The Influence Of Kiswahili And English To Ethnic Community Language: A Case Of Runyambo In Karagwe District

ABSTRACT

The central purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of Kiswahili and

English to Runyambo. The aim was to attempt to provide status of ECLs and Runyambo

in particular. Runyambo is on pressure exerted from prestigious languages such as

English and Kiswahili which has made the majority of Banyambo slowly abandon the use

of Runyambo in most domains. If the situation goes on, there is a risk that in the future

Runyambo will be among the most endangered languages. With reference to the current

situation, the need to conduct this study arose in order to reduce the great pressure exerted

on Runyambo by English and Kiswahili.

This study was guided by three objective, which are: to find out the factors for preference

of English and Kiswahili over Runyambo; to investigate the linguistic effects of English

and Kiswahili on ethnic community languages, particularly Runyambo; and to identify

the measures on how to rescue ECLs, Runyambo as a case study. Data were collected

from two villages of Kishao and Bugene. Data were collected through questionnaires,

sociolinguistic interview, and observation.

This study found that there is a great pressure from Kiswahili to Runyambo language. The

factors mentioned to be deriving this pressure are: intermarriage, education policy,

increasing gap among youth and elders, parental shift in language transmission, and

migratory factors such as trade and employment. The study also observed linguistic

effects of Kiswahili and English to Runyambo. These were; code switching which

included inter-sentential and intra-sentential switching, changing of Runyambo numerical

system, borrowing, particularly core borrowing and cultural borrowing as well as

replacement of traditional naming system.

Lastly, the measures to rescue ECLs were found to be: to increase status of ECL, teaching

of ECL at family level and writing books in ECL which are educational material such as