RP-Department of Foreign Languages
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Item The Frequency of Vocabulary Learning Strategies Employed by Kenyan Learners of Chinese as a Foreign Language(EdinBurg Peer Reviewed Journals and Books Publishers, 2023) Wachira, Susan W.; Wangia, JoyceVocabulary learning strategies are contextualized within the larger area of language learning strategies which are accounted for within the cognitive theory of learning. This study is a description and analysis of vocabulary learning strategies employed by Kenyan learners of Chinese as a foreign language. The objective of the study was to Describe the frequency of vocabulary learning strategies used by Kenyan-Chinese foreign language learners. Purposive sampling was used to select two Confucius institutes from Kenyatta and Egerton universities while stratified sampling was applied in selecting respondents at different levels of learning, namely beginner and intermediate levels. Data was collected using the vocabulary learning strategies questionnaire by Schmitt (1997), and then it was analyzed and presented in tables and charts. The study found that Kenyan CFL learners were medium strategy users. It also revealed that cognitive strategies were the most commonly used followed by memory and metacognitive strategies. Learners also used other strategies that mainly involved the use of technology which were not in the questionnaire. The study recommends that learners be made aware of strategies during Chinese language lessons so that they can fully utilize them. Furthermore, there should be more emphasis on strategies that involve the use of technology due to the nature of the language. The research findings provide useful insight for the development of a curriculum for teaching Chinese in Kenya.Item Morphotactics in ekegusii borrowing: An optimality perspective(International Journal of Multidisciplinary Research and Development, 2021-10) Mose, Gesare Edinah; Nandelenga, Henry Simiyu; Ayieko, GerryLanguage morphotactics which encompass morphological constraints that determine what is permissible and impermissible in given language are very crucial in determining linguistic borrowing. This paper explores morphological adaptations, based on McCarthy and Prince’s Generalized Alignment (GA), that is embedded in OT’s constraints. It is demonstrated that to a large extent, loanwords undergo inflectional integration as opposed to derivational, both of which are highly constrained by Ekegusii’s morphotactics.Item La politique des bars gikuyu de Nairobi(Cahiers d’Études africaines, 2006) Maupeu, Hervé; wa-Mûngai, MbûguaDepuis la fin des années 1980, les bars gikuyu sont devenus des arènes politiques dans un contexte d’autoritarisme fragilisé. On y discute en particulier les principes et les fondements du nationalisme gikuyu qui refait surface à l’issue de la première décennie du régime du président Moi. Ainsi, la pensée politique gikuyu contemporaine s’énonce à travers différents genres artistiques représentés dans les bars. Nous étudierons en particulier les messages idéologiques délivrés par le théâtre populaire, la musique benga et les mûgithi (des chansonniers qui travestissent de vieilles chansons et leur donnent un sens grivois ou ironique). Mais les différentes théories politiques énoncées par les artistes ne se suffisent pas à elles-mêmes. Elles fonctionnent avant tout dans le débat qui les confronte. Ainsi, les bars apparaissent comme des agoras où les genres artistiques et donc les idées politiques dialoguent et où le public est constamment amené à participer à ces « conversations démocratiques ». The Politics of Gikuyu Bars in Nairobi. — Since the end of the 1980s, gikuyu bars have become political arenas in a context of weakened authoritarianism. They are places for discussing the principles and foundations of Gikuyu nationalism which has reappeared at the end of President Moi’s first decade in power. The contemporary political thought is expressed through various artistic genres performed in these bars. In this article I shall focus on the ideological messages conveyed in popular theatre, benga music and mûgithi (songwriters who transform old songs to give them a saucy or ironic meaning). However, the various political theories enunciated by the artists are not sufficient by themselves. They first and foremost operate in the debate in which they oppose each other. Thus bars appear as agora where artistic genres—and therefore political ideas—converse and where the audience is constantly invited to take part in these “democratic conversations”.Item The Influence of Culture in the Interpretation of Japanese Language Instructional Materials(Chemchemi International Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences, 2016) Wamuti, L.; Bwire, A.M.; Ndethiu, S.The mastery of any foreign language is affected by several factors, among them the cultural environment in which the language learning takes place. In an attempt to reinforce the language learning process, instructors of foreign language often make use of