Article Sociolinguistics

GUSTIA EGA PUTRI

2313.083

PBI.IVC

LANGUAGE USE AND CHOICE: A CASE STUDY OF KINUBI IN KIBERA, KENYA

RIVIEW

Abstract

This article analyzes the domains of language use and choice of the Kinubi speaking community in Kibera, Kenya in relation to Kinubi maintenance in a multilingual location. Language use and choice has been a debated issue whenever languages come into contact. It refers to a situation where members of a speech community try to keep a language the way it has always been used despite linguistic challenges emerging from a multilingual convergence. In this paper we argue that Kinubi, a minority language spoken in Kibera, is expected to face maintenance challenges. However, the findings reveal that it has defied this logic and seems to thrive in various domains of language use and is the natural choice at home. Thus, Kinubi’s ethnolinguistic vitality particularly in the home domain in a region of linguistic diversity is quite evident.

SUMMARY

A language is an important factor in human communication. The ability to use ones language well is a sign of good interaction as the intended message will be passed and understood well. However, the moment one lets a language to diminish, one automatically loses a certain part of one’s culture, prestige and integrity. In Kenya, for example, Batibo (2005) asserts that of the fifty six indigenous languages, about thirteen are highly endangered while a dozen others are extinct or nearly extinct. Hence, in Kenya, as in other African countries, indigenous languages suffer the disadvantage of existing alongside English, Kiswahili or a mixture of both (known as Sheng in Kenya) which may be attributed to the difficult choices based on the politics of policy in a multilingual set-up.

1. Emergence and spread of Kinubi in Kenya                                                            Heine (1982) posits that Kinubi has often been called an Arabic Creole since about 90% of its vocabulary is of Arabic origin. It is termed a creole as many of its structural and developmental features resemble those of known creoles such as Jamaican Creole, Bazaar Malay, Nigerian English, and so forth. Kinubi originated from an Arabic pidgin spoken in southern Sudan and northern Uganda. Heine adds that pidgins typically come into being in multilingual groups, when no common language is present to satisfy the need for communication. None of the native languages dominates in prestige or number of prestigious languages. The structure of pidgins may develop from very rudimentary and variable to stable and expanded. Pidgin languages are learned by their speakers as a second language. A pidgin language may develop into a creole when it is nativized, whether as an instantaneous or as a gradual process, when children born in mixed marriages are confronted with the pidgin input and learn it as their mother tongue. Kinubi underwent such a stage and became creolized over a period of time and now has speakers who use it as a first language (Heine, 1982).                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      2. Ethnolinguistic vitality theori                                                                                              This paper used the theory of Ethnolinguistic Vitality (EV) as its analytical tool. This theory comprises sociostructural factors used to explain language maintenance and shift within a community. Giles, Bourhis and Taylor (1977) first introduced the concept of ethnolinguistic vitality and in their typological approach, proposed three variables, which may combine to permit an ethnolinguistic minority to survive as a distinctive group. These three variables are status, demographic and institutional support. Each of these variables consists of a sub-set of variables. However, this paper has subjected Giles et al’s (1977) framework to several amendments and modifications to provide a more comprehensive approach to the Kinubi question.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           3. Methodology                                                                                                                          This qualitative research study was carried out amongst the Kinubi speakers of Kibera, Nairobi County, Kenya. Descriptive design was used as it involved the usage of primary data collection methods as the most suitable route for the attainment of the study objectives. A population sample of 30 respondents and 3 homes were studied in the larger project (cf. Adams (forthcoming). Because this paper is a preliminary report, only a brief part of the data collected and analyzed will be reflected in the findings section. The samples were arrived at through both purposive and snowballing techniques. Data was collected through the use of interview and observations schedules. Comprehensive data analysis was done using the ethnographic approach of quotations and descriptions following Landweer’s (2008) second indicator of Ethnolinguistic Vitality.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 4. Result                                                                                                                                      For the purposes of this paper, interview transcripts from four respondents out of the thirty used in the larger project (cf. Adams (forthcoming) were deemed sufficient to reflect the research findings. In order to identify which language is used most at home, the interview schedule elicited several responses related to the language used between the respondents and their family members. Of the four people interviewed, three respondents showed their commitment to speak Kinubi at home with their families.                                                                                                                                                                                                     5. Discussion                                                                                                  The sociolinguistic notion of domain was formalized by Fishman (1972), who stressed that different settings characteristically call for the use of different languages in a multilingual society (or varieties of the same language in a monolingual society). Landweer (2008) ranks domains of language use along a scale, noting that as language shift takes hold in an ethnolinguistic community, the vernacular is typically replaced by a second language in progressively more domains along the scale. The home is the ‘anchor’ domain and is usually the last to be replaced. After this come domains such as social events, cultural events, education, business, travel,and writing.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  6. Conclusion                                                                                                    This paper has presented findings and discussions of Kinubi usage and choice in the home domain. From the findings, it can be concluded that Kinubi speakers encourage the use of Kinubi and their language choice is influenced by the way the people use their language. This ethnic language is clearly passed on from the grandparent to parent generations to the grandchildren generations. As noted within this domain, the grandparent and parents' generations were seen as putting efforts to maintain the language. However, the grandchildren generation was exposed to many linguistic challenges and required cushioning from the ravages of multilingualism in Kibera. It can also be confirmed that the home/family domain is the core domain of language use and choice. A shift may occur when a weaker language is being replaced by a more dominant one. Coulmas (2005) state that a shift can be detected from a speaker's language choice in the home domain, which is generally agreed to be the last bastion of language maintenance. From the results and discussions in this paper, Kinubi seems to be the preferred language at home.