Prospects of Kiswahili as a Regional Language in a Socioculturally Heterogeneous East Africa

Ojwang, Benson Oduor

doi:10.1080/17513050802344670

Cited by 7 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 3 publications

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“…In light of the evidence in table 13, dialectical differences were the top barrier for the majority (92%) of the respondents, which is equivalent to (75%) cited by (Ojwang 2008). The data also reveal that colonial influence and mentality is an important challenge to Kiswahili, as cited by (72%) of the respondents.…”

Section: B) Obstacles To the Use Of Kiswahili Enhancing Intercultural...mentioning

confidence: 74%

Kiswahili as an Intercultural Communication Tool for Kenya-Uganda Cross-border Trade

Odhiambo¹,

Losenje

Indede

2022

jhsss

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Increased contacts with people from different linguistic and cultural backgrounds during initial encounters are likely to create high levels of uncertainty. High levels of uncertainty have been shown to increase the chances of misunderstandings and miscommunication. The purpose of this study was to examine the role of Kiswahili as an intercultural communication tool that bridges linguistic differences in polyglosified diverse settings in Busia town. It aims at investigating the status of Kiswahili as a medium of communication in enhancing intercultural interactions and cross-border trade, establishing the limitations Kiswahili faces, and finally, evaluating the communication strategies traders and customers employ to overcome linguistic differences, thereby enhancing intercultural interactions and cross-border trade in the region. Quantitative data were collected through questionnaires and analyzed using the Statistical Package of Social Sciences (SPSS). Qualitative data were collected through observations, a survey of linguistic landscaping and sound recordings, and analyzed through a narrative analytic approach. Through theory triangulation, the study was underpinned by the Communication Accommodation Theory (CAT) as the flexible and applicable theory in trader-customer trade interactions. The study revealed that Kiswahili has a significant status in enhancing intercultural interactions among traders and customers in terms of initial encounters, discussions, bargaining, taking instructions, and in advertisements. The study also established that Kiswahili faces limitations, including dialectical differences, colonial influence and mentality, the lack of a uniform status of Kiswahili, negative ethnic attitude, the lack of good political will, religion, age differences, and the lack of exposure. Finally, the study revealed that traders and customers employ different communication accommodation strategies. An approximation strategy was established as the most commonly used strategy. In view of these results, the study recommends Kiswahili use in Busia town for communication accommodation purposes.

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Section: B) Obstacles To the Use Of Kiswahili Enhancing Intercultural...mentioning

confidence: 74%

Kiswahili as an Intercultural Communication Tool for Kenya-Uganda Cross-border Trade

Odhiambo¹,

Losenje

Indede

2022

jhsss

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“…It is envisaged that vernacular languages should coexist with Kiswahili, since the latter has its own place as the national language to unite Kenyans . Moreover, Kiswahili is growing internationally and has good prospects of adoption as a working language of the East African Community (Ojwang 2008). There is a precedent for this, because Kiswahili has already been adopted as one of the official languages of the African Union and has been proposed as a working language of the United Nations.…”

Section: Sociolinguistic Obstacles To the Use Of Kiswahili For Nationmentioning

confidence: 98%

Political and sociolinguistic obstacles to the expanded functions of Kiswahili in Kenya

Ojwang

2011

Language Matters

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The functional relevance of Kiswahili in Kenya has featured in many language policy statements. It is recognised as a lingua franca for interpersonal use. It also acquired a statutory and political role as a language of national integration and mobilisation at independence. The climax of Kiswahili's formal elevation came on 27 August 2010, with the promulgation of Kenya's new constitution. Henceforth, Kiswahili became an offi cial language alongside English. This promotion of status portends an elaboration of the functional domains of Kiswahili. Given the historical, linguistic, political and inter-ethnic tensions that have characterised the growth of Kiswahili in Kenya, its redefi ned status has been received with political apprehension and public skepticism. In this article, I analyse the challenges and prospects of Kiswahili within Kenya's socio-political context. The aim is to establish the trends that the elaboration of its functions is likely to generate in the social, governmental, educational, professional, media, regional and political spheres.

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“…In this respect, Kiswahili is taught as an FL and is formally introduced to learners for the first time in lower secondary schools (i.e., Senior One). Literature holds that from the 1990s, the number of secondary schools teaching Kiswahili has gradually been rising given the increasing importance and status attached to Kiswahili mainly in national (Republic of Uganda, 2005, regional (see, East African Community, 2017; Kishe, 2003;Ojwang, 2008) and international (Chebet-Choge, 2012;Moshi, 2006Moshi, , 2017Wa'njogu, 2008) settings.…”

Section: Aims Of Teaching Kiswahili In Uganda's Lower Secondary Schoolsmentioning

confidence: 99%

(Re-)examining the standard Kiswahili alphabet in the teaching syllabus for lower secondary schools in Uganda

Jjingo

Visser

2021

PLING

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Kiswahili is a foreign language (FL) in Uganda. Formally, the teaching of Kiswahili begins in the lower secondary phase. In this phase, Kiswahili had been taught for many years without an authorised syllabus. Nonetheless, in 2008, the government of Uganda launched the existing grammatical syllabus (hereafter, 2008 syllabus). It should be noted that, while the teaching of standard Kiswahili is among the aims postulated in the 2008 syllabus, information and topics regarding, for example, the alphabet of standard Kiswahili are missing in this syllabus. Pedagogically, this situation appears to contrast with, for example, the advanced scientific suggestions that the learning of the alphabet should be among the initial topics in grammatical syllabi and subsequently, in the FL classrooms' activities. Using perspectives on document analysis to constitute its methodology, in this theoretical paper, we first provide a general overview of the grammatical syllabi as a framework for teaching and learning FLs, drawing specific examples from the 2008 syllabus. Then, we analyse the aims of teaching Kiswahili as established in the 2008 syllabus. Thereafter, we examine the alphabet of standard Kiswahili. Lastly, we propose possible procedures for adopting the Kiswahili alphabet into the 2008 syllabus, as a way of facilitating the teaching and learning of standard Kiswahili mainly in Uganda's lower secondary schools.

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Prospects of Kiswahili as a Regional Language in a Socioculturally Heterogeneous East Africa

Cited by 7 publications

References 3 publications

Kiswahili as an Intercultural Communication Tool for Kenya-Uganda Cross-border Trade

Kiswahili as an Intercultural Communication Tool for Kenya-Uganda Cross-border Trade

Political and sociolinguistic obstacles to the expanded functions of Kiswahili in Kenya

(Re-)examining the standard Kiswahili alphabet in the teaching syllabus for lower secondary schools in Uganda

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