Kiswahili is stranger to Kalenjin, Luo,Turkana and other Nilotes than English. Speaking mother toungue shouldnt be a crime though. Kiswahili is basically a bantu language with arabic vocabulary here and there. The only problem I have with our languages including Kiswahili is that they are so underdeveloped and save for cultural pride, they can hardly be useful in a globalised competitive world. And we need a language we can all speak and speak with the world.
We all view it as impossible to elevate African languages to levels where they can be used for knowledge acquisition. However, I should remind you that in Newton’s era, English was a despised vernacular. It only takes the sacrifice of one generation to get things rolling, after which the language will morph to satisfy all societal needs. Anyone with a modest understanding of English may not see the need to cultivate Kiswahili to higher levels. Unfortunately, 90% of talent at school level is lost due to poor masterly of language.If knowledge were made available in the language people understand best, the world would probably not be suffering from as many problems because we would have a bigger talent pool to tap from. Tanzania has already taken the lead in implementing the use of Kiswahili in schools, a move that has come a little bit late. The argument is that teaching in a language students do not understand competently denies them the right to education.I was surprised a few decades back when I came across an-A level mathematics course book in Kiswahili and a secondary biology book in kiswahili.I guess it only takes one step to get started.
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Right now we a lagging behind everyone so we cant afford three, four or ten centuries investing in a language that we are not sure of. And unfortunately, most technology is developed and documented in German, English, French, Russian and other cousin languages. I was good at kiswahili myself but I found the language very deficient and narrow. Compare.
Compute, computer, computing, computation all with a different and a precise meanings but obviously related.
versus
??, Tarakilishi?, ??, ??, ??
Remember most original modern technology was written in German and the scientific comunity later took to English because of its simplicity, expansive vocabulary, maturity and organization and its being widespread thanks to Imperialism. I cant see any reason we should adopt Kiswahili.
Like I cant see how Kijaluo ilimsaidia/inasaidia Obama.
I read how he narrated about his escapades 50 yrs ago, to a group he spoke to. that is stone age era.
maze people can be so sadistic…who dry fries an old woman like that kwa ass maze…kwanza walipanga train bana and took turns…mimi nikisikia ngugi wa thiongo mimi huona tu msee alikosewa sana na his so called tribesmen
Truth is im yet to see any economic value in speaking my native language other than ease of communicating with my grand parents and maybe some parents. Once that generation is gone then im sure it will be even more irrelevant. In a country like kenya where we have so many languages it does not even make sense to put much effort in a languge that does not help in interaction with fellow kenyans leave alone foreigners. Ngugi probably wants us to learn kiuk so we can continue buying his books. I wouldnt put too much emphasis on elevation, policy or even a budget for local native languages/cultures
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Mi hushindwa walikuwa wamelipwa na nani. labda huyu msee alikosea watu fulani si ajabu hawezi kaa huku.
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@Ingia…well said. language shud be used most importantly to aid communication. language is also dynamic…changing as generations evolve. at one time latin was the international standard but was taken by english. with IT and internet mostly in english…plus many translating softwares…english will suck in most languages.
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if that the case, Tanzanian kids would be performing better than our kids, right? Hell no, numerous studies have shown the reverse, Kenyan kids are getting more from education than their Tanzanian counterparts
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he has never been witty, just overrated
i think the main point he was trying to make is we should preserve our own languages make sure our children learn these languages…i pity hawa watoto wenye wazazi wao wanawaongelesha tu kizungu…these kids have no native language juu hiyo kizungu they learn can never compare with kizungu watoto with real english native speakers teach them
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On average, a primary school graduate in Tanzania is far better equipped that a similar candidate in Kenya. I have seen classes of 50 pupils in Kenya, 45 of whom are technically illiterate. The opposite being the case in Tanzania.
same tz which had a fail rate of 60% in 2013
Experience has shown that no country can advance or even master technology using a borrowed language. A case in point is India. India lost its footing when it decided to subject close to a billion people to a language they do not understand. Kiswahili will only appear deficient and narrow if the learning is deficient and narrow.In Taiwan, a country of a few million people, academics have always written their academic papers in Chinese.The Nordic countries, despite being very fluent in English, still use their languages in school. It is a matter of confidence and resolve.
True. The kid becomes permanently debased with no masterly of any one language. It sounds embarrassing sometimes.
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Achana na huyu jamaa. He just wants to win the argument.
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