The Kenyan indigenous languages and the mass media: challenges and opportunities

While it is officially recognized that Kenya is a multilingual state, necessary mechanisms for the effective management of this diversity have not been effected. With English and Kiswahili occupying the "official language" positions, the other more than forty local languages are excluded a...

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Main Author: Orao, James
Format: Article
Language:Afrikaans
Published: Stellenbosch University 2009-12-01
Series:Stellenbosch Papers in Linguistics Plus
Subjects:
Online Access:https://spilplus.journals.ac.za/pub/article/view/62
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spelling doaj-006a005d30574045ba1437743cd745602020-11-25T03:36:04ZafrStellenbosch UniversityStellenbosch Papers in Linguistics Plus1726-541X2224-33802009-12-01380778610.5842/38-0-62The Kenyan indigenous languages and the mass media: challenges and opportunitiesOrao, James0 University of Nairobi, KenyaWhile it is officially recognized that Kenya is a multilingual state, necessary mechanisms for the effective management of this diversity have not been effected. With English and Kiswahili occupying the "official language" positions, the other more than forty local languages are excluded and have no "official" recognition. The relatively recent development of vernacular mass media has not only provided an impetus for the re-examination of the status of indigenous languages in Kenya, it has alsobrought with it opportunities and challenges which are yet to be critically examined. Many questions are being raised regarding the status of the vernacular mass media, their possible influence on the local languages, the possible challenges they raise within the national language policy, and their role in the public domain. This paper addresses these questions and examines the relationship between the vernacular mass media and the Kenyan indigenous languages.https://spilplus.journals.ac.za/pub/article/view/62indigenous languageslanguage managementvernacular mass media
collection DOAJ
language Afrikaans
format Article
sources DOAJ
author Orao, James
spellingShingle Orao, James
The Kenyan indigenous languages and the mass media: challenges and opportunities
Stellenbosch Papers in Linguistics Plus
indigenous languages
language management
vernacular mass media
author_facet Orao, James
author_sort Orao, James
title The Kenyan indigenous languages and the mass media: challenges and opportunities
title_short The Kenyan indigenous languages and the mass media: challenges and opportunities
title_full The Kenyan indigenous languages and the mass media: challenges and opportunities
title_fullStr The Kenyan indigenous languages and the mass media: challenges and opportunities
title_full_unstemmed The Kenyan indigenous languages and the mass media: challenges and opportunities
title_sort kenyan indigenous languages and the mass media: challenges and opportunities
publisher Stellenbosch University
series Stellenbosch Papers in Linguistics Plus
issn 1726-541X
2224-3380
publishDate 2009-12-01
description While it is officially recognized that Kenya is a multilingual state, necessary mechanisms for the effective management of this diversity have not been effected. With English and Kiswahili occupying the "official language" positions, the other more than forty local languages are excluded and have no "official" recognition. The relatively recent development of vernacular mass media has not only provided an impetus for the re-examination of the status of indigenous languages in Kenya, it has alsobrought with it opportunities and challenges which are yet to be critically examined. Many questions are being raised regarding the status of the vernacular mass media, their possible influence on the local languages, the possible challenges they raise within the national language policy, and their role in the public domain. This paper addresses these questions and examines the relationship between the vernacular mass media and the Kenyan indigenous languages.
topic indigenous languages
language management
vernacular mass media
url https://spilplus.journals.ac.za/pub/article/view/62
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