Linguistics expert Tariq Rehman, explores why we are threatened by linguistic change while tracing the origins of the Urdu language and wants us to accept code-switching and borrowing if we want Urdu to remain a living language. About the speaker Dr. Rahman’s work on sociolinguistics uncovers the historical and social evolution of language in the subcontinent, and talks about how we can understand and approach its natural and ongoing evolution. He considers the purist attitude that has developed towards language change in Pakistan to be alarming and believes that language change must be accepted as a reality in all living languages. Tariq Rahman is a Professor of Sociolinguistic History at the National Institute of Pakistan Studies, Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad. He is a highly published scholar with over 90 articles in scholarly journals, 9 books, 4 encyclopedia articles, 22 contributions to various books and several book reviews. His history of language-learning among the Muslims of South Asia, Language, Ideology and Power (OUP 2002) remains a landmark in the field. His latest book, Denizens of Alien Worlds (OUP 2004), connects the medium of instruction with world view, poverty and politics in Pakistan. About TEDx, x = independently organized event In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. At a TEDx event, TEDTalks video and live speakers combine to spark deep