Factors Influencing Language Shift From Gorowa To Kiswahili: A Case Study Of Babati District

ABSTRACT

This study examines patterns of language use among a group of Gorowa children, youths and elders to establish whether Kiswahili is thriving or the local languages are threatenedby a potential shift. This study was intended to investigate the factors influencing language shift from Gorowa to Kiswahili and the importance it has, and the negative effects of language shift or Kiswahili usage on Gorowa community in Babati district. The main techniques employed in data collection are questionnaires, sociolinguistic interview and participatory technique. The findings from these techniques were integrated in categories of interest when an analysis of the data was done manually by the means of qualitative, it also involved with simple use of (spss) as a quantitative method. The findings of this study indicated steady language shift from Gorowa to Kiswahili whereby seven domains were investigated only one was still reserved for Gorowa by at least 15% of the informants that was 02 informants among 40 informants. The results show that, while most users still consider themselves bi / multilingual and therefore supporting the argument for a thriving Kiswahili situation, the functions these users allocate the indigenous languages are quite limited. The factors influencing the shift of indigenous language include, among others, national language policies, educational levels, marriages (inter-ethnic or intra-ethnic) and users‘ attitudes towards the languages, the amount of pressure or attraction from the new language in question.This study revealed that language shift do not necessarily die just because their speakers die but language also die, and often so,as a result of shift of allegiance by their speakers to other languages. How fast shifts depends on the amount of pressure or attration from the language that receives allegiance. The extent to which Kiswahili has penetrated Gorowa community though makes it difficult to put a clear boundary between domains which Gorowa is solely used and which Kiswahili is used. It was also evident that, there was a speed grew negative and indifferent attitude among the people towards Gorowa, especially among younger and educated speakers leaving alone poor transmition of language among children. The extent of language shift was also demonstrated through aspects of negative attitudes and language used in different domains which are more obvious among younger generation and educated speakers. In the light of such results it was concluded that Gorowa is in worse situation as its speakers, especially the linguistically influential young and educated gradually shift to Kiswahili. Though this study focused specifically on one language (Gorowa) similar shift is presumably found in most Tanzanian ECLs due to ‗Swahilization‘the big presuure of Kiswahili over ECLs as national language policy especially in education, administration and media. The researcher recommands strategic measures and efforts be applied to go about language and cultural distraction that the community is in.