Acquisition of Language by Luo Children

Abstract

The motivation for the research on the acquisition of language by Luo children derived from the work of an interdisciplinary group of anthropologists and psychologists at the University of California, Berkeley. Their Field Nanual (Slobin 1967) served as the basic theoretical reference for the research, and I am heavily indebted to the authors, Susan M. Ervin-Tripp, John J. Gperz. Dan I. Slobin, Jan Brukman, Keith Kernan, Claudia Nitchell, and Brian Stross. A debt of gratitude is owed also to Professors Elizabeth Colson, Gerald Berreman,and Helvin ferlman or instruction and traIning received pridr to the research in Kenya. Professors John Gumperz, Susan E 'vin Tripp, Helvin Perlman, and Dan Slobin all read early drafts of the present work and provided helpful suggestions. Advice and aid were provided. through discussions ,'ltih Jan Brukman, Ed Hernandez, Keith and Claudia Kernan, and Brian Stross on the nature of child language and studies of language acquisition, and encouragement was received through correspondence w Lt.h Aaron Cicourel on methodological issues in the research. The Institute for Develoument Studies, University - J College, Nairobi, provided me \Vith a position as Visiting research associate during the research period, 111 and to the Institute and Dr. B. A. Ogot, Director of the Cultural Division, I wish to express my thanks for the assistance rendered. The Makerere Institute of Social Research, l1akerere University College, Kampala, also was kind to provide me with the position of Visiting Research Associate. An expression of thanks is due the Luo people of Alego sublocation, Sakwa Location, Homa Bay District. They kindly allowed me to reside among them and welcomed me into their homes during the course of the research. A special note of thanks is due my interpreters and co-workers, Julius Okumu Obare and Peter Oyugi Olil. without their patience and assistance, the research would have suffered immeasurably. The research was made possible by a Fellows flip and Research Grant from the National Institute of Mental Health (Fl-HH-32,559-0l; ~Grant MH-12,649"!01).