PHD-Department of English & Linguistics

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Acoustic Features of the Non-Ethnically Marked Kenyan English in the Speech of Selected University Lecturers
(Kenyatta University, 2018) Itumo, Joshua Mulinge
This study is an acoustic analysis of the phonological segments of the non-ethnically marked Kenyan English (KenE). KenE is contextualized within Kachru’s World Englishes (WEs) and its progress towards a ‘standard’ variety of English is accounted for within Schneider’s Dynamic Model for Post- Colonial Englishes (PCEs).The research objectives were: to describe the acoustic characteristics of the non-ethnically marked KenE phonological segments; to identify the phonemes in the non-ethnically marked KenE; to account for the observed phonological patterns within the Element Theory (ET); and to compare the internal element structure of KenE phonemes with that of the Received Pronunciation (RP), the accent associated with the Standard British English (SBE). Oral data was obtained by audio recording as purposively selected university lecturers read, The Boy Who Cried Wolf, a passage which is commonly used for English phonemic analyses. The primary oral data was analysed using Praat software. Quantitative data was further analysed using the Statistical Package for Social Scientists (SPSS) and presented in tables and written descriptions. Qualitative data was presented in figures. The study mainly found out that KenE tends towards eight monophthongs and six diphthongs. KenE does not have a ‘dark l’ and unlike the RP, it does not aspirate the fortis plosives. The lenis plosives are, on the other hand, characterized by a voicing lead. Also, KenE does not distinguish the two dental fricatives. The research findings provide useful insights for the codification of the phonology of an envisioned ‘standard’ variety of Kenyan English.
Acquisition of English Passive Constructions by Dholuo Speaking Pupils
(Kenyatta University, 2015) Awuor, Quiz Elizabeth
The current study investigated the processes by which Dholuo speaking pupils acquire the English language passive constructions. Assuming that such pupils would have already mastered the Dholuo passive, the study focused on the cross linguistic effects of the Dholuo passive on the acquisition of the English passive constructions. The study also investigated the role of gender and age in the acquisition of the English passive constructions. An eclectic theoretical paradigm involving Learnability and Interlanguage theories was used. The study adopted the descriptive cross-sectional design which involves respondents in different groups according to their respective levels of development. The cohorts were pupils aged 6-8; 9-11 and 12-14 years. The design enabled the study to compare peers or cohorts as they successively reached a given age or points of development. It also allowed for child cohort comparison. Data was collected using research instruments that consisted of receptive and production tasks which were administered to the pupils. Data was analysed and interpreted qualitatively in terms of percentage scores in pie-charts and bar graphs, and quantitatively in prose form. The study found out that whereas gender had no significant influence on the acquisition of English passive constructions by Dholuo speaking pupils, the age of the pupils had a significant influence. Pupil‘s interlanguage is characteristic of most linguistic systems in the sense that it has properties of both the Dholuo passive and the English passive constructions. It emerged that pupils use a number of strategies as they come to terms with the target English passive structures. The pupils displayed adult like behaviour in their construction of the English passives and had problems only with the by-constructions. The findings of this study have implications not only on the acquisition of English grammatical structures, but also on the cross-linguistic influence in Second Language Acquisition and recommends as follows; syllabus designers and material developers should take due cognisance of the cross linguistic influence while designing syllabi and developing instructional materials for lower primary classes, and teachers handling English language in the corresponding grades to be made aware of the potential effects of the L1 on the acquisition of English target structures. The study also creates an opportunity for further research in other aspects namely: the interaction of Dholuo with the acquisition of other aspects of English grammar; interaction of other languages with English during the acquisition process; focus on adult learners so that any differences attributable to age of the learners could be noted and lastly, focus on child language acquisition within the African background so that inherent differences can be noted and accounted for.
Acquisition of two syntactic structures of English by Kenyan School Pupils
(2012-01-06) Njiri, James Maina
There are two important issues that have captured the interest of researchers in the area of Second Language Acquisition. One is the desire to describe the nature of learner language using various approaches such as: the study of learner's errors, the study of developmental patterns, the study of variability, and the study of pragmatic features. The other one is the desire to explain the learner's language, i.e. to examine why the learners make errors, why their language exhibits marked regularities, and why it changes systernatically over time. In the context of these principal concerns in the area of SLA, the objective of the present study is to describe the acquisition of two is structures of English namely the noun phrase and the verb phrase by Kenyan school pupils.. The focus is to determine the sequences of the acquisition of the constituents within these phrases. Besides this, the study explains the learner language by way of investigating the contribution of the variables of time, sex and the learner's Ll in the acquisition of the two structures. A heterogeneous group of sixty - four pupils drawn from four different time levels across primary and secondary schools is used. Data is collected by two methods namely: free or spontaneous composition and picture description. This helps to ensure complete sentential productions with both the NP and the VP. Data analysis involves identification and computation of the syntactic categories. Frequency Analysis Model is used to determine the developmental sequences of the Noun Phrase and Verb Phrase rules. Two methods of analysis are used to determine group syntactic performance according to time, L1 and sex. This is done by, computing the frequency distribution of informants across the IL varieties and displaying the results in tables. Statistical significance of the three variables in relation to syntactic performance is also examined. This research is therefore quasi - longitudinal, and essentially qualitative. The analysis reveals that learners acquire the NPs and VPs in fairly defined. developmental sequences. While the influence of the learner's sex and Ll is statistically insignificant in this study, the influence of time in acquisition is significant. Pedagogic programmes involving the teaching of these structures in our schools may be based on the acquisition sequences that this study identifies. Because levels of proficiency are commensurate with the amount of time spent in SL learning as this study reveals, teachers should maximize the use of the time availed in their timetables.
