Current Approaches to African Linguistics, Vol. 5 and Current Approaches to African Linguistics, Vol. 6

Abstract

Current Approaches to African Linguistics (Vol. 5) Paul Newman Robert D. Botne eds. Publications in African Languages and Linguistics, 8. Dordrecht/ Providence: Foris Publications, 1989. 266 pp. $60.00 (paper) Current Approaches to African Linguistics (Vol. 6) lsabelle Haik Laurice Tuller eds. Publications in African Languages and Linguistics, 9. Dordrecht/ Providence: Foris Publications, 1989. 336 pp. $40.00 (paper)

The revival of the status of English in Tanzania

“…Kiswahili has surpassed the expectation forecast by Diedrich Weserman in 1933 that the language would be a lingua franca in East Africa (Onyango, 2010). Kiswahili has become one of the languages of the media broadcast internationally (Moshi, 2006; Mulokozi, 2010; Onyango, 2010). According to Mulokozi (2010), more than 100 radio and TV stations broadcast in Kiswahili worldwide.…”

“…According to Mulokozi (2010), more than 100 radio and TV stations broadcast in Kiswahili worldwide. Similarly, there is an increased amount of teaching of Kiswahili in the USA and in Western universities (Moshi, 2006).…”

“…Additionally, the status and proficiency in Kiswahili has changed in countries such as Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda, DRC Congo, Burundi, Rwanda, Uganda, and others (Moshi, 2006; Mulokozi, 2010). The total number of Kiswahili speakers is now approximately 80 million in the countries mentioned above (Mulokozi, 2010).…”

“…Critics of Kiswahili as the official language cite the perceived inadequacy of its corpus to cater for science and technological development needs and its limitations in catering for international affairs (Barret, 1994; Yahya-Othman & Batibo, 1996). However, the period between 1990 and the present time (2014) has seen Kiswahili advancing rapidly in number of speakers and domains of use (Legere, 2006; Moshi, 2006; Mulokozi, 2010; Onyango, 2010). Kiswahili has surpassed the expectation forecast by Diedrich Weserman in 1933 that the language would be a lingua franca in East Africa (Onyango, 2010).…”

“…Furthermore, Kiswahili's ‘hip hop music’ is increasing in popularity, especially among young people. This is a potential avenue through which Kiswahili spreads worldwide (Moshi, 2006). Furthermore, Kiswahili has found its way into the world of ICT in recent years.…”