language instructional materials to enable students engage in motivating, appealing and interactive learning activities. The content of such instructional materials must be interpreted easily and accurately if they are to be effective. A major impediment in interpretation of instructional materials is the socio-cultural barrier which may interfere with the learner’s ability to decode the intended meaning in the content of the instructional materials. This hinders the achievement of the language lesson objectives. This paper discusses the influence of cultural elements on interpretation of the information in Japanese Language Instructional Materials (JLIM) by Kenyan students. This paper is based on the results of a pilot study carried out among college Japanese students in Kenya. It attempts to establish the influence and impact of culture on the interpretation of the Japanese language instructional materials by the Kenyan students. It is part of an ongoing research aimed at identifying the factors influencing the mastery of the Japanese language among Kenyan students. The research is guided by schema theory, which describes the process by which readers refer to their own background knowledge in order to comprehend new information. The learners of Japanese language were subjected to some instructional materials and asked to answer several questions designed to establish their interpretation of the materials. Their responses were compared with what is expected from the Japanese cultural context. Data was collected through a questionnaire. The results of the study show that unfamiliar cultural elements in the instructional materials negatively influence the interpretation of information. It is therefore recommended that the design of language instructional materials should take into consideration the culture of the learners.Keywords:Japanese language instructional materials, mastery of language, socio-cultural effects, interpretation, Schema theory, cultural schema.Introduction Japanese language is spoken mainly by the people of Japan as their native language. The language is gradually gaining popularity in Kenya and in Africa. Kenya is one of the leading centres for the development of Japanese-language education in sub-Saharan Africa with approximately 1,000 students studying the language either as a foreign or a second foreign language for those who have already acquired some proficiency in some other foreign languages such as French, Italian, German and Chinese. The ISSN 1563-1028Item L’enseignement Du Français Au Niveau Superieur Au Kenya: Nouveaux Defis, Nouvelles Approches(Chemchemi International Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences, 2016) Chokah, Milcah M.As technology transforms the world into a global village, people become more and more exposed to different cultures and opportunities. Opportunities for a better life, better education, better employment. Languages – especially foreign languages - have gained a special status in education systems. People want to learn other languages to be able to communicate and take advantage of what other countries have to offer. French as a foreign language was introduced into the Kenyan education system with noble objectives, the main one being to facilitate communication between Kenya and francophone members of the then African Union. In the late 1960s French was introduced into the university system and is today the most popular foreign language studied. Most institutions of higher learning in Kenya offer courses in French either as a main subject or as a support subject. However, the teaching/learning of this language has not been without challenges. The main objective of this paper was to examine the programmes offered, how they are organized and their relevance to the teaching/learning of French as a foreign language. It also investigated the challenges and the new approaches that could enhance the teaching and learning of French in institutions of higher learning.Item Une Etude Des Determinismes A La Base De L’echec Scolaire Le Cas Des Pays Du Tiers Monde(1)(Chemchemi International Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences, 2016) Nzunga, M. P. K.Fare has been established as a major issue, in primary and secondary schools within the Third World countries. This work sets out to reveal the possible determinants of this phenomenon. A comparison between performance in the rural areas and the urban areas has produced a lot of data on the determinants of school failure and repetition. The researcher seeks to establish the link between failure and the level of intelligencce of the learners, the language of instruction, the financial status of the family and the culture of origin. The researcher hopes that by so doing, it would be easier to find a practical and efficient solution, to this problem, which is a great stambling block in the Third World countries.Item Intégration Des Tic Dans La Didactique Du Fle À L’université Kenyatta: Réalités Pratiques Et Limites D’application Dans Une Perspective Actionnelle(Chemchemi International Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences, 2016) Nkezabera, DismasICT offers new teaching and/or learning methods, especially in the field of foreign languages. These new technologies develop not only new teaching and learning environments, but also raise the issue of their pedagogical integration in teaching French as Foreign languag. This article aims at addressing issues related to the contribution of ICT in an action-oriented perspective “task” and “learning scenario” (Mangenot, 2003). The objective is to identify the pitfalls faced by teachers in their attempt to integrate new technologies in teaching FFL. Our assumption is that ICTs provides the learner a new way of acquiring knowledge and skills. This case study raises a number of concerns with regard to integration of ICT in the teaching of FFL. How for instance do teachers of French integrate ICT in their actual teaching in order to motivate and empower their learners? And then, what are the obstacles to the integration of new technologies in the university system of teaching? By way of a systematic approach, this study discusses an experiment with undergraduate and postgraduate students who are using learning scenarios in written production activities by following well-defined instructions.Item Fifty Years of the Teaching/Learning of French as a Foreign Language in Kenya: Challenges for Teachers and Learners(Contemporary Research Center, 2013) Chokah, M.M.Innovation in classroom practices is the engine that drives the process of language learning. In the fifty years that French has been taught in Kenya, there has been a proliferation of methods and approaches, from the traditional to the action based approach which reaffirms and consolidates the communicative approach. This article seeks to give a historical perspective of the teaching of French in Kenya: its expansion, challenges faced by both learners and teachers. In spite of the remarkable expansion (from less than ten schools in 1964 to about 400 in 2012), the planning for French within the school curriculum has been done with no proper policy resulting in no substantial time being allocated to its learning activities. The fact that it was introduced into a linguistically crowded context was never given the attention it deserved, more so after the change in the education system in 1985. The entire exercise of planning seems to have been left in the hands of the teacher who must find a way of getting through the content in the time given, at the expense of communicative competence on the part of the learners. Taking into account that the same teacher may not have had sufficient training in classroom practices, it is no wonder that even in the presence of so many new tools, many challenges persist.Item Identite culturelle et linguistique: Etapes Et Consequences De Sa Transformation(Kenyatta University Faculty of Arts, 1999) Nzunga, M.P.K.The existence of a pure and isolated culture seems practically impossible. Even long before the era of the Great Voyages, social contacts between different peoples were frequent. These Voyages, however, marked a decisive step towards domination (socio-political, socio-economic, socio-cultural, socio-linguistic ...) of the colonized peoples, by the colonial masters. The situation created was one in which the structures of the institutions of the former simply had to align themselves to the forces of the culture of the foreign masters. This article attempts to show the conditions that provoke inevitable cultural and linguistic changes. The author goes on to show how, in extreme cases, loss of cultural and linguistic identity can lead to a social crisis, which could be accompanied by retarded cognitve development. Attempts are made to show the three main stages (contact, conflict, adaptation), of a complete cultural transformation. The article points out the social characteristics associated with each one of the three universally observed stages of transformation, and discusses suggested solutions to the subsequent cultural and linguistic crisisItem Critique D'une Nouvelle Serie De Livrets Titre: Aventures en Francais(Faculty of Arts Kenyatta University, 1999-12) Nzunga, M.P.K.Item Identite culturelle et linguistique: Etapes Et Consequences De Sa Transformation(Kenyatta University, 1999) Nzunga, M.P.K.L'existence d'une culture pure et totalement isolee d'autres semble pratiquement impossible. Au fait, les contacts sociaux, entre des peuples differents, furent connus meme avant l' Ere des Grands Voyages. Ceux-ci n' ont fait qu' accentuer et accelerer la domination (socio-politique, socioeconomique, socio-culturelle, socio-linguistique ...) des peuples colonises, par les Colons. Cream ainsi une situation dans laquelle les structures des institutions sociales, des premiers, ne pouvaient que se plier it la puissance des forces de la culture etrangeres. Cet article cherche it decrire les conditions qui declenchent et menent, inexorablement, it ces changements culturels et linguistiques. L' auteur s' efforcede montrer que, dans les