Stakeholders in the national policy forum acknowledged existence of the preconditions for achievement of sdg 4 in tanzania. Since such policy at the national level would have to be specific, coherent and realistic, its. In this project the language policies of tanzania and south africa, as well as the practices of these policies in the classroom are. Tanzania s school system is catered towards the wealthy. The implementation plan outlines the strategies that will be used in implementing the language policy, proposing structures that will be key to. The essays inlanguages in africaexplore the layers of african multilingualism as they affect language policy and education. This paper explores the evolution of tanzanias language of instruction model and outlines problems it creates from the learners and society perspectives. Language policy for education and development in tanzania. The bantu, swahili language and english, the latter of which was inherited from colonial rule see tanganyika territory, are widely spoken as lingua francas. Tanzania is set to become the first subsaharan african country to use an african language as the medium of instruction throughout the schooling years. Focusing on the ways in which swahili was swept up in the ujamaa revolution the transition to socialism. State ideology and language in tanzania sets out to explore this paradox through a richly documented historical, sociolinguistic and anthropological approach covering the story of swahili from the early days of independence until today. This languageineducation policy document should be seen as part of a continuous process by which policy for language in education is being developed as part of a national language plan encompassing all. Education system tanzania epnuffic 1st edition december 2014 version 1, january 2015.
Intertextuality across angolan medium of instruction policy. Discusses the background of this policy and suggests an alternative, bilingual policy that gives equal weight to kiswahili and english. In the multilingual nation of tanzania, swahili is the official language. Policy dilemma, language of education model, tanzania, globalization 1. This chapter examines education language policy debates in three east african countries. Intertextuality across angolan medium of instruction. Also, it identifies potential policy constraints and proposes a feasible policy compromise. Basic education rights handbook education rights in. Rwandas new english language policy aims to drop french and install english as the only language of instruction. Pdf language policies and practices in tanzania and. Language policy for education and development in tanzania pdf. The similarities with other african countries in this struggle are.
Languageineducation policy development in tanzania. Kenya, tanzania, and uganda in the context of globalization. Today, the structure of official language use in tanzanian education is much as it was following independence. The purpose of this research is to identify the relationship between tanzanias language policy and the effects on students in secondary school. The authors of the present article are engaged in a research project funded by the norwegian research council. There are many players, or stakeholders, in this game who have a strong or weak desire for a certain outcome. Tanzania shares with many african countries a colonial legacy in which english is used as an official language and as the medium of instruction in secondary and. But in spite of the obvious advantages gained, and bearing in mind that tanzania is an independent. Unlock this profile with an essentials plan see the details on every language spoken in tanzania, plus. Language policy in tanzania volume 39 issue 3 lyndon harries.
Policy processes in relation to language in tanzania. Mar 05, 2015 tanzania is set to become the first subsaharan african country to use an african language as the medium of instruction throughout the schooling years. The tanzanian experience is a typical case that illustrates how language policy and planning is a site of struggle for cultural influence, economic dominance, and political control. Strengthening capacities of education policy implemented in policy unicef tanzania 2014 kate holt africa.
Language in education policy development in tanzania. An international language like french or english, a vestige of colonialism, carries prestige, is used in higher education, and promises mobilityand yet it will not be well known by its users. This policy framework must therefore cater adequately for the harmonisation of language policy at all three levels of. Tanzania food, drugs and cosmetics control promotion regulations 2010, guidelines for use of nutrition and health claims cacgl 231997 2010 the tanzanian food, drugs and cosmetics iodated salt regulations, 2010. The impact of language policy and practice on childrens learning. In this project the language policies of tanzania and south africa, as well as the practices of these policies in the classroom are analyzed. The right to receive a basic education in the language of ones choice is an important tool in making a break from apartheid, in which language in education was used to perpetuate oppression and inequality.
Since the 1990s tanzania has experienced a shift toward a general education curriculum, although a workoriented education approach continues to inform the current etp policy and its related policy documents. Given this premise, this study examines language policy and the important role it plays within the classroom, as well as across the educational system. The article gives some preliminary results from the project. This paper is a policy analysis courselinked capstone focused on controversial language policies in tanzania. This paper examines language policy in tanzanian schools and its effect on education, equality and economic development. I begin with an overview of language policy from colonization to the present, mapping out the relative positions of english and swahili in education over the years. Language policy and planning in botswana, malawi, mozambique and south africa. Education in tanzania is provided by both the public and private sectors, starting with preprimary education, followed by primary, secondary ordinary, secondary advanced, and ideally, university level education. Language in education policy in terms of section 34m of the national education policy act, 1996 act 27 of 1996 5.
