Mistranslations in English- Kiswahili church sermons: a case study of a selected Pentecostal church in Kasarani Nairobi, Kenya.

Abstract

The study investigates mistranslation of word classes occurring during interpretation of church sermons, in Kasarani Division, Nairobi, Kenya. It identifies some categories of the words prone to mistranslation; the differences between what is said by the speaker and what is interpreted and the ways in which the mistranslations can be avoided. This research dissertation is presented under five main chapters. The first chapter outlines the background to the study. It clearly states the research problem and goes on to list the questions, objectives and assumptions that guide the study. Lastly, it explains the scope and limitations of the study and gives the rationale behind conducting the study. Chapter two deals with an interactive review under which various related literature on the importance of the study are systematically winnowed to provide much needed linguistic insights. The section begins by tackling works done on translation and communication. It also puts the study within its context by analysing the language of the church. This is followed by literature on court interpretation which highlights a number of parallels between the role of the interpreter in a court situation and that of a sermon interpreter in a church environment. Lastly in this chapter, the theoretical frame work upon which the study is based, is discussed.

The third chapter which deals with methodology tackles issues such as the study area population, sampling procedure, sample size, data elicitation and presentation. As a significant measure, a pilot study was carried out to provide a vital guide to the collection of data. Chapter four deals with data presentation and analysis, while chapter five ties together the whole study by giving a summary, recommendations and a conclusion to the entire study.