Browsing by Author "Ntawigira, Patrice"

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    Language attitudes in the educational system of rwanda a Case Study of Secondary Schools
    (University of Dar es Salaam, 2005) Ntawigira, Patrice
    This study explores language attitudes and their importance as factors contributing to language learning in secondary schools in Rwanda. Language attitude studies have shown that different languages evoke different perceptions in the society in which they are used. French and English are used as media of instruction in Francophone and Anglophone orientations respectively, and they are also taught as subjects in all options, while Kinyarwanda and Kiswahili are sporadic in secondary schools. Different attitudes are associated with the four languages. Students choose English and French rather than Kinyarwanda and Kiswahili. The latter two are judged inferior to the former. The results of the surveys show that irrespective of the prevailing attitudes, students’ evaluation of languages cannot be said to be the result of linguistic superiority or inferiority. Students value a language according to the social conventions and preference reflecting an awareness of promising opportunities such as high education, profitable job, prestige, social mobility, guaranteed by that language. The main factor influencing students’ attitudes towards languages is their immediate educational or career goal directed to a good job in the future. Students’ language preference is based on the fear and illusion that without knowledge of English and French, their job opportunities are limited. Some language strategies are proposed in order to revitalise the esteem of Kinyarwanda and Kiswahili in education without excluding French and English.
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    Language use in the educational system of Rwanda: a case study of Kiswahili in secondary schools.
    (University of Dar es Salaam, 2011) Ntawigira, Patrice
    The currency language policy in the educational system of Rwanda seems to have a great determination to English. There is a limit use of other foreign language in education, especially Kiswahili language. This is contradictory to the current situation: the integration of Rwanda in the EAC where Kiswahili is a lingua franca; agreement between Rwandese government and EAC about the support of Kiswahili, the borderlessness of Kiswahili in EAC and its high demand in social economic and political domains. These factors create the needed to develop Kiswahili in Rwanda. The problem is the gap between government policies about the use of Kiswahili language in Rwandese society and the government desire of integrating into the EAC and participating actively in different activities supporting the development of Kiswahili in our region. The objective of this research is to find out different factors that determine the trend and problems of Kiswahili in Rwandese society through secondary schools- It explores four main points: First, factors that prevent educational policy makers from giving Kiswahili its status as subject matter in secondary schools; second, the role of Kiswahili in the process of national development in Rwanda, third, the attitudes towards Kiswahili in secondary schools, and last, the strategies that can be used to develop and promote that language in Rwanda. The need for collecting reliable data on which to base Kiswahili use in Rwandese society was my major justification for carrying out survey in 40 secondary schools dispersed in the whole national territory. Questionnaire, interview schedule, and group discussion were my main methods used to collect data and information from my population. The researcher also referred to the documentary review to complete and analyse data. The structure of the research instruments, the specific objectives and the collected data harmonised with the Sociolinguistic Analysis Method as elaborated by Fishman (1972), Ferguson (1979), Heller (2001) and Comas (2002) Critical Language Policy (CLP) framework as it is elaborated by Tollefsan (2006) goes nicely with that analysis method. Both were used to present and analyse the data. In the light of findings, the main factors that hinder the use of Kiswahili in educational system are related to the high support of English and the marginalization of Kiswahili in the vital sectors of the national life. Fortunately, the role of Kiswahili in the national development makes it resistant to those factors. The integration of Rwanda in the EAC, the high potentiality of Kiswahili in development in our region and its power in commercial and other social business make stakeholders and policy makers to accept its importance. However: it is not considered as in an urgent issue in education. English first and Kiswahili will come after satisfying all English needs. In general, Rwandese have a positive attitude to learn Kiswahili alongside English. The best way for strengthening and promote that language is to teach it in the educational system of Rwanda, starting by secondary schools.