cas extremes, la perte de l'identite culturelle et linguistique consequente pourrait mener it une crise socia Ie, qui est souvent accompagnee d' un retardement du developpement cognitif. On essaye aussi de caracteriser les trois etapes majeures (contact, conflit, addaptation), d'une transformation culturelle/linguistique totale.Item Le journalisme, une profession qui dessert son continent d'origine(Kenyatta University, 2002) Kabale, M. K.This paper willfocus on how journalism has done a disservice linguistically and ideologically to the continent of Africa. According to the history of journalism and especially to the history of the print media, this profession is of African origin. According to La Croix J-P (1967:15) thirteen centuries before our era only the Egyptians had information on papyrus and divulgence of their own languages. This early example set by Egyptians will serve as a model to the other African countries. But in our era instead of promoting African languages, the print media continues to promote foreign languages. Apart from the linguistic aspect, the pessimistic ideology of African journalists and others who are interested in Africa push them to depict the continent negatively. Now to face the challenge, in order to enable our African languages to compete favorably in the linguistic arena in future, we wish to propose some recommendations to African journalists, to linguists and to education policy makersItem Development of Language Materials for National Development: A language Management Perspective(International Journal of Education and Research, 2013-07) Maroko, Geoffrey MokuaLearning resources need to be revised periodically to reflect the changing socio-cultural, economic, political and technological realities in the society. The current Primary English Syllabus was revised in 2002. Yet, publishers are developing materials for teaching English language in primary schools using 2002 syllabus as their reference. The question that arises is: to what extent are these materials aligned to the new realities in Kenya? As a response to these questions, this paper identifies the themes and language norms addressed in the Primary English Syllabus (2002) and selected language-learning materials. Next, it analyses cases in language materials in use which are not in line with the themes and norms presented in the syllabus. The paper shows that some content in the learning materials are inconsistent with the norms while emerging topical issues are lacking. To address these concerns, the paper recommends the language management in any future materials evaluation efforts.Item The Morphophonemics of Vowel Compensatory Lengthening in Ekegusii(International Journal of Education and Research, 2013-09) Komenda, S.; Maroko, Geoffrey Mokua; Ndung’u, R. W.Literature shows that not much is known about the prosodic systems in Ekegusii, a Bantu language spoken by about 2.2 million people in south western Kenya.This paper presents an analysis of vowel compensatory lengthening in Ekegusii. Synchronic evidence for hiatus resolution strategies is provided in order to describe the vowels that are lengthened compensatorily and determine the morphological processes that trigger compensatory lengthening in Ekegusii. Guided by native speaker intuition and triangulation by other native speakers, data in the form of nominals and verbals were elicited from four Ekegusii texts and qualitatively analysed for emerging patterns. Findings revealed that all the seven basic Ekegusii vowels undergo compensatory lengthening when their phonetic environments are altered. Vowel compensatory lengthening is brought out as a surface realisation of the interaction of morphemes through the morphological process of prefixation. The lengthening is further seen as a conspiracy to eliminate ill-formed sequences created by prefixation. The height of the first vowel and whether it is followed by another vowel or a consonant determines how the hiatus situation is eliminated. It is expected that the analyses done in this study will have practical pedagogical implications in the teaching of segmental and suprasegmental aspects of Ekegusii.Item Learning about Author Positioning in Written Academic Discourse(Argentinian Journal of Applied Linguistics, 2013-11) Maroko, Geoffrey MokuaGraduate students are usually not sure of the appropriate stance to take in relation to their writing. Even style guides provide little information regarding authorial positioning in academic texts. This paper describes a study in which frequency and usage of features of marking writer stance were compared between selected dissertations in Kenyan Public Universities. It was found that humanities dissertations preferred personal pronouns and the third person while science dissertations mainly chose the ‘faceless’ agent less passive voice. Suggesting that choices for such features in dissertations are a function of the epistemology and ideology of the disciplines, the paper proposes a genre-based approach to teaching those preparing to write their dissertations.