Department of Humanities and Languages

Permanent URI for this collectionhttp://localhost:4000/handle/20.500.12092/1883

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Start date: 2010End date: 2018

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Now showing 1 - 10 of 33
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    Metaphoric Conceptualizations of Death in Gĩkũyũ
    (KOAJKorea Open Access Journals, 2017) Gathigia, Moses Gatambuki
    Using the dictum that metaphor is a conceptual mapping from a concrete source domain to an abstract target domain, this paper identifies and categorizes the metaphors of death in Gĩkũyũ using the Conceptual Metaphor Theory. To achieve this objective, a purposive sample of twenty speakers of Gĩkũyũ was interviewed. The study collected 47 metaphors of death as the target domain. Having employed the mnemonics “TARGET DOMAIN IS SOURCE DOMAIN” as posited by Lakoff and Johnson (1980), the study identified four conceptual metaphors of death in Gĩkũyũ as follows: DEATH IS A JOURNEY; DEATH IS THE END; DEATH IS A REST; and DEATH IS A SUMMON. The study concludes that the Cognitive linguistics model provides tools for understanding, interpreting and accounting for metaphors of death in Gĩkũyũ.
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    Relating Theory and Practice in the Teaching of Connectors
    (2015) Gathigia, Moses Gatambuki; Njoroge, Martin C.
    Coherence and cohesion are essential elements that a well-constructed written sentence or text should consist of. Connectors are usually used to indicate coherence and cohesion between units of a discourse. A sample of academic writing with connectors present is perceived to be more logical, convincing and authoritative than the same sample with all the connectors removed. Learners of English as a second language tend to misuse connectors in their writing creating comprehensive problems that may be so impenetrable as to defy normal decoding of a text. With this background information, this paper examines the teaching of connectors using the conventional approach and the essay-based approach, which is also complemented by the Coherence and Relevance theoretical framework. The study is conducted using a pretest / posttest paradigm to test the efficacy of the two approaches of teaching connectors. Two Form three classes were sampled for this study. A pretest on logical connectors was administered in each school, marked and results recorded. The experimental class was exposed to the teaching of connectors using the essay - based approach (textual) method as a tool of teaching while the control class was exposed to the conventional approach of teaching. A posttest, the same test administered as a pretest, was given to the two groups. The scores recorded in both tests were analyzed quantitatively using the Levene's Test for Equality of Variances. The analysis is then presented in tables, graphs and findings discussed. In addition, the paper proposes recommendations for pedagogy.
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    Vocabulary Instruction in Kenyan Pre-Schools: A Semantic Field Theoretical Approach
    (Coretrain Journal of Languages, Humanities, Social Sciences and Education, 2018) Gathigia, Moses Gatambuki
    Vocabulary teaching has always been a keystone in English language teaching. However, the best vocabulary instruction strategy to be used by language teachers has always been a herculean task. Against this background, this study explores vocabulary instruction on the basis of the Semantic Field theory, which looks at the semantic relatedness and its effects in the development of second language lexical repertoire. The study adopted a survey research design because the focus was on collecting Gĩkũyũ songs that could be used to highlight the applicability of the Semantic Field theory in vocabulary acquisition. A sample of 12 adult respondents who learned English as a second language using Gĩkũyũ as their mother tongue in rural primary schools assisted in the collection of songs. After four Gĩkũyũ songs were collected through tape-recording, purposive sampling was employed to select three songs that the research deemed the most appropriate for the teaching of English lexical items. The study also conducted interviews with two Kenyan linguists in order to gain an in-depth understanding of the Semantic Field theory in the acquisition of lexis. Content analysis, which is within the qualitative research paradigm, guided the analysis of the songs in order to identify the parts of the songs that were relevant to the achievement of the research objective. The study found that learning words with the same semantic field allows learners to connect different connotations and meanings of the lexemes. The study concludes that the Semantic Field theory is an effective strategy that provides learners with a cluster of words that are related in their meanings. The study recommends that teachers should find appropriate words to set up semantic fields of the vocabulary and at the same time make presentation of vocabulary an interesting learning process for the learners.
