Abstract/Overview An investigation into the distribution, design and origins of 'Gunda-Buche' -the Luo term for the bank-and-ditch enclosures unique to the northern Nyanza region of western Kenya. No archaeological work had been undertaken on these structures prior to this study. Pressure for land means these unique sites are now fast disappearing.
Abstract/Overview This paper discusses Manifestations of Code Switching in Nairobi. The main objective is to examine the influence of Variables such as Formality and Informality of the conversation context in Code Switching and Code selection. The researcher tape- recorded spontaneous speech from the respondents, then the tape recorded data was transcribed on paper and the extracts from the transcribed text were analyzed based on the tenets of Speech Accommodation Theory and Markedness Mo...
Abstract/Overview The image of youth characters portrayed in South African literature has traditionally focused on their manifest responses to the political issues of the different moments of the country’s history, with little attention on the interiority of the concerned individuals’ being. Unlike their counterparts in the apartheid regime, the post-apartheid generation of youth has lived in a supposedly freer environment, yet some have continually exhibited errant behaviour. Guided ...
Abstract/Overview While studies indicate that agriculture is the main source of income for rural households and the main occupation for women, it has been hypothesized that development process in rural areas has marginalized women in the agricultural sector, reducing their productivity and control over resources. This paper examines women’s labour conditions in subsistence agriculture in Samia for which limited studies have been conducted. The study investigates the nature and trends of...
Abstract/Overview Ulimwengu wa sasa wa utandawazi umesababisha kuzagaa kwa matumizi ya Teknolojia ya Habari na Mawasiliano (TEHAMA), hususani kompyuta na vitumi vyake. Kwa hali hiyo, maendeleo ya sayansi na teknolojia yamesababisha kuenea kwa lugha zinazotumika kwa wingi katika teknolojia hiyo kama vile Kiingereza na Kifaransa na kudumazwa kwa lugha za Kiafrika zinazotumiwa kwa nadra mno. Uwezo wa kutumia media na vitumi vipya vya teknolojia hii kwa ubunifu na uhakiki aghalabu hutegemea u...
Abstract/Overview Kiswahili, like all languages, is dynamic. It evolves to accommodate economic, scientific, technological and social changes. Such changes are evident in Kiswahili military terms. The changes can be traced back to the 16th century contacts with visitors from Asia and Europe to the East African Coast. The outcomes of these contacts were borrowed military terms which form relics of their impact on Kiswahili vocabulary. Moreover, with the advent of globalization and its atte...
Abstract/Overview This study investigated language attitudes of secondary school learners of Somali descent toward Kiswahili and their patterns of language use in various domains in a multilingual context as evidenced in Garissa Town. The target population was secondary school students in public and private schools within Garissa town, Garissa County, Kenya. Field data was collected through questionnaires. A total of 100 respondents were involved in this study. This sample was obtained th...
Abstract/Overview The role of language attitudes on language choice, development and policy in multilingual societies cannot be over emphasized (Adegbija, 1994; Batibo, 2005). Monolingual speakers have only one attitude towards their language because they have no other languages to compare it with. However, where speakers are bilingual or multilingual; there is a tendency to develop different attitudes to each of the languages used. These attitudes, whether positive or negative, will norm...
Abstract/Overview This study investigated changes of themes in Kamba circumcision songs with the aim of finding out the causes of these changes. The research was conducted at Nzyiitu, Kalimbui, Kaluilaa, Ngalange, Mwangea and Nzanzeni. The study was conducted in this area because the Kamba people living here still hold onto the practice of circumcision rites despite socialeconomic shifts in the ever changing society. The research was guided by the theory of ethnography of communication wh...
Abstract/Overview The phrase is an important unit of analysis in the grammar of languages. Other than the syntactic level, the phrase is also studied at the phonological, morphological, semantic and pragmatic level. The literature on the phrase in English identifies different types of syntactic phrases thus, noun phrase, verb phrase, adjectival phrase, adverb phrase, prepositional phrase (Aitchison, 1992; Aronoff & Reese-Miller, 2006; Crystal, 2010; Fromkin & Hyams, 2010; Lyons, 1992; O'G...
Abstract/Overview Nasal Consonant (NC) sequences, in Bantu languages, and the long vowels preceding them remains a puzzle in Bantu literature and research. This paper provides a descriptively oriented analysis of the relationship between long vowels and nasal consonant sequences in Kisa, a dialect of Luhya, a Bantu language spoken in Khwisero Constituency Western Province, Kenya. The data used in this paper was generated by the author as a native speaker of Kisa. The central descriptive f...
Abstract/Overview Academic writing is pertinent to postgraduate students because it is mandatory for them to write a research thesis as part of their degree programme. However, sometimes the theses that postgraduate students write do not communicate well or depict their professionalism. One of the problems these students face, as they write, is appropriate use of discourse markers. Discourse markers, when used appropriately, enhance coherence and signal the presence of particular relation...
Abstract/Overview The role of local government institution and especially institutional structures and political culture often shape government performance including livelihood supporting activities such as Urban Agriculture (UA). The changing population pattern orchestrated by the spread of urbanization has resulted into a rise in poverty and food demand, necessitating UA. However, there seem to be limited documentation with regard to how local governance institutions influence and promo...
Abstract/Overview One of the development agenda for Kenya is the achievement of universal healthcare. An assessment of the level at which this has been implemented reveals that Kenya is facing challenges in implementing this endeavor. Health professionals communicate with patients to build trust for more effective practice. Failure to communicate strains the relationship, leading to ineffective practice. One of the main obstacles that may lead to failure in communication is differences in...
Abstract/Overview The purpose of this sociolinguistic study was to investigate the effect of revitalization of indigenous language on preservation of African culture, a case of Terik language in Terik ward, Nandi south sub county, Terik Language is an indigenous language in Kenya that is spoken by Terik people of Nandi South, Terik language is seriously endangered and it’s at a risk of extinction thus endangering Terik culture. The study aimed to determine the evidence and nature of Ter...