Effects of Language Attitudes on Education in Arusha
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2015
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Tri-College (Bryn Mawr, Haverford, and Swarthmore Colleges). Department of Linguistics
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Thesis
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Award
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eng
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Tri-College users only
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Abstract
This thesis examines language attitudes toward Swahili, English, and other languages in Tanzania. Swahili and English, Tanzania’s two official languages, are analyzed to a greater extent than other languages. However, the language dynamics in Tanzania, a highly multilingual nation, have been greatly influenced by the presence of over a hundred other languages, and this influence should be recognized. I provide some history of Tanzania to set the context for an examination of language there, focusing especially on the post-independence period, when pushes for socialism significantly affected the use of language within the country. From there, I investigate what the current language situation appears to be, drawing on my own experiences in Tanzania in the spring of 2014 and survey data acquired after my return to the United States. My analysis shows positive attitudes toward both Swahili and English, with English often being viewed more favorably as an international language, while Swahili is viewed more favorably as an intra-national language. However, the positive attitudes shown toward Swahili fail to extend to the realm of post-primary education, where there is an (over)emphasis on use of English instead of Swahili, often to the detriment of students’ overall education and acquisition of English. I conclude by urging further development of bilingualism in post-primary education.