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    Interpreting the Human Being Metaphors in Ekegusii Pop Songs Using the Cognitive Semantics Framework
    (Issues in Language Studies, 2018) GATHIGIA, Moses Gatambuki; NYARIGOTI, Naom Moraa; NTABO, Victor Ondara
    The paper explores the human being metaphors in Ekegusii pop songs (EPS). Composers of EPS use human being metaphors to convey their message in different perspectives. It is possible for the meaning of the human being metaphors to elude the audience of EPS because language is both embodied and situated in a specific environment. Therefore, the meaning of the metaphors need to be objectively interpreted to reveal the message of the composers. The study purposively sampled Christopher Mosioma’s (Embarambamba) EPS amasomo (education) and the late Ontiri Bikundo’s obwanchani (love) based on the songs’ richness in metaphors. The Metaphor Identification Procedure Vrije Universiteit was used to identify 54 metaphors in the EPS by four coders (including the researchers). The concept of conceptual mapping, which is a fundamental tenet of the Conceptual Metaphor Theory, was employed to understand the source domains in terms of the target domains. The identified metaphors were classified into four conceptual domains of human being, animal, plant and object using the principle of the Great Chain of Being Metaphor. The paper then identified eight human being metaphors for the present study. The research found that human being metaphors are important ways of conceptualizing other human beings in society. In addition, metaphors are important tools of communication and should be explained using a cognitive semantics framework. The findings of the study will benefit the audience of the EPS, ethnographers and metaphor theorists to conceptualise EPS and culture.
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    Etymological Elaboration As A Pedagogical Approach: Insights From Applied Linguistics
    (International Journal of Innovative Research and Advanced Studies, 2016) Gathigia, Moses Gatambuki
    Idioms are regarded as problematic to teach and, a fortiori, difficult for second language learners to comprehend due to the arbitrariness of their meanings and forms. Thus, the objective of this study is to test the efficacy of etymological elaboration and the teacher descriptive approach to the teaching and learning of English idioms in second language contexts. To achieve this objective, 30 purposively sampled English idioms were gathered from the Macmillan English Dictionary (2007 edition) and the Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary (2010 edition). The study was conducted using a pretest / posttest paradigm. Two Form three classes were sampled for this study. A pretest on the 30 English idioms was administered, marked and results recorded. Learners in the experimental class were taught using etymological elaboration approach while those in the control class were taught using the teacher descriptive approach. A posttest was given to the participants in the same format as the pretest. The scores recorded in both tests were analyzed quantitatively using the Levene's Test for Equality of Variances. The study noted that the teaching of English idioms using etymological elaboration approach facilitates learners’ retention and comprehension of idioms. The study concludes that the etymological elaboration approach is an effective strategy of teaching English idioms. The paper proposes recommendations for pedagogy of English idioms for learners of English as the second language in Kenya and beyond
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    Ushairi wa Abdilatif Abdalla Katika Kubainisha Utamaduni wa Waswahili
    (Journal of Linguistics and Language in Education, 2018) Maitaria, Joseph Nyehita; Wafula, Richard Makhanu
    Makala haya yanafafanua maudhui yaliyomo katika tungo za mashairi ya Abdilatif Abdalla kwa kuzingatia namna masuala ya utamaduni waWaswahili yanavyowasilishwa. Masuala hayo yanahusu namna wenyeji hao wanavyotangamana na wanavyoshughulikia maisha yao kwa ujumla. Kadhalika, ubainishaji wa vipengele hivyo vimewasilishwa kwa kuzingatia taijriba ya mtunzi kama mmoja katika jamii hiyo. Mashairi hayo yanapozingatiwa, inabainika kuwa; hisi za mtunzi zimedhibitiwa kwa lugha teule ya mafumbo inayojikita katika zaidi katika ‘lugha’ au ‘lafudhi’ yake ambayo ni lahaja ya Kimvita. Katika muktadha huu, jumbe hizo zinahitaji fasiri na maelezo kutokana na utamaduni wa mtunzi. Kwa mapana, mashairi hayo yana mwangwi unaogusia historia yataifa lake (hasa katika miaka ya baada ya 1963 nchini Kenya). Kwa maana hii, ushairi wa Abdilatif Abdalla unaweza kwa kihifadhi na kibainishaji cha vielelelzo vya utamaduni na uhalisi wa maisha ya jamii ya mtunzi. Katika kushughulikia uhusiano uliopo kati ya fasihi na utamaduni, makala haya yanaangazia baadhi ya mifano ya mashairi yaliyohifadhiwa katika Diwani ya Sauti ya Dhiki (1973). Mwishowe, inapependekeza namna mashari teule ya Kiswahili yanavyoweza kuwa hifadhi ya ‘viashiria’ vya ‘viishara’ vyatamaduni asilia katika jamii ya sasa.
