Language attitude in Urban Kenya: The case of Nairobi, Kisumu and Mombasa

Abstract

This study attempted a survey of language attitudes in urban Kenya. It mainly focused on Nairobi, Kisumu and Mombasa. The problem that the study sought to address was the place of attitudes in the process of language policy formulation and language planning in Kenya and particularly in relation to the development of education, communication and overall national development. This study defined language attitudes as reactions to language. By broad definition, such reactions are either positive or negative and are dependent on, and informed by, a number of factors - historical, political, economic, etlmic, educational or religious. The study also noted that language attitudes can be products of unexplainable phobia or love for a given language. The concept of social mobility was used in this thesis to mean opportunity for white collar jobs and, or good conditions of life which lead one to acquiring a status symbol. Language planning was defined as an attempt to develop and implement a language plan while language policy refers to deliberate decisions on languages by giving them status in society. Lastly, the study defined class as a group of people with common socio-economic background and interests. The objectives and aims of this research which are the concern of this work were to highlight and discuss the attitudes of urban Kenyans towards language in Kenya. This concern arose from the fact that language attitudes in many African countries are seen as a central element in.language policy, language use and language learning. Data for the study were oellected by means of library research, field visits, questionnaires, interviews, observation and discussions. This study, being field based, used tape-recorders also and information recorded was transcribed and analysed focusing on its specific aims. This study purposively selected its sample and was conducted with the participation of 182 respondents. The respondents from the three cities studied represent the multilingual, multicultural and multi ethnic nature of Kenya and included about 90 respondents from each city .

Using the sociological theoretical framework and the social psychological theory, the study found out that the majority of urban Kenyans have positive attitudes towards English language mainly for instrumental reasons for it enhances chances of upward social mobility while those who have positive attitudes towards Kiswahili, Sheng, Engsh, and mother tongue are driven by integrative reasons where the feeling of togetherness is upheld. It also found out that the language attitudes towards English, Kiswahili, Sheng, Engsh and mother tongue are influenced by the ages of respondents in each of the cities studied. The study has shown that language planning and language policy are significant in a multilingual country like Kenya because there is a relationship between a linguistic code used in a certain domain and the societal consensus and agreement that that particular code is allocated. Thus, findings on language attitudes in urban Kenya give direction on the issue of language policy in Kenya. In view of the findings stated above, the study made some recommendations to the effect that the language issue in Kenya must not only be addressed in education as has been the case over history but also as an integral part of the national development process. It also recommended that the linguistic implementation activities must be carefully planned if language policy in Kenya is to succeed. Thus, the functions of English, Kiswahili, mother tongue and Sheng/Engsh have to be carefully defined so that they meet the requirements of the functions they are each assigned as means of communication. T