Aspects of mistranslation in the 1951 Lulogooli Bible
(2012-01-04) Wangia, Joyce Imali
This study set out to investigate the language problems and the apparent inaccurate translation exhibited in the 1951 Lulogooli Bible. The investigation had three objectives: to identify, classify and analyse mistranslations in the 1951 Lulogooli Bible; to test receptor comprehension from a cross-section of respondents and to discuss the factors that constitute the mistranslations and where possible suggest ways of improving the translation. The data was collected from six sampled books of the Bible using systematic sampling. We obtained 83 texts with cases of mistranslation from a total sample of 1,556 verses. These were classified into seven categories namely, the Syntactic, Ambiguity/Obscurity, Loan/New words, Conceptual, Idiomatic, Archaic and Cultural Categories. In a second stage of data elicitation, 53 texts were purposively selected from the sampled 83 texts for testing receptor comprehesion. Six questionnaires, one for every book were formulated and each questionnaire tested on 10 respondents. Using mainly the Speed Act theory and Relevance theory, the mistranslation and the responses were analysed, interpreted and discussed. The findings indicate, various types of mistranslations, low receptor comprehension rate and and that there are several factors that could account for the mistranslations. These include, translator incompetence in the target language, receptor language whose written forms have not been systematically described, use of foreign words or archaic forms that do not meaningfully communicate to the receptors and socio-cultural difference between source language and target language. This study shows the significance of systematic writing systems for languages like Lulogooli that are still largely oral, in order to facilitate accurate translation into these languages. The nature of mistranslation analyses revealed in the seven linguistic categories adapted for this study and the implications from the receptro comprehension tests analyses to translation form a major contribution of this study. Chapter one gives the historical and linguistic background to the problems of translation, defines the problem of the study and gives the methodology. Chapter two presents theliterature review and theoretical framework. An eclectic theoretic approach is adopted with particular focus on the Speech Act theory, and the Relevance theory. A brief description of the Lulogooli language, in relation, is given in chapter three. Chapter four presents the classification and analyses of the mistranslations. Receptor test responses to the questionnaires are presented in Chapter five. Issues of mistranslation arising from the analyses are discussed in Chapter six and suggestions for possible solutions made. Chapter seven gives the summary of findings and conclusions
Attitudes towards the Influence of Runyankore-Rukiga on Performance in English in Western Uganda Secondary Schools
(Kenyatta University, 2021) John, Kintu; Purity M. Nthiga; James Maina Njiri
This study was carried out to establish the attitudes, views and experiences of key education stakeholders towards the interface of (RR) and English with respect to performance in English at UCE, the final examination at the lower secondary school level. It was carried out in Kabale District, western Uganda. The key stakeholders in this study included: education officers, head teachers, classroom teachers and the students. The study adopted a mixed approach of qualitative and quantitative design. It had the following objectives: to establish the attitudes of education officers on the influence of RR on learners performance in English at UCE, to investigate the views of the teachers on their experience regarding the influence of RR on learners performance in English at UCE, to explore the thoughts of learners regarding the influence of RR on performance in English at UCE as well as to evaluate he learners performance in English at UCE in view of the interface between RR and English. The study was also guided by the Cross-linguistic Theory by Mitchel and Myles (2004) which emphasises the concept of transfer in language learning as well as Cummins‟ (1984) Hypothesis which emphasises language interdependence. Five major forms of data collection were used: interviews for education officers and head teachers, questionnaires for classroom teachers, FGDs for students, document analysis for UCE results as well as getting RR and non-RR students to do an English test for comparison of performance. The findings from the respondents, from the UCE records and those from the test have been presented and discussed in chapters four and five. In general terms, the study established that majority of the respondents: the education officers, the head teachers, the classroom teachers and the students held a positive attitude towards the influence of RR on performance English at UCE. This view was supported by the finding that students studying RR performed better in the English test administered in this study as well as in the UCE results for the three successive years: 2015, 2016 and 2017. It is, therefore, recommended that RR in particular and LLs in general should continue being taught in Ugandan secondary schools.
Business discourse: an analysis of business Communication between sales personnel and Customers in Kiambu county.
(Kenyatta University, 2015) Ikaria, Nancy M.
