An assessment of the use of english as an official language in selected public workplaces in Tanzania: a case of Iringa municipality

This study assesses the use of English as an official language in Tanzanian public workplaces taking Iringa Municipality as a study area. The study employed systematic, stratified, and purposive sampling procedures. All together forty three (43) informants, consisting of seven (07) workstation coordinators, and thirty six (36) subordinates were involved in this study. Data were collected through questionnaires, interviews, and observation; and were analyzed descriptively and thematically respectively. Findings show that workers are bilingual at their workplaces with some instances of code switching and code mixing between English and Kiswahili. Also, they do use English language to the lesser extent during working hours, and the extent to which they use the language depends on duties or activities they perform, people whom they interact with, and the nature of the interaction (whether official or non official). Moreover, workers’ views or opinions on the language use are that appropriate language should be used in appropriate context to appropriate client(s) or interlocutor(s). Basing on the findings, the study recommends for, a true bilingual education policy at post-primary school level so as to prepare graduates for bilingual settings that exist in workplaces in Tanzania. The study further recommends the need for other studies to be carried out on the topic in other workplaces in Tanzania; and it also recommends the study on the effects of bilingual and/or multilingual language use in Tanzanian workplaces on labour productivity.