During the scramble and partition for africa, kenya became a colony of the british empire. However, the language policy has not been supported by a careful implementation strategy for mte. Language policies and practices in tanzania and south africa. Second epoch of colonial language policy after the second world war, there was a shift in the british colonial language policy which hurt. The policy to make available homelanguage education for grades one to six counters the dominant view amongst teachers and. Effects of language policy in the school on the learning of. Negotiation with hegemony by wendo nabea department of linguistics, university of vienna, vienna, austria the author teaches linguistics at egerton university, kenya. This will drive the education sector reforms that should lead the country to achieving the tenets of the constitution of kenya 2010 and the kenya vision 2030. Kenya has 68 listed languages and one is extinct lewis et al, 20. Figueroa ibid points out that if each person claims to be free then. Education in kenya refers to the education system in kenya. Multilingualism, language policy and creative writing in kenya. Youll receive credits toward complimentary access to ethnologue for every contribution that is vetted and accepted by our editors.
Document resume ed 233 562 fl 0 652 title note 22p. Find out the extent to which teacherstudent ratio influences the provision of free primary education in public primary schools. Language policy is an interdisciplinary academic field. As nabea 2009 argues, the colonial language policy in kenya. National housing policy in kenya free download as powerpoint presentation. This paper traces the key landmarks in the development of language policy in kenya. Language policy in kenya has kept on changing in our educational institutions from the period before independence and up to the period after independence. The impact of language policy and practice on childrens. Luhya language is native to the luhya ethnic group whose members are predominantly found in the western region of the country. The integration of the policy with the education system was criticized when launched, but since then it has proved to be of great benefit with many kenyan students excelling in foreign universities and schools because of their strong english language knowledge. National housing policy in kenya slum public housing. They have also been the subject of formal public comment following their publication on 9 may 1997 government notice no. Rwandas new english language policy aims to drop french and install english as the only language of instruction.
Kaplan and joseph lo bianco argue that language policy is a branch of applied linguistics. Its language in education policy for early primary education was enacted in 1976. The policymakers frame the change as a major factor in the success of social and education reforms aimed at promoting. Downloads ministry of education, science and technology. Its languageineducation policy for early primary education was. An international language like french or english, a vestige of colonialism, carries prestige, is used in higher education, and promises mobilityand yet it will not be well known by its users. In the specific case of language policies in kenya and ethiopia, the aim of a swot analysis is to help those concerned with them to. Its languageineducation policy for early primary education was enacted in 1976.
Is the languageineducation policy inadequate to address the skill development problem. Language policy in kenya journal of pan african studies. In post colonial kenya, the newly formed kanu1 regime, through. This is because the basis of the kenya s current language policy is. Pluralism, language and the constitution jill cottrell ghai. Kenya effected the last curriculum reform in 1985, when there was a. Introduction because of the multilingual character of most colonially defined states in africa and elsewhere and because of the intuitive policies of imperialist powers, the languages of europe, specifically. The average educated kenyan therefore makes use of at least three languages. The total number of native luhya speakers in kenya is estimated to be 1. Challenges in provision of free primary education in.
Language policy and science instruction in kenyan primary schools ailie cleghorn, marilyn merritt, and jared o. The department of educations language in education policy since 1998 is based on the principle of the right of children to be educated in their mother tongue whilst having access to a global language such as english. The bantu swahili language and english, the latter being inherited from colonial rule see british kenya, are widely spoken as lingua franca. This article brings particular attention to the use of. This is because the basis of the kenyas current language policy is the. Consequently, kenya has had several education commissions in both colonial. These countries have a similar history given that they are neighbors and were colonized by the same colonial powerthe british, although the germans colonized tanzania for a short time. Including second language speakers, there are more speakers of swahili than english in kenya. Pdf kenya is a multilingual country with over forty different indigenous languages. English is the other language which is recognized by law as the official language in kenya.
This book is an attempt of a survey of language attitudes in urban kenya and has mainly focused on nairobi, kisumu and mombasa. The language in education policy documents which follow have been the subject of discussions and debate with a wide range of education stakeholders and roleplayers. Languageineducation policy in kenya nordic journal of african. Information and translations of language policy in the most comprehensive dictionary definitions resource on the web. Nabea 2009 states that, the colonial language policy in kenya is important, putting into consideration the.
Language policy and science instruction in kenyan primary schools. While its only official language is english, seven other languages are recognized as national languages. The essays inlanguages in africaexplore the layers of african multilingualism as they affect language policy and education. For travelers to kenya, the implementation of the language policy has brought in.
Language policy, multilingual education, and power in. In this case, the primary or first language of deaf children in kenya is the kenyan sign language, which is used for instruction and. Problems and challenges 1 birgit brockutne and halla b. Language policy, multilingual education, and power in rwanda. Language policy for education and development in tanzania eleuthera sa swarthmore college abstract this paper examines language policy in tanzanian schools and its effect on education, equality and economic development. There are many other angles to the language debate, in kenya as elsewhere. Even where there is a formal written language policy, its effect on language practices is neither guaranteed nor consistent. Effects of language policy in the school on the learning. Language policy, multilingualism and language vitality in. At the centre of the education system is the language policy in education which dictates the. Its language ineducation policy for early primary education was enacted in 1976.
