tensions experienced by sabaot teachers outline of session › spine › links ›...

Jennifer M Jones, September 2009, BAAL

presentation 1

Tensions experienced by Sabaot teachers

as they implement the Kenyan language-in-education policy in a context of language shift

Jennifer M. JonesUniversity of Auckland

[email protected]

Outline of session• Background to study

• Methodology

• Context

• Findings

• Implications

• Your questions and feedback

Mt. Elgon

+/- 150,000 Sabaot

people

Background

Aim of study

To investigate the different responses of Sabaot teachers to the language-in-

education policy and the process by which it is being implemented.

Language-in-education policy

Local implementation

• Advocacy

• Materials development

• Teacher education

Medium of

instruction

Language subjects

ECD Mother tongue or

language of catchmentarea

Standards 1

to 3

Mother tongue or

language of catchmentarea

English Kiswahili Mother

Tongue

Standards 4

to 8

English English Kiswahili

Methodology

Ethnography is ‘the study of people in naturally occurring settings’ (Watson-Gegeo 1988, p.576).

‘Sumaneet’ SchoolMarch – September 2007

- 5 teachers- ECD, Standards 1 & 2

- 95% Sabaot- Class sizes: 90-130


presentation 2

Methods

Observation- Informal

- Lessons (65)

Semi-

structured Interviews

(50)

Focus Group Interviews

(3)

Document

Analysis

Field notes, photos, audio + video recording

Methodology

Sequence of analysis

‘Coding for themes – looking for patterns – making interpretations – building theory’ (Ellis & Barkhuizen 2005, p. 259)

Context

• Situation of unrest. By May 2007:• 30 primary schools closed

•140 killed

• 51,000 displaced

Influences on teachers’ language-in-education policy decisions

Teachers’ policy

decisions

Local

influences

National

influences

Global

influences

Attitudes of

stakeholders to languages and their

use in education

National unity

Kiswahili /English

needed for educational

advancement & employment

English

needed to function in

international society

Planning for implementation

Mixed ethnicities

Language shift

Language maintenance

“The father is a Sabaot, the mother is a Sabaot but it is very funny that I find that the parents are talking with the children Kiswahili. … And you see that thing [Sabaot] is collapsing in that way” (Mary)

Language shift

Prestigious languages

in education

Mixed ethnicities

Only recent

development of Sabaotwriting system

Kiswahili spoken in many

homes and in most public meetings

Discrimination against

Sabaot

Negative

attitudes towards Sabaot language

Factors leading to language shiftTeachers’ perception of their own difficulty in Sabaot

compared to Kiswahili and English

Speaki

ng

Unders

tandin

g

Readin

g

Writin

g

1

2

3

4

5

Number of teachers


presentation 3

Tensions

teachers experience

when implementing

MT policyTime of transition

Support for

implementation

Mixed class composition

Goals

Unrest

Teachers’ skills

Learner

understanding

Promote

unity

Not

completely proficient in

Sabaot

Little

experience teaching

mother tongue

Foster

ethnic identity

Maintain Sabaot

Prepare learners to

succeed in national and international

society

Teaching/

learning materials

Teacher

education

Stakeholder

attitudesExaminations

Implementation of Mother Tongue subject and medium of instruction

Achieved national and international

goals

Fulfilled local goals

Moved learners from known

languages to unknown languages

Taught Sabaot

Medium-of-instruction

Mother Tongue subject

EKiSS3

EKiSS2

EKiSSS1

EKiSSECD

Proportion of time teachers speak different languages:

Blackboard display

Standard 2 Science lesson

Focus of lessons: To teach English lexical items

“That’s when you saw me, even when I was teaching English I was mixing. So to make them understand better than when they could use foreign language alone. The teaching part is now easy and the children understand more quickly”(Nelly, Class 1 teacher).

Teachers code-switch to facilitate understandingTeachers code-switch to facilitate understanding:

With the whole class. For example, 1. To provide translations of the English vocabularyT: Nimesema eye ku koong’ta, nose ku sēruut, tongue ku kiy nee? (I have

said eye is an eye, nose is a nose, tongue what is it?) (Science test)

2. To give lesson instructions

T: Omwaay kule, “This is a bag.” (You say, “This is a bag”) (English lesson)

With individuals. For example,

1. To clarify that learners are on task T: Koowaany kēny? (Are you already finished?) (Science lesson)

2. To check that they understand

T: Roots ku tiikiitēk chu. Kookas? (Roots. Roots here. Have you seen?) (Science lesson)


presentation 4

Implications

Local •Local stakeholders need to agree on way forward for

policy implementation.•Strengthen local implementation efforts (advocacy,

teacher education, materials development).

• Find ways of meeting needs of linguistically and ethnically diverse learners. (e.g., develop materials

for L1 and L2 speakers (Hornberger & King, 1996)

Demonstrate to national policy-makers effectiveness of

mother tongue education.

National Increased commitment to mother tongue policy

implementation.

References

Ellis, R., & Barkhuizen, G. (2005). Analysing learner language. Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press.

Hornberger, N. H., & King, K. A. (1996). Language revitalisation in the Andes: Can the schools reverse language shift? Journal of Multilingual and

Multicultural Development, 17(6), 427-441.

Pauwels, A. (2004). Language maintenance. In A. Davies & C. Elder (Eds.),

The handbook of applied linguistics (pp. 719-737). Oxford, UK: Blackwell.

Siringi, S., & Kwalia, B. (2007). Schoolchildren bear the brunt as clan

violence rages on in Mt Elgon. Saturday Nation, pp. 28-29,

Watson-Gegeo, K. A. (1988). Ethnography in ESL: Defining the essentials.

TESOL Quarterly, 22(4), 575-592.

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