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    A Cognitive Semantics Analysis of Fulstop and Valentine Taarab Songs by Khadija Kopa and Mzee Yusuf
    (International Journal of Psychology Research, 2017) Ntabo, Victor Ondara
    The Taarab composers and singers Khadija Kopa and Mzee Yusuf have gained appeal for their hilarious and metaphorical songs. In particular, the songs, Fulstop by Khadija Kopa and Valentine by Mzee Yusuf have been a massive hit with many Kenyans as they are regularly played in coastal FM stations and social gatherings, thanks to their use of metaphors and witticism. Basically, the song Fulstop is about Khadija Kopa’s self-praise of her achievements in the music industry and the pieces of advice she offers the youths to stay away from vices especially drugs and substance abuse and illicit sex. Mzee Yusuf paints a picture of a patriarchal male member in society who is “worshipped” by women. Using four coders including the researcher, this paper set out to identify the metaphors in the songs through the Metaphor Identification Procedure Vrije Universiteit (MIPVU). In addition, the study explains the meaning of the metaphors using the Cognitive Semantics framework. Content analysis which is within the qualitative research paradigm, also guided the analysis of the metaphors in the songs. The study found that the MIPVU is an effective method of identifying metaphors in songs. Also, the study notes that animal, human being, plant and object metaphors are source domains in the construction of metaphors in the songs. The study concludes that the metaphors in taarab songs belong inherently to different levels of the generic Great Chain of Being Metaphor (GCBM)
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    Dhima ya Ushairi wa Kiswahili Katika Kuelimishia Jamii Kuhusu Demokrasia
    (African Journals Online, 2014) Maitaria, Joseph Nyehita
    Makala haya yanafafanua dhima ya Ushairi wa Kiswahili katika kubainisha na kuielimishia jamii kuhusu masuala ya demokrasia. Ushairi kama kitengo muhimu cha fasihi, umekuwa ukitumiwa kuchochea usaili na tafakari kuhusu uhusika wa watu katika uongozi wa jamii. Aidha, umaarufu wake hautokani tu na maneno ya lugha iliyozoewa katika jamii bali kupitia kwa tamathali za usemi ambazo huhusishwa kwa makusudi katika ubebaji wa ujumbe unaowasilishwa.Hivyo, utanzu huu unakuwa ni nyenzo ya kuwaelekeza, kuwaelimisha na kuwazindua watu kuhusu uwajibikaji wa kushiriki na kuchangia kwa dhati katika masuala ya siasa na uongozi wa jamii. Katika miaka ya mwanzo mwanzo mwa 1960 hadi miaka ya 1990, serikali za mataifa ya Afrika Mashariki zimekuwa zikijitahidi kwa kiwango fulani lakini hazijaudhibiti mwafaka wa kuhusisha umma katika masuala muhimu ya kitaifa. Kutokana na mabadiliko asasi za jamii ya sasa, kumekuwa na mitazamo tofauti tofauti kuhusu falsafa na matarajio ya watu kuhusu uelekezaji wa maisha yao. Baadhi ya wanajamii wamekuwa wakisaili na kukemea baadhi ya vitendo hasi vinavyoshuhudiwa katika mfumo wa utawala uliopo katika jamii. Kadhalika, ushairi wa Kiswahili umekuwa ukiyabainisha na kuyafakari baadhi ya masuala hayo kwa jicho pekuzi. Kwa maana hii, suala la demokrasia linashughulikiwa katika makala haya kwa kurejelea baadhi ya mashairi ya Abdilatif Abdalla, Sauti ya Dhiki (1973), Alamin Mazrui, Chembe cha Moyo (1988) na Said Ahmed Mohammed, Jicho la Ndani (2002)
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    A Cognitive Approach to EkeGusii Pop Songs