This study discusses the discourse structure and the pragmatic aspects of sales personnel-customer business interaction. The data was collected from the interaction Of sales personnel and customers drawn from four companies in Thika district, which were purposively selected. The discourse structure and the pragmatic aspects are largely manifested in the linguistic interaction between the sales personnel and customers as they engage each other in a business context. The structure of sales personnel-customer interaction makes it a discernable discourse characterized by structures such as Conversational opening and closings, turn-taking, various discourse topics, communicative events and speech acts. This study is guided by the premise that the issues it foregrounds will go a long way in addressing the research problem as it examines the discourse structure and pragmatic aspects of a contextualized sales personnel-customer discourse. In view of the research problem, this study intended to examine conversational structure of sales personnel-customer discourse such as topic initiation and organization, openings and closings of the conversations, identify and describe sequences of communicative events and the contextual factors that influence interpretation of various speech acts, describe business acts performed by different speech acts; and to discuss how sales personnel and customers use cooperation strategies during interaction. We argue that such interactional features as have been discussed in abstract forms in earlier studies should not be assumed to apply universally to other cultures and contexts. To answer the specific questions and achieve the objectives that guided this study, a series of surreptitious occurring conversations between sales personnel and their customers were recorded using a Sony IC Recorder (ICD-MX20). Then the purposively eight recorded excerpts were transcribed and analysed. In explicating the data, an eclectic approach was employed, that is four theories, namely, Conversational Analysis, the Speech Act Theory, Cooperative Principle and Ethnomethodology. The Conversational Analysis approach was useful in analysing the conversational structures, while Ethnomethodology and the Speech Act Theory were used to explain communicative events and contextual factors that sales personnel and their customers employ to interpret various utterances. In addition, the Speech Act Theory was instrumental in explicating the business acts as realised in sales personnel and customer discourse context. The Cooperative Principle by Grice together with its basic tenets was used to explain the art of cooperation between the sales personnel and the customers. The findings of the study reveal that sales personnel-customer interaction is uniquely structured and that business acts incrementally constitute the communicative events that ensure successful business interaction. As such, this study which analyses the language use of sales personnel -customer discourse in a Kenyan context helps to boost the body of knowledge in business discourse studies.
Clause Complexity in Gĩkũyũ: A Functional Account
(Kenyatta University, 2018) Wakarindi, Peter Maina
This work is a response to a call by various scholars on the native speakers of African languages to undertake researches aimed at preserving, developing and popularising the African languages. The main aim of the study was to understand the complexity of Gĩkũyũ clauses. Specifically, within the frame of Functional Grammar Theory, the study focused on the functional-semantic relations in Gĩkũyũ clause complexes, the different relation markers in the clauses and the analysis of the clause complexes in the three metafunctions identified by the theory. Therefore, the specific objectives of the study were: to establish the functional-semantic relations in Gĩkũyũ clause complexes; to categorize the relation markers in the Gĩkũyũ clause complexes; and, to analyze the Gĩkũyũ clause complexes metafunctionally. Guided by these objectives, the study adopted a descriptive research design to enable a detailed description of its data and the emerging patterns from data analysis. The data, Gĩkũyũ clause complexes, was sampled purposively from both written and spoken sources. The written sources were selected fictional and non-fictional Gĩkũyũ texts while the spoken sources were two talk shows: one from a Gĩkũyũ television station and the other from a Gĩkũyũ radio station. Introspection was also employed to fill gaps in the data collected from the written and the spoken sources. A total of a hundred and seventy eight (178) Gĩkũyũ clause complexes were sampled. The data revealed that Gĩkũyũ clause complexes manifest functional-semantic relations in the two broad logico-semantic relations of expansion and projection, the categories identified by Halliday and Matthiessen. The relations observed under expansion were elaboration, extension and enhancement while both locution and idea were observed under projection. The relations were found to be realised both paratactically and hypotactically, each means employing different relation markers. Metafunctional analyses of the data revealed that Gĩkũyũ clause complexes simultaneously serve the three basic functions of language when in use: textual, interpersonal and experiential. This is because it proved possible to analyse the complexes in the thematic, mood and transitivity structures, which respectively carry the three functions. The analyses further revealed some unique characteristics of the Gĩkũyũ clause that Functional Grammar does not account for. These features, which include redundancy of constituents in the metafunctional structures, are mainly due to the agglutinative nature of Gĩkũyũ. The findings have implifications in the field of linguistics, more specifically to studies on African languages, as it bridges a linguistic gap on clause complexity in Gĩkũyũ. The findings would also go a long way in increasing proficiency in Gĩkũyũ, hence significanct to the users of the language. The study recommends, among other things, that the users of Gĩkũyũ familiarise themselves with the findings to improve their proficiency in the language and that institutions teaching African languages and the developers of Gĩkũyũ curriculum adopt the findings. Further, it calls for more related studies, such as phonological study on the Gĩkũyũ clause complexes and studies on complexes at the levels below and above the clause.
Constraint Interaction in the Syllabic Phonology of Lubukusu: an Optimality Theory Account
(2014-03-06) Nandelenga, Henry Simiyu; Njoroge, Martin C.; Ndung’u, R. W.
This study investigated constraint interaction in the syllabic phonology of Lubukusu, a dialect of the Luhya language spoken in Western part of Kenya. To understand any phonological processes and alterations in a language, there is the need to determine the syllable structure of the language. The objective of this study was to determine the Lubukusu syllable structure and how it constrains the attested phonological processes. The basic research question was; how do Optimality Theory's constraints explain the syllable structure of the language and the various phonological processes that are clearly motivated by the syllable structure. The rationale of the study rests on the premise that there is no consensus as to why nasal consonant sequences are often avoided and why dissimilar hetero-syllabic vowels are repaired cross-linguistically. In OT, it is assumed that there is some markedness associated with such structures. In addition, there is need to account for the role of the syllable position in initiating and blocking various phonological processes and the emergence ofCV syllables in reduplication. In this study, the surface-oriented OT analysis is adopted via interaction of markedness and faithfulness constraints. This is because the banned structures are due to their markedness on surface manifestation because they violate syllable structure phonotactics of the language. Primary data from native speakers were used in analysis through constraint ranking in tableaus to account for the syllable-based phonological processes. In the analysis, it emerged that constraints are able to fully account for the syllable structure of Lubukusu and the phonological processes constrained by the syllable structure. The entire analysis confirms our thesis that there is no need to posit ad hoc rules of derivation. Instead, mere recourse to the interaction of markedness and faithfulness constraints is sufficient. It is expected that this study will be an important contribution to the phonological theory of markedness and the role of constraints in phonological description and analysis as opposed to the standard rule-based derivational approach. An important implication of this study is that there is need for linguists to adopt a constraint-based analysis in accounting for phonological processes in particular. Similarly, the syllable is central in determining the possible and impossible phonological processes. It is recommended that future research should carry out a full-fledged study of Lubukusu phonology for a fuller critique of OT as a model of grammar. In addition, there is need to investigate the absence of pure voiced plosives, the use of the palatal /j1 as an epenthetic segment and the low open /a! as stern final vowel in terms of markedness theory ofOT.
