Browsing by Author "Ogutu, Emily Atieno"

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    Code Switching in Multilingual Situation: Opposing Views
    (Kenyatta University, 2003) Ogutu, Emily Atieno; Kanana, Fridah Erastus
    In a multilingual situation where individuals have command of more than one language in which to communicate, people tend to engage in the simultaneous or alternate use of two or more languages during conversation. This results in a Sociolinguistic phenomenon known as Code Switching. Opposing views have been expressed regarding the use of Code Switching: Some language users view Code Switching negatively saying that it is impolite, especially where there is a mixed audience, and that it not only reflects the speaker S lack of competence in one or all of the languages involved, but that it also hinders the attainment of competence in the target language for those learning a second or third language. On the other hand, there are those who view Code Switching positively saying that it is a creative aspect of language use, a reflection of complex bilingual skills used for effective communication in multilingual situations. This paper explores the opposing views regarding the use of code switching and considers some data that support the positive view of Code Switching in relation to the Kenyan language situation. The paper proceeds to suggest that, if the view that Code Switching is a positively creative aspect of language use is adopted, then Code Switching can be used for the promotion of all the languages at play in a multilingual society
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    Euphemising Strategies Underlying Sex Euphemisms Used in Selected Radio Talk Shows in Kenya
    (East African Journal of Arts and Social Sciences, 2024) Amwoma, Job Ngoge; Ogutu, Emily Atieno
    Language is essentially a tool for communication, a means through which we pass information and express our attitudes, emotions, and worldviews. We argue in this paper that as an integral part of human social interaction, there is more to the communicability of language. We do not just communicate but do so in the ‘right’ way; this paper explores sex euphemisms as an effective tool for enhancing interpersonal communication in love and relationship radio talk shows. Radio talk shows form a common meeting point for people from different backgrounds and realities. It is our interest to study how these interlocutors manoeuvre the taboo topic of sex on Classic 105’s Maina and King’angi in the Morning Show. Using the cooperative principle and Warren’s euphemisms interpretive maxim, we extracted our data using the reading and note-taking technique. The paper adopted the descriptive research design, and the results showed that sex euphemism is an effective discursive strategy for discussing the taboo topic of sex. Further, the analysis revealed that Warren’s model of euphemism formation processes accounts for most of the euphemizing strategies deployed by interlocutors in the show, except for instances where participants borrow grammatical features from more than one language to form euphemisms. The model did not also account for euphemisms formed through the reduplication processes. Our data also showed that participants in the selected shows did not use blends and acronyms