Department of Humanities and Languages
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Item Metaphoric Conceptualizations of Death in Gĩkũyũ(KOAJKorea Open Access Journals, 2017) Gathigia, Moses GatambukiUsing 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.Item A Categorization Strategy for Objects Metaphors in Ekegusii Pop Songs(Refaad, 2019) Ntabo, Victor OndaraThe principle of Great Chain of Being Metaphor (GCBM) is normally resourceful in the analysis of metaphors. This is because the GCBM assigns a place for any phenomenon in the universe in a strict hierarchical system thus helping in understanding one thing based on another. For example, the objects chain is the second last level which is very useful in conceptualizing objects metaphors in society. Composers of Ekegusii pop songs (EPS) employ objects metaphors which refer to concreteness and abstractness to communicate their message in a subjective manner. However, the GCBM does not effectively account for concreteness and abstractness in objects metaphor analysis. The paper, therefore, devises a categorization strategy to aid in the analysis of the metaphors in EPS. Using a qualitative research design, the study identifies, classifies and interprets the metaphors in the selected EPS using the Conceptual Metaphor Theory (CMT) and the Metaphor Identification Procedure Vrije Universiteit (MIPVU). Obwanchani (Love) EPS by Ontiri Bikundo was purposively sampled for the study based on its richness in metaphors and popularity in FM stations in Kenya. The research found that the objects metaphors are source domains in the construction of metaphors related to human beings in EPS. The paper concludes that metaphors are crucial ways of communication and should be analyzed using a Cognitive Linguistics approach. The study recommends that language researchers should adopt a categorization strategy to effectively analyze the objects metaphors.Item 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.Item Vocabulary Instruction in Kenyan Pre-Schools: A Semantic Field Theoretical Approach(Coretrain Journal of Languages, Humanities, Social Sciences and Education, 2018) Gathigia, Moses GatambukiVocabulary 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.Item 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 OndaraThe 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.Item When two Horses Become Minji na Ndengũ (Peas and Green Grams): A Cognitive Integration Analysis of Blended Idioms of Political Campaign in Kenyan Newspapers(Advances in Language and Literary Studies, 2019-07) Ogal, George Ouma; Gathigia, Moses Gatambuki; Maitaria, Joseph NyehitaPolitical campaigns are emotive activities that rely on language to attract the attention of the public. In fact, electioneering periods in Kenya are heavily laced with idiomatic expressions such that one would be required to use the interrelatedness between language and cognition to understand the utterances of a speaker. It is against this backdrop that the present study analyzes the cognitive processes of the idiom minji na ndengũ (peas and green grams) vis-à-vis the canonized form. The idiom minji na ndengũ (peas and green grams) drew a lot of attention during the Kenyan official electioneering period (May and October, 2017) and was extensively used in both the print and social media platforms. The study is anchored in three objectives: to categorize the idiom minji na ndengũ (peas and green grams) in terms of compositionality; to establish the vital relation between the blended idiom and the canonical form; and to interpret the blend using the Conceptual Integration Theory. The study employed the descriptive research design. The study purposively sampled the blended idiom minji na ndengũ (peas and green grams) which is a blended form of the idiom two horse race. Using content analysis, the study classifies and presents a diagrammatic conceptual interpretation of new knowledge based on metaphorical mappings to illustrate the emergent structure. A general finding of this study is that political campaigns create new meanings using deliberately blended idioms of war to improve figurative competencies. Further, one needs to immerse themselves in pragmatic inference in order to reveal the meaning of a blended idiomatic expression. The findings of this study imply that whenever the provisions of grammar prove deficient in unpacking certain messages, cognitive linguists, idiom theorists and researchers should apply the postulates of Cognitive Linguistics. The study concludes that blended idioms of political campaigns achieve creativity and novelty. Further, the comprehension of blended expressions requires the understanding of pragmatic inferences of the local context. The study recommends that for a better understanding of blended idiomatic expressions, one should consider the local contexts expressed in language.Item Songs as a Resource for the Teaching of English Lexical Items to Speakers of Gĩkũyũ in a Multilingual Environment(2019) Gathiga, Moses G.; Njoroge, Martin C.Knowledge of lexical items is fundamental to the development of language proficiency. In order to appeal to young learners to comprehend the meaning of lexical items and enhance language proficiency, songs can be effective tools for the teaching of English lexical items. Songs are not just for fun; they are a valuable educational tool that aids language acquisition as well as the whole learner’s physical and mental development. The focus of this paper, therefore, is to demonstrate the applicability of songs as a resource for the teaching of English lexical items. The study used 12 adult respondents who had learnt English as a second language using Gĩkũyũ songs with English lexical terms. The paper explains with the use of three Gĩkũyũ / English songs, purposively sampled, to illustrate how songs were applied and can still be applied in the teaching of English lexical items. The study notes that songs employ tactile-kinesthetic activities in which language is intentionally manipulated to facilitate lexical items acquisition in a multilingual context. This paper concludes that songs are an important resource in the teaching of second languages as they make teaching and learning enjoyable and instructional. The findings of this study are significant as they add a new learning paradigm intended to provide to language instructors, learners and curriculum developers with insights into the value of songs for vocabulary acquisition.Item Etymological Elaboration As A Pedagogical Approach: Insights From Applied Linguistics(International Journal of Innovative Research and Advanced Studies, 2016) Gathigia, Moses GatambukiIdioms 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 beyondItem Assessment of an Effective Pastoral Care Model for Helping Widows Overcome Grief in Ack Kirinyaga Diocese, Kenya(Journal of Arts & Humanities, 2019-04) Kathomi, Mbaabu Kellyjoy; Murage, Josiah Kinyua; Kiarie, GeorgeWidows go through emotional difficulties in the process of grief yet they constitute a large percent of the adult female population. Nevertheless, they continue to remain silent considering the inadequate well laid out mechanisms for emotional support by the church. This study assessed an effective Pastoral Care Model for helping widows overcome grief in the Anglican Church of Kenya, Kirinyaga diocese, Kenya. The objective of this study was to assess a Pastoral Care Model that can be theologically incorporated in widows’ ministry. This study was guided by Kubler- Ross model of grief care. This study was restricted to 358 widows and 70 clergy in Kirinyaga diocese. The findings of this study were that; widows experienced stages of grief in a non-linear progression; emotional support was arguably neglected to some extent; clergy enrolling in a teaching module would assist them in widow’s ministry and; three variables were significant in predicting the most effective Pastoral Care Model. In this article it is therefore proposed that a Pastoral Care Model which is theological and contextual to African setting should be taught to all care givers so as to effectively deal with the issue of death and grief among the widows.Item Ushairi wa Abdilatif Abdalla Katika Kubainisha Utamaduni wa Waswahili(Journal of Linguistics and Language in Education, 2018) Maitaria, Joseph Nyehita; Wafula, Richard MakhanuMakala 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.