Construction and standardisation of an English language preficiency test for upper primary school grades in Kenya
(2012-06-08) Ryanga, Charlott
This study is concerned with the standardization of a locally constructed English language proficiency test battery, and the establishment of norms for Upper primary school grades five, six and seven. The standardization process includes determining the test battery's reliability and validity, through statistical computations for empirical evidence. While accomplishing this task, thesis examined the cumulative effect of language proficiency, through the mastery of functional language skills, as outlined in the objectives of the English course, in the 8-4-4 curriculum. The thesis is based on the claim that language proficiency is gained progressively, as one advances from one grade into another. Related topics concerning the teaching and learning of English, and its role as a medium of educational instruction have been discussed. Some major approaches in the field of language testing were highlighted as a justification of the model adopted for the battery format. The subjects for the study were drawn from 34 schools which were selected through random sampling. These schools were situated in 12 districts that were located in seven provinces. Finally, the test battery was administered to 3,054 pupils all over the country. A pilot study was first conducted in both rural and urban schools. The findings from this study were used for compiling the final test battery, which is the central focus of the standardization process. Apart from the research assistants which were used during the administration of the test, English language class teachers were also used for various tasks. The data for the study was obtained through the use of the pupil's proficiency test battery booklet, an examiner's test manual, an opinion sheet for the language teachers of grades five, six and seven and general observation by the researcher. After obtaining the raw data, it was organized in tables of frequencies and averages for statistical analysis. This study is divided into five chapters. Chapter one, discusses the problem statement, the rationale, the objectives, the scope and the assumption for the study. Chapter Two, reviews literature under two sub-headings: (i) Literature related to the problem statement, and (ii) Methodological propositions related to English language testing. Chapter Three, discusses the methodology and the design of the study. Chapter Four, discusses the presentation and analysis of the data, with highlights on the research findings. Chapter Five, gives the conclusion, recommendations and suggestions for further research. It is hoped that the findings of this study, will be invaluable in the field of English language testing at the primary school level, in the Kenyan situation. Since the test battery is locally constructed with a bias towards the 8-4-4 English language course objectives, its role as a reliable and valid tool for measuring language proficiency may be instrumental in motivating new interest among teachers and other educators, to seriously consider studying testing methods, and to seek ways of improving them. And, the norms which have been established may be of some assistance in giving teachers and their pupils a yardstick towards which their efforts can be directed. The findings also may motivate language teachers to discover the loopholes in the language teaching and learning processes, which contribute to poor performance at the K.C.P.E. examination level, as is publicly claimed and attempt to rectify them.
A critical discourse analysis of language used in selected courts of law in Kenya
(2014) Gatitu Kiguru
This study undertook a critical analysis of power asymmetry among discourse participants in sampled Kenyan courts. Specifically, the study investigated the questioning and pragmatic strategies used by lawyers, police prosecutors and unrepresented accused persons during direct examination and cross examination phases of trial, as well as the use of various speech act functions and background contributions by the examiners. In addition, the study also looked at how witness responses exemplify how power and control are achieved and challenged in the courtroom through linguistic means. To study these objectives, the study adopted a descriptive design and, therefore, qualitative methods were used in sampling and data analysis. Purposeful sampling was used to select the three courtrooms where the study took place. The data consisted of 30 hours of audio-recorded court proceedings. The audio recordings featured 10 hours from each of the three courtrooms and these reflected five hours of trials with unrepresented defendants and five hour of trials with a defence counsel. To allow for analysis, the audio recordings were transcribed and the various language features coded. These coded data were analysed using the SPSS version 17 computer software to generate statistics on the frequencies of occurrence of the various language features. These statistical results formed the foundation of the discussion of emerging trends in the analysis chapters. The main theoretical framework informing the analysis of data was Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA). CDA views discourse as a social practice that constitutes the social world and is constituted by other social practices. The theory holds that a study of the micro-discourse structures such as lexical choices and syntactic form in a given context leads to an understanding of the macro-discourse social structures such as power. The other theories that informed the study were Conversational Analysis and the Speech Act Theory. The thesis has four analysis chapters: chapter four focuses on question use by police prosecutors, counsel and pro se litigants; chapter five presents the findings on the use of pragmatic strategies by these discourse participants; chapter six deals with witness answer types, answer length and forms of witness resistance to control by examiners; chapter seven presents findings on the speech act functions and background contributions by examiners. From the analyses in these chapters it is established that evidentiary rules empower those who assume the examiner role by placing them in control of topic choice and change, and giving them the means to constrain the contributions of others. However, lay litigants are not always able to exploit the language and pragmatic resources available to the examiner. It also emerges that witnesses are powerless participants in courtroom discourse and are subjected to various forms of control by examiners. However, it is noted that witness use various strategies to resist this control. Chapter eight presents the summary of findings, conclusions and suggestions for further research and recommends various ways of mitigating the power imbalance in the courtroom.
