<div dir="ltr"><div>Pierre-Damien,</div><div><br></div><div>One of your guests that I met when I was at your house was from Tanzania, I believe. I thought this might be interesting to him--he probably knows that the policy changed, but it might be fun for him to read what Language Magazine has to say about it.</div><div><br></div><div>Joyce</div></div><div class="gmail_extra"><br><div class="gmail_quote">On Fri, Mar 6, 2015 at 10:52 AM, Harold Schiffman <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:hfsclpp@gmail.com" target="_blank">hfsclpp@gmail.com</a>></span> wrote:<br><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex"><div dir="ltr"><h2>Tanzania Drops English for Kiswahili</h2>
<div><a title="Facebook" href="http://languagemagazine.com/?page_id=123193#" target="_blank"><span style="background-color:rgb(48,88,145)"><span>Share on facebook</span></span></a><a title="Tweet" href="http://languagemagazine.com/?page_id=123193#" target="_blank"><span style="background-color:rgb(44,168,210)"><span>Share on twitter</span></span></a><a title="Email" href="http://languagemagazine.com/?page_id=123193#" target="_blank"><span style="background-color:rgb(115,138,141)"><span>Share on email</span></span></a><a title="Pinterest" href="http://languagemagazine.com/?page_id=123193#" target="_blank"><span style="background-color:rgb(200,40,40)"><span>Share on pinterest_share</span></span></a><a href="http://languagemagazine.com/?page_id=123193#" target="_blank"><span style="background-color:rgb(252,109,76)"><span>More Sharing Services</span></span></a><a title="View more services" href="http://languagemagazine.com/?page_id=123193#" target="_blank">2</a></div><p><a href="http://languagemagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/497614547.jpg" target="_blank"><img width="150" height="150" alt="497614547" src="http://languagemagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/497614547-150x150.jpg"></a>Since
Tanzania’s independence from Britain in 1961, public education has been
bilingual, beginning with Kiswahili – known as Swahili in the West – in
elementary school, and switching to English from high school to
university. President Jakaya Kikwete and his administration have
launched new education guidelines that will make only Kiswahili the
language of instruction from primary school to university level.</p>
<p>English classes will still be available as foreign language credit,
but the main language of instruction will be Kiswahili, making Tanzania
the first sub-Saharan African country to conduct education on a national
scale in an African language. Atetaulwa Ngatara, the assistant director
for policy at the Ministry of Education and Vocational Training,
commented, “To think that learning in English will lead to students
communicating in English is wrong. Communicating in English is something
else, which has to do with language studies.”</p>
<p>Some regard this as a bold assertion of cultural self-affirmation.
Although Tanzania is home to over 130 languages and cultures, Kiswahili
emerged from various ethnic conflicts as a uniting force and a means by
which the country has created a collective identity. However, in
addition to cultural identity, the new guidelines hold practical
implications for education reform. Kikwete hopes to bring some clarity
to a bilingual system that has left students confused and not
necessarily proficient in either language. The policy aims to provide
consistency in text and reference books throughout both public and
private schools. “It’s impossible that every school uses its own
reference book when the final examinations are the same,” said President
Kikwete, “How do we expect students to pass in these conditions?”</p><p><a href="http://languagemagazine.com/?page_id=123193" target="_blank">http://languagemagazine.com/?page_id=123193</a><span class="HOEnZb"><font color="#888888"><br></font></span></p><span class="HOEnZb"><font color="#888888"><br clear="all"><br>-- <br><div>**************************************<br>N.b.: Listing on the lgpolicy-list is merely intended as a service to its members<br>and implies neither approval, confirmation nor agreement by the owner or sponsor of the list as to the veracity of a message's contents. Members who disagree with a message are encouraged to post a rebuttal, and to write directly to the original sender of any offensive message. A copy of this may be forwarded to this list as well. (H. Schiffman, Moderator)<br><br>For more information about the lgpolicy-list, go to <a href="https://groups.sas.upenn.edu/mailman/" target="_blank">https://groups.sas.upenn.edu/mailman/</a><br>listinfo/lgpolicy-list<br>*******************************************</div>
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<br></blockquote></div><br><br clear="all"><br>-- <br><div class="gmail_signature"><div dir="ltr"><div>Associate Professor</div><div>TESOL M.A. Program Coordinator</div><div>University of Northern Iowa, Cedar Falls, IA 50614-0502</div><div><br></div><div>(319) 273-6099 (direct)</div><div>(319) 273-5965 (Graduate Program office)</div></div></div>
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