Profiles linguistic and cultural diversity in Bukavu, Zaire. Discusses the language and education policy of the past 20 years and argues that the policy with regard to the use of French as the educational medium should be revised. (EKN)

Discusses the introduction of the Language Learning Framework by the National Council of Organizations of Less Commonly Taught Languages (NCOLCTL), which has transformed the perception of the way less commonly taught languages view curricula and instructional materials. Focuses on the development of instructional materials for African languages.…

Linguistic consequences of literacy in Somalia are examined in a review of the literature and through a study of five dimensions of variation among Somali registers and the expansion of linguistic variation in Somali resulting from the introduction of written registers. (36 references) (LB)

Discusses the design and implementation of the Kamusi Project Edit Engine, a Web-based software system uniquely suited to the needs of Swahili collaborative lexicography. Describes the edit engine, including organization of the lexicon and the mechanics by which participants use the system, discusses philosophical issues confronted in the design,…

In adults, visual search for a colour target is facilitated if the target and distractors fall in different colour categories (e.g. Daoutis, Pilling, & Davies, in press). The present study explored category effects in children's colour search. The relationship between linguistic colour categories and perceptual categories was addressed by…

This study examined language-related challenges that arise as a result of the use of Setswana to teach mathematics at primary school level in Botswana. Data were collected from the mathematics textbooks that were used for Standards 1-4 in Botswana primary schools during the period 1995-2002. The second source of data was the Standard 4 mathematics…

South Africa's rich multicultural society is reflected by 11 official languages. The Language in Education policy stipulates that children should start learning at school in their home language until Grade 3. In most schools, the language of instruction for all subjects changes in Grade 4 from an indigenous African language to English, which means…

This article builds on 30h of observations made in classrooms in secondary schools in Tanzania in the fall of 2004. The article presents an empirical study using an experimental group that was taught in Kiswahili and a control group taught the same topics in English. The author takes the reader straight into some of the classrooms and gives…

This report is an overview of some of the common features of African languages. It is difficult to present a concise and comprehensive summary of the features that are likely to be found in a group of languages as large and as totally unrelated as are the one to two thousand languages found on the continent of Africa. Therefore, representative…

A study of tone and accent in Qafar, a Cushitic language characterized by tonal rather than stress accent, modifies an earlier claim made about the relationship between accent and gender. The newer study makes a proposal that simplifies the account of gender in that this category is seen as determined rather than determining. This further suggests…

An analysis of the Dinka (Sudan) vowel system consists of: (1) an overview of Dinka phonological structure, including the phonological sentence, the phonological word, the syllable, and the consonantal and vocalic features of the sound system; (2) an examination of breathy versus nonbreathy vowels, including a review of previous research using a…

Twelve lessons in Igbo, the major language of Nigeria, are provided. The lessons are designed for use with a native speaker serving as a model. They cover pronunciation, major grammatical patterns, and limited practical conversation. The tonal aspects of Igbo pronunciation are emphasized. Suggestions are offered to enhance students' understanding…

A teaching guide containing 24 lessons in intermediate- and advanced-level Hausa contains materials developed in a U.S. Department of Education sponsored Advanced Hausa Institute. The lessons contain teacher notes, a dialogue, and notes on related grammar and vocabulary. (MSE)

THIS LANGUAGE COURSE IS INTENDED TO PROVIDE THE LINGUISTICALLY ORIENTED STUDENT WITH THE FUNDAMENTAL ELEMENTS OF CHINYANJA (ALSO COMMONLY REFERRED TO WITHOUT THE "CHI" PREFIX AS "NYANJA"). THE PRINCIPLE LANGUAGE OF MALAWI, CHINYANJA IS ALSO SPOKEN BY LARGE NUMBERS OF MALAWIANS IN NEIGHBORING COUNTRIES. THE COURSE IS BASED ON A…

THE ANTHROPOLOGIST, THE DESCRIPTIVE LINGUIST, AND THE AUTHOR OF A LANGUAGE TEXT HAVE DIFFERENT GOALS IN RECORDING LANGUAGES IN THE FIELD. THE ANTHROPOLOGIST/ETHNOGRAPHER, HOWEVER, CAN ASSEMBLE FIELD TAPES WHICH WILL NOT ONLY FULFILL HIS PURPOSE BUT WILL ALSO SERVE AS A BASIS FOR DESCRIPTIVE STUDY AND AS RAW MATERIAL FOR A PEDAGOGICAL TREATMENT OF…