Cross-linguistic influences on first language acquisition of olutachoni lexicon
(Kenyatta University, 2016-06) Mandillah, Lucy K. L.
The study sought to identify lexical borrowing and describe the nature of lexical borrowing among the 2-7 year old children acquiring Olutachoni as their first language. The study also investigated and established the correlations between the age and gender of the children and the degree of lexical borrowing. The role of the linguistic environment to the acquisition of Olutachoni as a L1 was also investigated. The Usage- Based Acquisition Theory, Levelt’s Theory of Speech Production and the Unitary Language System Hypothesis were used to explain the role of the external and the internal mechanisms behind language acquisition. For a comparative analysis, data was collected from children in the mixed language family set up (Olutachoni-Olubukusu) and the single language family set up (Olutachoni-Olutachoni). This was meant to establish if cross linguistic influences from the mothers’ language (in this case Olubukusu) had any influence on the acquisition of Olutachoni. The study adopted a time-lag strategy design and a triangulation approach to collect and analyze data. Twelve children were purposively sampled from twelve homes through the social network approach. Unstructured interviews and observation schedules were used to collect and audio- record utterances from the 12 children. A contrastive and comparative analysis of the cases of lexical borrowing from the mixed language family set up and the single language family set up was done. Spearman’s Rank Correlation Coefficient was used to measure the relationship between the age and gender of the children and the degree of lexical borrowing. The results were presented in the form of frequency tables and figures which were followed with explanations. The findings of the study revealed that there were cases of cross linguistic influences from Olubukusu and Kiswahili among the 2-7 year old children acquiring Olutachoni as a First language. The two main strategies of lexical borrowing which were manifested among the children were lexical inventions and lexical importation. The influences occurred among the children from both the mixed and the single language family set ups although at varying degrees. Lexical importation was manifested through loan words and loan adaptation strategies whereas prefixation was employed as the main word formation process during lexical invention. Children from the mixed language family set up recorded a higher percentage of lexical borrowing compared to those from the single language family set up. There was a strong negative correlation between the age and gender of the children and the degree of lexical borrowing. Also, the linguistic environment had an effect on the production of lexical borrowing during child language acquisition. It was recommended that other cross linguistic influence studies in other African languages be conducted in order to promote the development and use of indigenous languages as per Chapter 2 section 7(3b) of the 2010 Kenyan Constitution. Furthemore, parents, teachers and psychologists should view lexical borrowing arising from CLIs as a strategy towards language learning but not as forms of interference
Endangered Language in Nigeria: A Case Study of Gera Language of Bauchi State
(Kenyatta University, 2018-05) Garba, Furera Adamu
This study investigated the endangerment of Gera language. It investigated the level of the endangerment of Gera language; the demographic variables associated with the endangerment, the impact of the shift on the structure of Gera language, and endeavored to find out if the Gera language is useful in defining the Gera identity. This was achieved through the use of two theoretical approaches: Sasse‟s Theory of Language Death and Gile‟s Ethno-linguistic Identity Theory (ELIT). The research adopted the descriptive research design in which the data was obtained and analyzed quantitatively and qualitatively.The sampling procedures adopted were the Stratified Random Sampling, Purposive Sampling and Snowball Sampling. The data collection procedures included interviews, focus group discussion, language use and attitude questionaire (LUAQ), Informant-Aided Participant Observation and Secondary data. The data was collected from five Gera settlements; namely Gilliri, Dabe, Tirwun Kangere and an area within Bauchi town which was mainly populated by Gera. The quantitative data was analyzed by using frequencies of the languages used in domains, patterns of language use, while the qualitative data from the interviews and the observation was grouped into themes which was formulated in accordance with the objectives of the study. The thesis has four analysis chapters: Chapter four identifies the level of endangerment of the Gera language; Chapter five investigated the demographic variables associated with the endangerment; Chapter six examined the impact of the shift on the structure of the Gera language; and Chapter seven endeavored to find out if the Gera language is useful in defining the Gera Identity. Theories adopted in the study were used to interpret the results. From the analysis, the study notes that only older respondents who are above 40 years can speak the Gera language. Also, that there are more male than female Gera speakers. It was also noted that those with little or no formal education and those residing in rural areas have the highest number of Gera speakers, compared to well educated people and those residing in urban areas. Also noted is that the Gera language borrowed heavily from Hausa, and a lot of code-switching and code mixing happens during speech by the Gera speakers. There is also a mophotactical adjustment of the borrowed words, and also the substitution of some Gera words for some Hausa words in speech.Finally the study observes that despite the dwindling of the number of the Gera speakers to a small number due to the shift to Hausa, Gera language remains the only way of identifying a Gera. Chapter seven presents the summary of findings, conclusions and recommendations for further studies.