    (Australian International Academic Centre, 2018-03) Ntabo, Victor Ondara; Gathigia, Moses Gatambuki; Nyarigoti, Naom Moraa
    A review of literature on pop songs reveals that composers use metaphors to communicate their feelings. In particular, the meaning of the metaphors in EkeGusii pop songs needs to be interpreted to reveal the message of the composers. The EkeGusii pop singer Christopher Mosioma’s (Embarambamba) songs have gained fame in Kenya because of their richness in the usage of metaphors. One of Christopher Mosioma’s songs, amasomo (education) which was launched in 2015 has gained acclaim from Kenyans. The song amasomo (education) is basically presented as a piece of advice to students to embrace education in order to optimally reap from its benefits. The study identified 10 metaphors in the song amasomo (education) through the Metaphor Identification Procedure Vrije Universiteit. In order to interpret the metaphors in the EkeGusii pop song amasomo (education), the Conceptual Metaphor Theory complemented by the folk conception of the generic Great Chain of Being Metaphor were employed. The study employed four coders (including the researchers) in the identification of the metaphors. The study found that, inter alia, animal, plant and object metaphors are used in the song amasomo (education). The study concludes that the metaphors in the EkeGusii pop songs belong inherently to different levels of the generic Great Chain of Being Metaphor
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    Influence of Rainfall Variability on Tomato Production among Small Scale Farmers in Kieni East Sub County, Kenya
    (Journal of Arts & Humanities, 2018) Karienye, Joseph M.; Nduru, Gilbert M.; Huho, Julius M.; Opiyo, Francis E.
    In Kenya, horticultural farming within the agricultural sector contributes 25 percent to the national Gross Domestic Product and to job creation for the majority of the households. About one third of Kenya’s population live in the Arid and Semi-Arid Lands largely depends on rain-fed agriculture as a source of livelihood. The spatial and temporal rainfall variations that characterize these regions is thought have adverse effects on tomato production, with scanty information existing in literature. This study examined the influence of rainfall variability on tomato production among small scale farmers in Kieni East Sub County, Kenya. The study was conducted in four wards of Kieni East Sub County, Kabaru, Thegu River, Narumoru/ Kiamathaga and Gakawa. Cross sectional survey research design was used in this study. Household questionnaire survey and interview was used to collect primary data from a sample of 45 farmers randomly selected and proportionately distributed among the four wards. Specific objectives were to: establish rainfall characteristics between 1981 and 2014 and establish farmers’ adaptation strategies to rainfall variability on tomato production in the study area. Rainfall data was obtained from Kenya Meteorological Department in Nairobi. Data on farmer’s adapatation strategies was obtained from the farmers in Kieni East Sub County. The data collected was analyzed using descriptive statistics, frequencies, percentages, means, and tables with the aid of Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) version 20.0. The study benefited the Ministry of Agriculture, farmers and policy implementers in improving tomato production in areas that are characterized by varying rainfall patterns.
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