Abstract/Overview Reflective practice is one of the concepts that the Aga Khan University-Institute for Educational Development, Eastern Africa values as essential for teacher learning and development. It is incorporated in the Certificate in Education Programmes that target practising primary teachers. Emphasis is given to journal writing as an approach to reflective practice. However, many teachers seem to find it challenging to sustain this approach. This was a small-scale study which ...
Abstract/Overview : The hallmark of nominal morphology in Bantu languages is based on the rich noun class system in which nouns in these languages are classified. Noun roots, in Bantu languages, are placed into noun classes according to the prefixes they take and their meanings. In Proto-Bantu and most present day Bantu languages prefixes with a locative meaning have been analysed as noun class prefixes, and noun roots occurring with them placed into locative noun classes. Prefixes with a...
Abstract/Overview This article describes vowel length in Olusuba. The objective of this study is to investigate sources of vowel length in Olusuba. Data for this study was collected from a secondary source: Dholuo translation of Olusuba. A word list was generated and presented to native speakers of Olusuba who were instructed to read it loud while being recorded. The recorded data was then played back for phonetic transcription. Using a descriptive research design and basing on data gener...
Abstract/Overview Kenyan schools have been encouraged to the pressure of inclusion to embrace integration of all learners including those with disabilities. The problem is that, despite the adoption of this policy in Kenya (2009), realization of this noble idea remains dismal, with most schools hardly achieving the basic objective of inclusion. Unpublished report from Uasin Gishu County (2015) indicates a low level of implementation of inclusive education primary schools. The role of head...
Abstract/Overview Vowel hiatus is a prohibited configuration of vowels in many languages of the world. This study is established to examine strategies used to resolve vowel hiatus in Olusuba, a Bantu language spoken in parts of Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda, within the framework of Optimality Theory (OT). The work describes two vowel processes used as hiatus resolution strategies in Olusuba. Well-formedness of data obtained in this study are analysed using OT. The theory explains how constra...
Abstract/Overview Scientific writing especially doctoral dissertation writing commands a high level of objectivity, room for new knowledge, and involvement of the reader. This is manifested in the way the writers demonstrate commitment and detachment to the claims they make and how they position writer-reader relations. Commitment and detachment in a writer’s claims are linguistically shown by the use of interactional metadiscoursal markers. Interactional metadiscourse markers are, ther...
Abstract/Overview Bantu languages are known for their agglutinative nature and complex verbal morphology. A single verbal complex has several affixes including the subject markers (SMs) and object markers (OMs). The precise status of the SMs and OMs in Bantu remains unresolved. These markers have been analysed as agreement markers in some languages while in others, they are analysed as incorporated pronominals and in other languages as clitics. The objective of this paper is to determine ...
Abstract/Overview A developed nation is a knowledgeable nation in educational, social, political, economic and cultural spheres. For individuals to develop educationally, socially, politically, economically and culturally, they need to interact with government agencies that disseminate related policies. Effective interaction and communication of related policies occurs through language and effective communication is achieved through a language that the communicants understand best. Theref...
Abstract/Overview The verbal complex in Bantu languages is an important unit in the syntactic structure. The verbal word in Bantu, in particular, EkeGusii, has a structure which accommodates affixation of a variety of morphemes as prefixes and suffixes before the final vowel (Bresnan & Mchombo, 1987; Sozinho & Mbiavanga, 2008; Iorio, 2015; Sikuku, 2013; Ondondo, 2015 among others). Notable among these are the Subject Marker (SM) and the Object Marker (OM). The SM and OM represent their co...
Abstract/Overview The history of the Abagusii has not been adequately examined by the previous scholars since most of the scholars who have ventured into this subject have done it at wider levels of global, continental, regional and/or national while ignoring local level studies of specific African communities such as the Abagusii. Local level studies are critical as they unearth some of the political patterns of behaviour from individual communities towards effective participation in the...
Abstract/Overview Oral skills in English are taught and examined in Kenyan secondary schools with the purpose of developing fluency and accuracy in speech communication. However, majority of students do not attain intelligibility at the close of their study. Oral skills are examined in paper one of the English language exam though in written form. In 2016 the students scored a mean of 29.15 in the paper. In 2017, the students scored 25.89 indicating a decline of 3.26 points. This shows th...
Abstract/Overview The phrase is a significant unit of analysis in the grammar of any language. It is not only studied at the syntactic level but also at other levels of analysis-phonology, morphology, semantics, and pragmatics. Different types of phrases have been identified and described in the grammar of English and other languages. However, the noun and verb phrases are the most important and widely described phrases given that the structure of many languages revolves around the noun a...
Abstract/Overview Communication is a complex process that involves various fundamentals. It not only involves different elements but also entails speaking, listening, writing and reading. Effective communication can be curtailed by a number of factors stemming from either the elements of the communication process, the participants, the communication environment or all of these. Language is a vital element in effective communication because communication is predominantly facilitated throug...
Abstract/Overview Purpose: The purpose of the study was to determine the contribution of the CoG-K teachings to people‟s participation in poverty alleviation in Emuhaya District, Western Kenya Methodology: This study was a cross-sectional research that sought to give an examining and descriptive scrutiny of the CoG-K‟s activities in Emuhaya District of Western Kenya. This study sampled a total of 312 respondents (1 Bishop, 1 General Secretary, 1 General Assembly Trustee, 1 General Ass...
Abstract/Overview The purpose of this article is to determine the logical status of the Biblical Book of Titus. It does this by exploring the philosophical problem of the definition of truth and how it is to be applied. It delves into St. Paul’s usage of philosophy in the Epistle of Titus. A careful examination of the book reveals that there are apparent logical contradictions in St. Paul’s usage of “truth”. It is argued and concluded that the book of Titus is a classic example of...