An ethnographic inquiry into the implementation of the Kenyan language-in-education policy

An ethnographic inquiry into the implementation of the Kenyan language-in-education policy

The place of the mother tongue (MT) in education is a strongly contested issue in multilingual African contexts today due to the prestige of ex-colonial languages (Adegbija, 2001). Research has clearly revealed the link between the initial language of instruction (LoI) and academic success (Cummins, 2000). In addition, there is a growing awareness of the need to maintain minority languages in the face of globalisation (Fishman, 2001).

Many African nations have LoI policies which support the use of the MT as the LoI during the early years of a child's education. Kenya introduced such a policy in 1976. Despite this, many Kenyan teachers are simply unable to fulfil the policy requirements to teach through their MT because their language is unwritten. This was the situation of the Sabaot community until recently when a team of expatriates were invited to work alongside Sabaot community members and develop an orthography and a body of literature. I was part of this team for seven years and facilitated the implementation of the LoI policy. The response of the Sabaot teachers who have been trained and equipped to implement the LoI policy has been mixed and in some cases the policy is not being successfully implemented. This experience seems to be replicated in other minority communities both in Africa and other parts of the world where MT instruction is supported by the national LoI policy.

It is the purpose of this research, using an ethnographic approach, to investigate the varied responses of teachers.

Jones, J. M. (2008b). Teachers' views and practice: The place of the mother tongue in the implementation of the Kenyan language-in-education policy. New Zealand Studies in Applied Linguistics, 14(2), 45-58.

Jones, J. M. (2008a, 29 November 2008). Linking language planning theory with the implementation of the Kenyan language-in-education policy. Paper presented at the ALANZ Symposium, AUT University, Auckland, New Zealand.

Jones, J. M. (2006a, 27 May). An ethnographic inquiry into the implementation of the Kenyan language-in-education policy. Paper presented at the ALANZ Regional Seminar, Waikato University, Hamilton, New Zealand.

Jones, J. M. (2006b, October 14). A learner researcher packing for Africa: What goes into a methodological toolkit? Paper presented at the 2006 ALANZ Symposium. First things first: Focus on the learner, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand.

Jones, J. M. (2007a, 6-10 August). The place of the mother tongue for teaching literacy in Kenyan schools. Paper presented at the The 5th Pan African Reading for All Conference, University of Ghana.

Jones, J. M. (2007b, 21-24 November). What place for the mother tongue in the implementation of the Kenyan language-in-education policy? Paper presented at the 2nd International Conference on Language, Education and Diversity University of Waikato, Hamilton, New Zealand.

Jones, J. M. (2008a, 24 May). A study in progress: 'Making interpretations' as part of an ethnographic inquiry investigating the implementation of the Kenyan language-in-education policy. Paper presented at the ALANZ Regional Seminar, University of Waikato, Hamilton, New Zealand.

Jones, J. M. (2008b, 1-3 July). Teachers' response to the implementation of the Kenyan language-in-education policy in a multilingual context. Paper presented at the The Second International Conference on Language Development, Language Revitalization and Multilingual Education in Ethnolinguistic Communities, Twin Towers Hotel, Bangkok.