A genre analysis of sampled radio and TV argumentative talk shows in Kenya
(Kenyatta University, 2018-03) Mwai, Loise Wamaitha
This study involved a genre analysis of sampled radio and TV argumentative talk shows in Kenya. The research objectives were: to describe the generic structure of the talk shows; to explore the particular aspects that characterize argument on the talk shows; to investigated the question typology that sets apart this talk show genre, and finally to establish the communicative purposes of the discrete phase of the talk shows in light of the the generic features established. The study used a descriptive research design whereby purposive sampling was used to identify the talk shows that contained the relevant issues. A multistage sampling procedure was used to arrive at a sample size of 7 hours, 30 minutes of conversational data that was subjected to analysis. Data was collected through tape recording of the talk shows. The data was transcribed using standard orthography to allow for identification of the required language features. The aspects of argument and the question types were coded and analyzed using SPSS version 17 to generate tables on the frequencies of their occurrence. This facilitated comparison and discussion of the emerging patterns of the features across the sampled talk shows. Data analysis was guided by two theories: The first was Genre Analysis that views a genre as a class of communicative events with a common structure, content and shared communicative functions. The second wass Conversation Analysis was used to analyze sequential as well as overall organization of the talk shows. From the analysis, it was established that the sampled argumentative radio and TV talk shows constitute a genre for exhibiting a common structure; recurring aspects of argument, common question types and shared communicative goal. This study was motivated by the fact that argumentative talk shows have provided an arena in which journalists solicit statements of public policy, hold politicians accountable for their actions, all under the immediate scrutiny of the citizenry. The findings may therefore provide useful insights to the producers and hosts of these programmes on the various features of language that may be used in conducting more engaging programmes; thus, informing the public more.
A genre analysis of selected Master of Arts (MA) and master of science (MSc) Theses in Kenyan public universities
(2011-07-19) Maroko, Geoffrey Mokua
The present study is a genre of analysis of selected Master of Arts (MA) and Master of Science (MSc) theses of Kenyan universities. First, the study uncovers the competencies expected in the MSc and MA thesis. Second, it explores and describes how writers use generic features such as moves, tense, citation, authorial stance, and hedging to realise the typical competencies. Third, the study of specifies the similarities and differences found in the use of the generic features. Finally it describes the linguistic rationale for the MSc and MA thesis in the light of the generic features identified above. The motivation for studying the thesis stemmed from the view that it is high stakes document in higher studies which has not been given adequate scholarly attention in terms of research. Six theses produced in the 2003/2004 academic year were selected using non-probability sampling methods to represent the then six public universities in Kenya. Three theses were drawn from the MA disciplinary culture. Guided by theoretical perspective of the salient generic featured in the literature, my institution and introspection, I manually elicited the tokens representing moves, tense, citation, writer stance, and subjected them to both quantities and qualitative analysis procedures. A number of fundamental outcomes emerged from the analysis. First, all but one thesis adopted the Standard/Traditional format with the one thesis following the topic-based one. Variations were noted in the number and sequence of moves and/or elements in the two disciplinary cultures. However, MA these were found to employ more simple present tense forms than the simple past while MSc these recorded a higher incidence of simple past than present. Thirdly, the agentless passive point of view was the most preferred form of expressing writer stance in both disciplinary cultures. While the agentless passive predominated all rhetorical moves in MSc theses, MA theses employed a variety of forms of expressing writer stance such as the personified, third person, and first person singular pronoun points of view. With regard to citations, MSc these had a much lower density than MA theses. In the two disciplinary cultures, the Results and discussion move recorded the highest incidence of citations. It also emerged that the frequency of non-integral citations was higher than that of integral citations in both disciplinary cultures though MA theses recorded higher occurrences of both forms than MSc theses. In addition, the present study revealed that the general incidence of hedges in MA theses was marked higher than in MSc theses. It also emerged that epistemic lexical verbs were the most frequently employed hedging devices followed by epistemic modal verbs with epistemic nouns being the least frequently used. Lastly, the study revealed that the notion of communicative purposes is very versatile as the various levels of the thesis express diverse purposes. Such purposes can be traced to the thesis as a whole in relation to the context in which it is produced; the rhetorical moves, and the elements in each move. The findings of this study have implications for the development of classroom or reference materials, teaching academic genres, syllabus design, and academic genre-based research, hence adding to on-going work in applied linguistics
A genre analysis of selected Master of Arts (MA) and master of science (MSc) Theses in Kenyan public universities
(2011-10-27) Shieunda, Aswani
The present study is a genre of analysis of selected Master of Arts (MA) and Master of Science (MSc) theses of Kenyan universities. First, the study uncovers the competencies expected in the MSc and MA thesis. Second, it explores and describes how writers use generic features such as moves, tense, citation, authorial stance, and hedging to realise the typical competencies. Third, the study of specifies the similarities and differences found in the use of the generic features. Finally it describes the linguistic rationale for the MSc and MA thesis in the light of the generic features identified above. The motivation for studying the thesis stemmed from the view that it is high stakes document in higher studies which has not been given adequate scholarly attention in terms of research. Six theses produced in the 2003/2004 academic year were selected using non-probability sampling methods to represent the then six public universities in Kenya. Three theses were drawn from the MA disciplinary culture. Guided by theoretical perspective of the salient generic featured in the literature, my institution and introspection, I manually elicited the tokens representing moves, tense, citation, writer stance, and subjected them to both quantities and qualitative analysis procedures. A number of fundamental outcomes emerged from the analysis. First, all but one thesis adopted the Standard/Traditional format with the one thesis following the topic-based one. Variations were noted in the number and sequence of moves and/or elements in the two disciplinary cultures. However, MA these were found to employ more simple present tense forms than the simple past while MSc these recorded a higher incidence of simple past than present. Thirdly, the agentless passive point of view was the most preferred form of expressing writer stance in both disciplinary cultures. While the agentless passive predominated all rhetorical moves in MSc theses, MA theses employed a variety of forms of expressing writer stance such as the personified, third person, and first person singular pronoun points of view. With regard to citations, MSc these had a much lower density than MA theses. In the two disciplinary cultures, the Results and discussion move recorded the highest incidence of citations. It also emerged that the frequency of non-integral citations was higher than that of integral citations in both disciplinary cultures though MA theses recorded higher occurrences of both forms than MSc theses. In addition, the present study revealed that the general incidence of hedges in MA theses was marked higher than in MSc theses. It also emerged that epistemic lexical verbs were the most frequently employed hedging devices followed by epistemic modal verbs with epistemic nouns being the least frequently used. Lastly, the study revealed that the notion of communicative purposes is very versatile as the various levels of the thesis express diverse purposes. Such purposes can be traced to the thesis as a whole in relation to the context in which it is produced; the rhetorical moves, and the elements in each move. The findings of this study have implications for the development of classroom or reference materials, teaching academic genres, syllabus design, and academic genre-based research, hence adding to on-going work in applied linguistics.
