakistani English Novels: A Corpus Linguistic Perspective

Abstract

Pakistani English is recognized as a distinct variety within the outer circle of non-native varieties of English. Its characteristic features, such as syntactic, lexical, and phonological traits, demonstrate a significant interplay between English and indigenous languages like Urdu, Pushto, and Punjabi. The main goal of this study is to examine the collocation patterns and their importance in Pakistani English novels. A corpus of one million words is examined using Lancsbox software. The theory of collocation guides the analysis of the corpus. A mixed-method approach is used to analyze collocations and their ideological underpinnings. The results show that the collocations reflect different themes that help shape Pakistani identity. The study also found that reading Pakistani novels in English enhances language skills and comprehension. The selected works portray people's lives, their aspirations, challenges, and history.