Diving into the history of the character and spread of Kiswahili, I examine how power structures in society have influenced the character and spread of Kiswahili in Tanzania. I focus on the early...Show moreDiving into the history of the character and spread of Kiswahili, I examine how power structures in society have influenced the character and spread of Kiswahili in Tanzania. I focus on the early independence period because Kiswahili was nationalised during this period and because the manner in which this was done and legitimised remains underresearched. Using the Gramscian concept hegemony as the success of the ruling class to construct a worldview that is accepted throughout society which naturalizes power relationships between different social groups, I argue that the ideology through which Kiswahili was nationalised in Tanzania shaped the discourse on Kiswahili in a way that naturalizes the power structures in society, thereby implicitly justifying the choice of Kiswahili as the national language. Upon independence, TANU formed the state and shaped the nation. They were the new ruling class and as such tried to establish hegemony. Analysing Ujamaa ideology and the discourse on Kiswahili, I explain how this discourse subverted the issue of ethnic languages and power relations in Tanzania. The mythical elements of these discourses are deconstructed by juxtaposing them with historical realities. By debunking the ideological assumptions on which knowledge about Kiswahili was produced, I simultaneously call into question the epistemological value of research published in the journal Kiswahili.Show less
English became a part of our everyday lives, to the extent that we use it without thinking of how English became such a dominant language. This also seems to be the case in secondary education in...Show moreEnglish became a part of our everyday lives, to the extent that we use it without thinking of how English became such a dominant language. This also seems to be the case in secondary education in Tanzania. English is being associated with opportunities and development and therefore explains the present demand for English as language of instruction. However, it is important to understand how English became such an dominant language and what the consequences are of choosing English before the widely spoken national language. In this work the dominant position of English will be put in the framework of linguistic imperialism and by doing so aims to show how the language of instruction debate fits in this framework.Show less
