Linguistic realities in Kenya: A preliminary survey
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.4314/gjl.v3i2.20Keywords:
linguistic realities, language groups, linguistic diversity, language heritageAbstract
The present paper investigates the linguistic realities of Kenya. In this multilingual country every language is not equal in status. Broadly, there are three language groups in Kenya, namely Bantu, Nilotic and Cushitic, and each group includes more than five languages which makes Kenya as a multilingual country with about forty-two languages. Kiswahili, an indigenous language, is a national language of Kenya, and it is mainly used in schools and universities along with English as a medium of instruction. Under linguistic hegemony minor and lesser known languages have often been neglected inside and outside the country. However, they have been serving as a marker of identity amongst the ethnic community in the country. The linguistic diversity in Kenya is a boon for a field linguist but misinformed politicians and education policy makers are deliberately forgetting this language heritage. This paper will not only discuss the challenges that these languages are facing but also give suggestions to revive the linguistic culture in the country.References
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Batibo, H., 2005. Language Decline and Language Death in Africa: Causes, Consequences And Challenges. New York: Multi Lingual Matters Ltd.
Bos, P., 2002. Serving the Nations. Retrieved December 07, 2013, http://www.servingthenations.org/nl/home
Chimerah, R. M., 1998. Kiswahili: Past, Present, and Future Horizons. Nairobi: Nairobi University Press.
Gorman, T. P., 1974. The Development of Language Policy in Kenya with Particular Reference. In W. Whiteley, Language in Kenya (pp. 390-440). Nairobi: Oxford University Press.
Jedynak, M., 2009. Critical period hypothesis revisited: The impact of age on ultimate attainment in the pronunciation of a foreign language. Frankfurt am Main: Peter Lang.
Kahraman, Ayhan, 2012. Defossilization of /æ/ phoneme pronunciation of non-native EFL treachers. Journal of Language Teaching and Research 3.3: 379-385.
Mazrui, A. A. and A. M. Mazrui, (1996. A tale of two Englishes: The imperial language in the post-colonial Kenya and Uganda. In J. C. Fishman, Post Imperial English (pp. 271-302). Berlin: Mouton de Gruyter.
Mazrui, A. A. and A. M. Mazrui, 1998. The Power of Babel: Language & Governance in the African Experience. Oxford: J. Currey.
Mazrui, A. A. and A. M. Mazrui, 1999. Political Culture of Language: Swahili, Society and the State. Binghamton: Binghamton, N.Y: Institute of Global Culture Studies (IGCS), Binghamton University, the State University of New York.
Momanyi, Clara, 2009. The effects of ‘Sheng’ in the teaching of Kiswahili in Kenyan schools. The Journal of Pan African Studies 2.8: 127-138.
Nabea, Wendo, 2009. Language policy in Kenya: negotiation with hegemony. The Journal of Pan African Studies 3.1: 121-138.
Ngugi, G., 2011. Nimelogwa nisiwe na mpenzi. Nairobi, Kenya: East African Educational Publishers.
Ngugi, T., 1978. Homecoming. London: Heinemann.
Ogechi, N. O., 2003. On language rights in Kenya. Nordic Journal of African Studies 12.3: 277-295.
Pardoe, S., 2000. Respect and the pursuit of ‘symmetry’ in researching literacy and student writing. In D. H. Barton, ed., Situated Literacies-Reading andWriting in Context. (pp. 150-165). London: Routledge.
Street, B., 1993. Introduction: The new literacy studies. In B. Street, ed., Cross-cultural Approaches to Literacy (pp. 1-21). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
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Published
12/01/2014
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Dwivedi, A. V. (2014). Linguistic realities in Kenya: A preliminary survey. Ghana Journal of Linguistics, 3(2), 27–34. https://doi.org/10.4314/gjl.v3i2.20
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