BEGIN:VCALENDAR
VERSION:2.0
PRODID:-//Talks.cam//talks.cam.ac.uk//
X-WR-CALNAME:Talks.cam
BEGIN:VEVENT
SUMMARY:Language situation and endangerment in Uganda: Facts and perspecti
 ves - Dr. Saudah Namyalo
DTSTART:20150513T161500Z
DTEND:20150513T180000Z
UID:TALK58684@talks.cam.ac.uk
CONTACT:Harald Flohr
DESCRIPTION:Uganda like many other African countries has a complex and div
 erse language situation. It has a multi-ethnic\, multi-cultural and multi-
 lingual society\, (See Namyalo & Nakayiza 2014) and\, according to the Eth
 nologue (Lewis 2014) home to 41 languages\, which belong to four different
  language families\, the Bantu\, the Nilotic\, the Central Sudanic and the
  Kuliak languages.\n\nHowever\, the only nation-wide language survey in Ug
 anda was conducted in 1967-1971 (Ladefoged et al 1972). In this survey\, a
 n attempt was made to analyse the languages spoken in Uganda\, classify th
 em into linguistic groups\, identify some phonological features of few of 
 them and draw a preliminary language map for Uganda\, (see Mukama 1998:49)
 . Since then no nation-wide language survey of language has ever been cond
 ucted\, and even newer publications continue to draw from Ladefoged’s su
 rvey. Due to  the lack of a recent large-scale language survey and the lac
 k of a language question in the population censuses of Uganda\, the actual
  number of languages spoken in Uganda has been reported with variations\, 
 (see   Katamba (2006)\, Kwagala et al. (2007)\, Batibo (2005) among others
 . In view of this\, the paper analyses the historical background and affil
 iations of Uganda’s languages by providing specific names of these langu
 ages and dialects\, their geographical locations and the current demograph
 ic sizes as per the 2014 population census. In addition to this\, their cl
 assification in terms of their linguistic families is provided. \n\nThe pa
 per further discusses   the status and growth of the individual languages 
 in Uganda. It examines which languages for example\; possess writing syste
 ms\, those that are taught in schools\, the quantity and quality of litera
 ture available in each language\, and the degree and level of terminologic
 al empowerment in comparison to the status and role of English  in Uganda.
  In addition\, the chapter   highlights that the roles of indigenous langu
 ages are being revitalised. The status of indigenous languages has grown b
 eyond the limited grounds of ‘vernaculars’ spoken by small divided tri
 bes into dignified area languages with important roles in education\,  soc
 ialisation\, administration\, judiciary\, mass media\, politicisation and 
 national unification\, (see Mukama: 1998:49). Such languages include Lugan
 da\, Runyakitara\, Acholi\, among others. These languages\, are used as me
 dium of instruction under the mother tongue based curriculum\, they are ta
 ught as subjects in schools. In addition\, they are widely used in adminis
 tration\, judiciary as well as mass media \n\nThe paper ends with a discus
 sion of language expansion\, dominance\, shift and death in Uganda. It is 
 observed that apart from English\, which has been the country’s only off
 icial language\, and Kiswahili \, which has been recently proposed as the 
 second official language\, area languages\, namely Luganda\, Ateso\, Runya
 nkore-Rukiga\, Runyoro-Rutooro\, Dhopadhola\, Lugbra\, Acholi and Ng’aka
 ramojongo\, have continued to expand and dominate smaller languages. This 
 situation is directly and indirectly facilitating language shift\, death a
 nd endangerment.  \n
LOCATION:Faculty of English\, Room GR-06/07
END:VEVENT
END:VCALENDAR