Transcript A Trace of Interpersonal Literacy Communication in Kenya

A Trace of Interpersonal Literacy
Communication in Kenya
Letters-Telegram-Email-Chats/SMS
Sandra Barasa,
Leiden University Centre for Linguistics
[email protected]
LESLLA: African Literacies 23rd Oct. 2008
Background
• African Literacy Systems
• CMC Literacy in Kenya
– Letters
– Telegrams
– Emails/IM
– SMS
LESLLA: African Literacies 23rd Oct. 2008
• Many African Societies were literate
before the arrival of Europeans.
• In the early 18th Century literacy was
prevalent among the Vai people of
Liberia than in some parts of America
and Britain
• The Egyptians used the Hieroglyphics
in 3200 BC – AD 400
LESLLA: African Literacies 23rd Oct. 2008
Egyptian Hierographics & Vai Writing
LESLLA: African Literacies 23rd Oct. 2008
Other known early African
writing systems:
• Tifinagh-Berber languages in Maghreb,
Sahara & Sahel (4th Century B.C)
• Ge’ez-Amharic, Tigirinya Languages in
Ethiopia & Eritrea (5th Century B.C)
• Bamun (Shummom, Bamum) –Cameroon
(1895-1903)
LESLLA: African Literacies 23rd Oct. 2008
• Osmanya in Somali (1920)
• N’ko- Manding in Guinea still
used in W.A (1922)
• Mende (Kikaku(i)) in Sierra Leone
(1930)
• Mandombe-Kikongo, Lingala,
Tshiluba in Congo (1978)
LESLLA: African Literacies 23rd Oct. 2008
• Unfortunately most of these languages
were not developed
• People adopted & focused on literacy
brought by missionaries and later
colonialists
LESLLA: African Literacies 23rd Oct. 2008
Literacy in Kenya
• Writing uses the Roman Alphabet
• Earliest forms of this writing were Bible
translations in the mid 19th C
• Swahili translation was successful
• Vernacular translations were
unsuccessful as they generalized
dialects
LESLLA: African Literacies 23rd Oct. 2008
• E.g Luhya was considered as one
language, yet it has over 19 dialects
• Some of which are mutually
unintelligible
• Other examples are in languages like
Gĩkũyũ/Kikuyu/Gekoyo & Bukusu
• Orthography in these languages is
distorted and does not represent the
actual language sounds
LESLLA: African Literacies 23rd Oct. 2008
For example:
Ngai-/gaɪ/- God
cũcũ -/ʃɔʃɔ/-Shosho (grandmother)
Gotire- /gɔθre/- gothire (there is no)
LESLLA: African Literacies 23rd Oct. 2008
• Generally literature in Vernacular has
been uncommon until recently
• In 2007 before elections, there was an
influx of vernacular literature especially
in Kikuyu
• Most formal literature is in Swahili &
English
LESLLA: African Literacies 23rd Oct. 2008
Interpersonal Literacy related
Communication Media in Kenya
(1970 – current)
• The post independence govts have been
committed in enhancing literacy levels
• Current literacy rate is 79.7%.
• Men 10% more than women
• This has enhanced the use of literacy
related communication media
LESLLA: African Literacies 23rd Oct. 2008
Letters
• First form of literary communication
• Most letters were hand written on
foolscaps
• Charges based on stamps
• Special envelopes for local vs
international mail
LESLLA: African Literacies 23rd Oct. 2008
Letters
• Later formal letters were typed
• Most letters were written in English
• Personal letters were often flamboyant
& wordy
• They used stamps and took too long in
the postal transportation
LESLLA: African Literacies 23rd Oct. 2008
Telegrams
• Very popular in conveying urgent
messages
• 1st media to separate communication
from transportation
LESLLA: African Literacies 23rd Oct. 2008
Telegrams
• They used the Morse code
• They were often terse & abbreviated
because they charged per word
• Punctuations were written out e.g.
STOP
LESLLA: African Literacies 23rd Oct. 2008
Emails
• Require access to Electricity, Internet &
a computer
• Are of average length like letters
• Used for formal and informal
communication
• Current proliferation of obtrusive
forwards
LESLLA: African Literacies 23rd Oct. 2008
Emails
• Young elite professionals have them
free in urban work places
• Others access them in commercial
internet cafes
• Charges are per time spent online
• Average Kenyans do not have access to
them
LESLLA: African Literacies 23rd Oct. 2008
Chats
• Similar to emails
• Require simultaneous online
presence
• Have the shortest feedback time
• Average length is longer than
Email
LESLLA: African Literacies 23rd Oct. 2008
Chats
• Unedited & more spontaneous
• Mostly limited to Yahoo &
MSN
• Mostly used between friends
LESLLA: African Literacies 23rd Oct. 2008
SMS
• Requires cell phone, airtime & network
• Currently is the most widespread
• Cheaper & cost effective than calling
• Faster than the letter
LESLLA: African Literacies 23rd Oct. 2008
SMS
• Accessible than Email
• No. of characters per message limited to
160
• Leads to creative multilingual language
use to stay in the limit
LESLLA: African Literacies 23rd Oct. 2008
Other
• Fax: Used for official communication in
big organizations
• Social network sites: web pages Blogs,
Facebook etc-Still to develop
LESLLA: African Literacies 23rd Oct. 2008
Estimation of Usage of literacy related communication media in Kenya
100
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
1970
1980
Letters
1990
Telegrams
Emails
2000
Chats
2006
SMS
Other
2008
Conclusion
• Kenya (Africa) is adapting zealously
to new media which require literacy
• Drawbacks
– Literacy levels stagnant at 79.7%
(2003-2008)
– Lack of resources (monetary &
material)
LESLLA: African Literacies 23rd Oct. 2008
– Marginalized rural areas
– Available in ‘elite’ languages
– Evolving too fast to keep up
– Gender disparity
– Abets fast & well coordinated antisocial acts
LESLLA: African Literacies 23rd Oct. 2008
The End:
Sandra Barasa,
Leiden University Centre for
Linguistics (LUCL)
[email protected]
LESLLA: African Literacies 23rd Oct. 2008