The Influence Of Kindali On Learning Kiswahili In Primary Schools In Tanzania

ABSTRACT

This study aimed at investigating the influence of Kindali on learning Kiswahili in primary schools in Tanzania. The study was conducted through interviews, questionnaires, observation and library reading. The study area was Mbeya region in Ileje district where four primary schools were selected in four wards. The study was guided by three specific objectives which areː to examine whether the pupil’s native language has positive influence on learning Kiswahili in primary school; to investigate if the pupil’s native language has negative influence on learning Kiswahili in primary school; and to assess the attitudes of pupils who are native speakers of Kindali towards learning Kiswahili in primary schools. This study draws its theoretical roots from Contrastive Analysis (CA) and the Interference or Error Analysis (EA) Theory. The findings show that Kindali has both negative and positive influence on learning Kiswahili in primary schools. The findings also indicate that although Kindali has both negative and positive influence on learning Kiswahili, the negative influence exceeds the positive ones. The negative influence was seen more in phonological aspects than in other linguistic aspects. This study was based on finding out the phonological influence of Kindali on learning Kiswahili in primary schools in Tanzania. The learners used Kindali accent in pronouncing Kiswahili words. The Ndali lack some sounds which are found in Kiswahili and have some sort of affixation which affects them in learning Kiswahili especially when constructing sentences in spoken form. Although the study revealed that Kindali speakers face difficulties in learning Kiswahili (have negative attitude) they still urge that Kiswahili should be maintained as medium of instruction in primary schools.