Title: A Trace of Interpersonal Literacy Communication in Kenya Letters-Telegram-Email-Chats/SMS Sandra Barasa, Leiden University Centre for Linguistics s.barasa@hum.leidenuniv.nl
1A Trace of Interpersonal Literacy Communication
in Kenya Letters-Telegram-Email-Chats/SMS
Sandra Barasa,Leiden University Centre for
Linguisticss.barasa_at_hum.leidenuniv.nl
LESLLA African Literacies 23rd Oct. 2008
2Background
- African Literacy Systems
- CMC Literacy in Kenya
- Letters
- Telegrams
- Emails/IM
- SMS
LESLLA African Literacies 23rd Oct. 2008
3- 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
4Egyptian Hierographics Vai Writing
LESLLA African Literacies 23rd Oct. 2008
5Other known early African writing systems
- Tifinagh-Berber languages in Maghreb, Sahara
Sahel (4th Century B.C) - Geez-Amharic, Tigirinya Languages in Ethiopia
Eritrea (5th Century B.C) - Bamun (Shummom, Bamum) Cameroon (1895-1903)
LESLLA African Literacies 23rd Oct. 2008
6- Osmanya in Somali (1920)
- Nko- 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
7- 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
8Literacy 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
9- 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
Gikuyu/Kikuyu/Gekoyo Bukusu - Orthography in these languages is distorted and
does not represent the actual language sounds
LESLLA African Literacies 23rd Oct. 2008
10- For example
- Ngai-/ga?/- God
- cucu -/????/-Shosho (grandmother)
- Gotire- /g??re/- gothire (there is no)
LESLLA African Literacies 23rd Oct. 2008
11- 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
12Interpersonal 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
13- 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
14Letters
- 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
15Telegrams
- Very popular in conveying urgent messages
- 1st media to separate communication from
transportation
LESLLA African Literacies 23rd Oct. 2008
16Telegrams
- 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
17Emails
- 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
18Emails
- 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
19Chats
- Similar to emails
- Require simultaneous online presence
- Have the shortest feedback time
- Average length is longer than Email
LESLLA African Literacies 23rd Oct. 2008
20Chats
- Unedited more spontaneous
- Mostly limited to Yahoo MSN
- Mostly used between friends
LESLLA African Literacies 23rd Oct. 2008
21SMS
- 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
22SMS
- 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
23- 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
24(No Transcript)
25Conclusion
- 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
26- Marginalized rural areas
- Available in elite languages
- Evolving too fast to keep up
- Gender disparity
- Abets fast well coordinated anti-social acts
LESLLA African Literacies 23rd Oct. 2008
27- The End
- Sandra Barasa,
- Leiden University Centre for Linguistics (LUCL)
- s.barasa_at_hum.leidenuniv.nl
LESLLA African Literacies 23rd Oct. 2008