Gikuyu verbal extensions:a minimalist analysis
(2012-04-03) Waweru, Martin Mburu
The purpose of this study was to investigate the Gikuyu verbal extensions: their individual occurrence and their co-occurrences. Gikuyu just like other Bantu languages, has a rich and complex morphology. The complexity is more evident in derivational morphology than inflectional morphology. A feature that makes derivational morphology complex is the concatenations of the derivational affixes such as the verbal extensions under investigation in this study. The five affixes, namely the causative, the applicative, the passive, the reciprocal and the reversive were described and analysed individually and then they were concatenated. The individual occurrences and the co-occurrences were then analysed using the Minimalist Program, the theoretical framework used in the study. The theory has been revised extensively but it is the 1995 version that showed a higher degree of explanatory adequacy in analysingGildiyii verbal extensions. The data for the study was in form of four hundred verbs. The verbs were then classified according to their transitivity status. The concatenations of the verbal extensions revealed that they are determined by the interaction of morphology, semantics and syntax, but occasionally semantics overrides the other two. The thesis is divided into seven chapters. Chapter one gives the preliminary details of the research, that is, the research problem, the objectives and the background to the problem. Chapter two has literature on studies in Bantu, Gildiyii and on the theoretical framework. In chapter three, the study discusses the methodology used. Chapter four is the first of the analysis and description chapters. It discusses the causative, the applicative and the reversive. In chapter five, the reciprocal and the passive are discussed. Chapter six has the description and the analysis of the co-occurrences of the Gildiyii verbal extension. The last chapter gives the conclusion of the study and areas for further research.
Gothic Imagination and Construction of Monstrous Bodies in Selected Fictional Works of Nnedi Okorafor
(Kenyatta University, 2023) Sum, Robert Kipkoech; J. K. S. Makokha; Speranza Ndege
The Gothic writing has often been perceived as a form of Western fiction- making. This apparently is based on the fact that Gothic genre originated in Europe in the late eighteenth century, and has been widely exploited in the West (Europe and North America). Contrary to these assumptions, it can be confirmed that Gothic mode has indeed been appropriated by many non–Western fiction writers. An in-depth interrogation of the selected fictional works of Nigerian-American Nnedi Okorafor, namely Who Fears death, Akata Witch, The Book of Phoenix and Zahra The Windseeker reveals that she does indeed appropriate Gothic elements. This thesis seeks to portray how unique Gothic motifs like monstrosity, villainy, morality and others have been appropriated, transformed and complicated in Nnedi Okorafor’s selected novels. Some of the most enduring features of Gothic fiction addressed in this study are monster/monstrosity and oppression. A monster is presented either as a corporeal being that is grotesque, unnatural and often threatening or an individual whose conduct is adjudged inhuman, evil and subversive by a given society. There is a remarkable correlation between monster/monstrosity and oppression. An individual who is either considered nonconformist, or associated with evil risks being labelled as monstrous and thereby subjected to oppression. Equally, an individual, system or institution which subjects people to oppression is often portrayed as monstrous. The main objectives of this thesis therefore are: to explore the aspects of Gothic tradition in Nnedi Okorafor’s selected novels; critically examine significance of monstrous representation; and highlight the relevance of Gothic mode in delineation of ethno-racial realities of oppression in the selected Nnedi Okorafor’s fiction. This study adopted psychoanalytic theoretical postulations of Sigmund Freud Carl Jung, and Anna Freud to explain how monster and monstrosity is generated. Freudian concept of “dream work”, for instance, can be seen as possible explanation for creation of images of fantastic monsters and creatures found in Gothic fiction. This thesis finds that Nnedi Okorafor does indeed appropriate Gothic elements in her fiction. It also establishes that motif of monster/ monstrosity is a significant feature of Okorafor’s fiction and has been represented or presented variously. Lastly, this study finds that oppression is one of the key aspects of Okorafor’s fiction.