Roycampbell 2001 argues that germans promoted kiswahili as the language of administration and education in order to maintain the established colonial power dynamics. The medium of instruction in preprimary schools shall be kiswahili, and english shall be a compulsory subject p. Typically, language policy involves decisions about language use in social contexts, usually concerned with. Problems and challenges article pdf available in international journal of educational development 241.
The national language policy is the result of extensive consultations that began way back in 1995, with the appointment of the language task group langtag. The tanzanian government began to emphasize the importance of education shortly after its independence in 1961. Goal the language education policy provides direction for the treatment of language issues in the jamaican educational context, in order to improve language and literacy. As a result, even national policy that supports local language use. Tanzania is an east african country and swahili is the nations official language. Swahili is the language of instruction in primary schools, english in secondary schools. Mozambican language policy mozambique as many other countries and formal institutions adopted a language policy to regulate the use of languages in public services as well as in social proceedings. Curriculum is standardized by level, and it is the basis. Intertextuality across angolan medium of instruction policy texts, discourses, and practices.
While the language policies of tanzania are described as confusing. Language policy and planning the tanzania experience josephat. Jun 27, 2018 education system tanzania epnuffic 1st edition december 2014 version 1, january 2015. Education for selfreliance esr policy, which was engineered as a strategy for increasing the relevance of education to tanzanians. Submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements of the degree. Aug 16, 2017 tanzania is an east african country and swahili is the nations official language. English is widely spoken, and other languages spoken in the country are the native tongues of various ethnic groups. Since language is a major component of such access, fluency in the colonial language is highly valued trudell, 2007. The language of education for primary school is kiswahili while the language of secondary school is english.
The policymakers frame the change as a major factor in the success of social and education. Less than 30 percent of students achieve secondary education, and the language barrier between primary and secondary education is much of the issue. The main feature of tanzanias education system is the bilingual policy. As a result, even national policy that supports local language use as a medium of instruction. The benefit if students do make it through the language obstacle of secondary school is the opportunity to find a good job as they are then bilingual. Intention, interpretation, implementation article pdf available april 2018 with 9,450 reads how we measure reads.
There are 127 languages listed for tanzania of which two are considered extinct lewis, et al, 20. The failure of language policy in tanzanian schools. Tanzania is a multilingual country with 150 ethnic languages spoken within its borders. Eric ej731443 language policies and practices in tanzania. Negotiation with hegemony by wendo nabea department of linguistics, university of vienna, vienna, austria the author teaches linguistics at egerton university, kenya. There are many languages spoken in the country, but no one language is spoken natively by a majority or a large plurality of the population.
The national language is tanzania is swahili, so overall the county does not gain from teaching students in a language different from the national language. This research specifically examines education policies related to language in the education system of. English, a language other than the national language of swahili, that contributes to the already low rate of children currently achieving secondary education and not continuing their education. Language policy, multilingual education, and power in.
Language policy in tanzania language policy had been thoroughly justified, and no one with any intimate knowledge of the tanzanian scene will have any doubt at all about this. Pdf language policies and practices in tanzania and south. The country was initially colonized by germany before the british took over after world war i. Education system tanzania epnuffic 1st evidencebased policies, strategies and plans by. Linguistic portfolios volume 3 48 language of education planning in zambia rebekah gordon abstract zambia is a landlocked country in south central africa. Tanzania dumps english as its official language in schools.
Tanzania is, like most countries in east africa, extremely culturally and linguistically diverse. Policies in united republic of tanzania global database. The current sociolinguistic situation in tanzania necessitates the. This paper addresses the language policy and language development in its relation to education in tanzanian 1980s. Language policies and practices in tanzania and south. Language policy and planning in botswana, malawi, mozambique.
While its only official language is english, seven other languages are recognized as national languages. These countries have a similar history given that they are neighbors and were colonized by the same colonial powerthe british, although the germans colonized tanzania for a short time. The official language in education policy that is currently being followed in tanzania is the one laid down in the education and training policy which, inter alia, states. The ethnic languages are mainly of bantu and nilotic origin. The impact of language policy and practice on childrens. Pdf language policy and planning the tanzania experience.
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