Multilingualism and language attitudes: students perceptions towards kiswahili in Mtwara region of Tanzani
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Date
2013Author
Wamalwa, Eric W.
Adika, Stanley K.
Kevogo, Alex U.
Mtwara, Stella Maris
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The role of language attitudes on language choice, development and policy in multilingual societies cannot be
over emphasized (Adegbija, 1994; Batibo, 2005). Monolingual speakers have only one attitude towards their
language because they have no other languages to compare it with. However, where speakers are bilingual or
multilingual; there is a tendency to develop different attitudes to each of the languages used. These attitudes,
whether positive or negative, will normally depend on the degree of symbolic or socio-economic value
manifested by each language. Tanzania, a multilingual country with over 128 languages and with a bilingual
language policy in education is therefore a fertile ground for studies on language attitudes. In recent years, there
have been concerted efforts by various stake holders to propagate growth and development of English in
Tanzania. English has been lauded as the essential language which links Tanzania to the rest of the world
through technology, commerce and administration. Against this backdrop, this study sought to investigate
students’ attitudes towards Kiswahili so as to determine whether the shift to English had impacted students’
attitude formation towards Kiswahili. This survey comprised of 340 students sampled from six selected schools
of Mtwara Urban and Mtwara Rural districts. Results show that most Tanzanian students have favourable
attitudes towards Kiswahili and the language’s status among secondary school students has not diminished.
Kiswahili remains the most preferred language of use in all major domains. This study proposes that the place
and role of Kiswahili be further enhanced in the country by exploring its possible use as a medium of instruction
at secondary school level. Further, the study proposes that local vernaculars, which face extinction due to
language shift that has taken place, need drastic measures in order to preserve them
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