This chapter examines education language policy debates in three east african countries. These indigenous languages fall into three main language groups of which the bantu make up 66 per cent, the nilotes 31 per cent, and the cushites three per cent. Linguistic portfolios volume 3 48 language of education planning in zambia rebekah gordon abstract zambia is a landlocked country in south central africa. Is the language in education policy inadequate to address the skill development problem. Teaching english as a second language in kenya and the. Abstract kenya is a multilingual country with over forty different indigenous languages. Pdf language policy and practices in education in kenya. Language policy in kenya has kept on changing in our educational institutions. Teaching english as a second language in kenya and the united states. An engagement with literature is, indeed, a continuing process of improving our capacity to use language and refining our sensibility to good language use. English, kiswahili and one of the indigenous languages.
The main aim of this paper is to analyse the relationship between language policy theorizing and implementation in uganda since independence. This paper examines language policy in kenya from colonialism to date, with a particular focus on education. Kenya, tanzania, and uganda in the context of globalization. If so, we invite you to join our contributor program. This article discusses the language situation in kenya, beginning with an insightful history on language policies from the period when the country was still under british colonial rule. The status of african languages in the education system in kenya. According to muthwii 2002, the language policy approved in kenya entails a bilingual. List all titles free to read titles this journal is open access. He is currently a final year doctorate student in the institute of linguistics, university of vienna. On learning that primary education had once again become free in kenya, kimani maruge. National language policy framework 2003 diversity and to the challenges of constitutional multilingualism, hence the introduction of this national language policy framework. Current language policy national language policy mandates use of the language of the catchment area as the medium of instruction in grades 1 to 3 nyatuka, 2014. Abagi the manner in which language is actually used during instruction is important for understanding educational outcomes in a multilingual, developing country. In kenya, there are clearly discernible patterns of creative writing which may be linked to language.
The evolution of rwandas language policies since 1996 has played and continues to play a critical role in social reconstruction following war and genocide. Language policy, multilingualism and language vitality in pakistan. Language policy and science instruction in kenyan primary. It established the effects of language policy in schools on the learning of kiswahili. In the process of exploring language, we also engage in the study of literature. Fishman and ofelia garcia consider it as part of sociolinguistics. In kenya, there are clearly discernible patterns of creative writing which may be linked to language policies. Academic involvement in language policy and planning in south africa must be seen within the context of the countrys sociolinguistic complexity and the relationship between language and a number of serious problems in the country. Analysis of the language policy in kenya, including consideration of language in education, language of the press, and the politics of language, suggests that language policies cannot be successfully formulated without analysis of and extensive debate among those groups and complex social processes whose interests are reflected in specific language policies. Consequently, kenya has had several education commissions in both colonial and postcolonial periods, which, together with the constitution of kenya have had a bearing on the language policy.
On the other hand, other scholars such as bernard spolsky, robert b. Media, design, culinary studies, foreign languages, tourism and engineering. Language planning and policy in kenya a case study of kenyan cities. In the multilingual nation of kenya, english and swahili serve as the official languages of the country. Its national language, urdu, is the mother tongue of only 7. Nabea 2009 states that, the colonial language policy in kenya is important, putting into consideration the fact that it impacted greatly on postcolonial language policy. English was introduced in the country after kenya became a british colony in the 19th century. Actualizing free primary education in kenya for sustainable development. Language in education in kenyan schools springerlink. The impact of language policy and practice on childrens learning. Kibui senior lecturer, school of education and logamurthie athiemoolam, university of nairobi, nairobi, kenya. To appreciate the processes at play in policy formulation better, we set out by clarifying the duality between the notions of language policy and language planning. In this case, the primary or first language of deaf children in kenya is the kenyan sign language, which is used for instruction and communication within and outside the school environment.
The language education policy of kenya finds its basis in the colonial period. Language policy and planning in south africa annual. Kaplan and joseph lo bianco argue that language policy is a branch of applied linguistics as a field, language policy used to be known as language planning and is related. Language policy for education and development in tanzania. Aug 25, 2017 luhya is another major regional language spoken in kenya. Postcolonial kenyas language policy in education simply exhibits a trilingual arrangement in which. English and kiswahili serve as the countrys official languages.
Language policies and practices in tanzania and south. Pdf language policy and practices in education in kenya and. I begin with an overview of language policy from colonization to the present, mapping out the relative. Early childhood care and development is a provision of support for every young child to realize hisher right to survival, to protection, and to care that will ensure optimal. The problem that this book seeks to address is the place of attitudes in the process of language policy formulation and language planning in kenya and particularly in relation to the development of education, communication and overall national development. Kenya school readiness assessement tool ksrat launching programme published by the ministry of education science and technology with support from the united nations childrens fund unicef december 2015. The colonial period is appraised with regard to pre. Language planning and policy in kenya a case study of. The aim of this paper is to present a critical overview of language policy development in south africa.
Official educational policy states that the first three years of schooling class one to three, should be in the mother tongue, or the indigenous language spoken in the respective. The policymakers frame the change as a major factor in the success of social and education reforms aimed at promoting reconciliation and peace and increasing rwandas participation in global economic development. Kenya is a multilingual country with over forty different indigenous languages. In this sense it is a descriptive abstraction, not necessarily an established, recognised norm, which should become clear from u,e following survey. Kenyan curriculum reforms and mother tongue education scielo. In this paper i will provide a brief overview of the sociolinguistic situation in kenya, outline the development of the language in education policy from the colonial. This is a visual and or tactile language that uses manual signs that have structure and meaning like other languages. English, kiswahili and indigenous kenyan languages. The policy to make available home language education for grades one to six counters the dominant view amongst teachers and. National early childhood development policy framework, republic of kenya, june 2006.
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