Graphonological Study of Gĩkũyũ: An Optimality Approach
(Kenyatta University, 2021) Kuria, Peter Mburu; Phyllis W. Mwangi; Kenneth Ngure
This is a graphonological study of the Gĩkũyũ graphemic structure. The study sought to examine the extent to which the criteria for designing an orthography is observed, account for the graphemic structure of Gĩkũyũ using the Correspondence Theory, a sub-theory of Optimality Theory (OT), and evaluate the consequences of underrepresentation and overrepresentation of the orthography criteria on speakers and readers of Gĩkũyũ. Data was generated by respondents drawn from the five dialects of Gĩkũyũ, namely Gĩcũgũ, Mathĩra, Ndia, Northern Gĩkũyũ and Southern Gĩkũyũ. Each dialect produced six respondents, three males and three females, thus, a total of thirty respondents. They wrote translations of selected items from English to Gĩkũyũ to provide graphemic data. They then read their translations thus providing phonemic data. The phonemes and graphemes were pitted against the Principles of Orthography that underlie each criterion used in designing an orthography. To account for the graphemic structure, the data were analysed against OT constraints which were derived from the aforementioned principles. The findings include: the identification of hitherto unidentified vocalic concatenations; discovery of OT constraints that had not been used before; and, the establishment of Gĩkũyũ orthography as a deep orthography. The study recommends a phonetic study to establish the vowel space of Gĩkũyũ vowels, a revision of the Gĩkũyũ graphemic inventory so as to include the additional graphemes examined in this research, and, lastly, similar studies on Kenyan Bantu languages with a view of harmonizing their orthographies.
An Investigation of Phonological Awareness Skills of Learners with Reading Disorders in Class Six in Selected Schools in Nairobi County
(Kenyatta University, 2015) Orago, A. S.
This study set out to investigate the phonological awareness skills of learners with reading disability. When one is considered a normal reader, he or she does not encounter much difficulty in reading and understanding texts. There are, however, children who have problems with phoneme identification and thus do not read well and they also have difficulties in comprehending texts. These learners should be identified and be assisted so that they can proceed with their learning lives. This study was guided by the following objectives: to investigate phonological awareness of learners with reading disability; to establish the correlation among the various measures of phonological awareness and to determine the significance of rapid automatic naming in reading. A sample of pupils in class six from the selected schools in Nairobi County was used in the study. Phonological awareness skills of these learners were tested to find out the nature of their awareness and skills in the tasks that were given. This study adopted an eclectic theoretical approach. The following theories guided the study: the Phonological Awareness Theory which states that reading based on the alphabetic system requires that readers be aware that words are made up of individual sounds and the Rapid Naming Theory which states that a good reader is one who has the ability to recall quickly and verbalize the names of presented objects which could also be individual alphabetical letters. The data were obtained from tape - recorded texts from the respondents and analysed to establish their nature of phonological awareness. Descriptive statistics which includes measures of central tendency and measures of correlation were used to summarize and describe the data. Tape recorded data were transcribed, analysed and then discussed. The results indicate that the respondents displayed phonological awareness skills in some PA tasks and experienced difficulties in some of the PA tasks. The study also found that there was no significant difference between the genders in their performances in the phonological awareness tasks. Various deficits in phonological awareness were also observed. These were categorized as mis-articulations of substitution, phoneme deletion, phoneme insertion, reading of the entire word instead of identifying the sounds; spelling the words; atypical and segmentation. It was also noted that there were correlations among the various measures of phonological awareness and absence of correlation among others. This showed that pupils have to be taught in all the measures for them to have phonological awareness skills. The study also looked at the significance of naming speed (RAN) in reading. It was observed that there were no significant differences in the time taken across the age groups and across the genders in the carrying out of the phonological awareness tasks.
Language, Gender and Power: The Discursive Construction of The Kenya National Assembly Politicians (2013 – 2017)
(Kenyatta University, 2019-06) Atambo, Norah B.
This study undertook to critically examine, from a linguistic perspective, the gender disparities in the National Assembly of Kenya between 2013 and 2017. Through an idea of language as discourse, the study emphasizes the linguistic ideologies at play in producing and sustaining these disparities. The study uses Fairclough‟s (2001) and Van Dijk‟s (2001) approaches to Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) in order to understand the gendered discursive realm of politics in the National Assembly. The study objectives were: to identify and describe the linguistic items and expressions used by politicians and media opinion makers to describe the 2013-2017 National Assembly politicians in Kenya; to find out how the linguistic items and expressions construct the politicians; to point out the common ideologies held by the electorate about the politicians; and to establish how the use of the linguistic items and expressions affects the participation of National Assembly politicians in Kenya. The study, through a cross-sectional research design and a purposively selected sample, collected data through one-on-one unstructured interviews with ten Kenya National Assembly politicians,reviewed newspaper and television documents from four newspaper groups and four television channels, and administered semi-closed questionnaires to eighty members of the electorate. Data were recorded by the use of a digital audio recorder,flash disc, field notes, print outs and photocopies. Data consisted of verbal (written and spoken) and nonverbal gendered discourses, and gendered beliefs. Data were analysed qualitatively, through thematic analysis and simple descriptive statistics, and presented in written descriptions and tables. The study found out that there are gendered ideologies about the Kenya National Assembly politicians among the politicians themselves, the media and the electorate, which to a large extent portray men politicians positively and to a large extent portray women politicians in undesirable ways. These gendered ideologies, to a large extent favour men contestants, and to a large extent work against prospective and first-time women contestants. The study also found out that women politicians arenot passive recipients of the distorted constructions and gendered ideologies, but they contest the distortions and ideologies, and encourage each other. The study concludes that, although the gendered ideologies have been naturalized through language, they are mere gimmicks meant to keep women out of politics and maintain the status quo. The study findings not only complement other studies in Critical Discourse Analysis, but also equip relevant stake-holders with a language-based analysis of the key issues which affect progress towards balanced representation, decision making and resource allocation, thus providing a uniquevantage point onto the questions of gender and development in Kenya.

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