School of Education and Social sciences
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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 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 A Semantic Analysis of Absent Subjects of Idioms in Gĩkũyũ(Advances in Language and Literary Studies, 2020-06-30) Kiguta, Purity Njambi; Gathigia, Moses Gatambuki; Ndung’u, Catherine WaitheraIdioms have been studied for a considerable time by linguists with a view of explaining their meaning. In Gĩkũyũ, for example, the meaning of most idioms can be derived from constituents that form them. However, in some Gĩkũyũ idioms, the meaning is hindered by the absence of the subject in the idiomatic utterance or sentence. It is against this background that this study sought to conduct a semantic analysis on selected idioms in Gĩkũyũ. Thus, the objective of this study was to establish the absent subject in the selected Gĩkũyũ idioms through etymological elaboration and then conduct a semantic analysis of the idioms. The study was based on the Conventional Figurative Language Theory (Dobrovol and Elisabeth). The study employed the descriptive research design and purposively targeted 20 Gĩkũyũ idioms. Data was collected through focus group discussions involving 10 participants who are native speakers of Gĩkũyũ. The study used the content analysis method, which is within the qualitative research paradigm. The data was presented in form of tables and themes. The Gĩkũyũ idiomatic expressions and the established subjects were listed and their gloss provided. Through etymological elaboration, a semantic analysis of the idiomatic expressions was conducted. The findings of the study are that the absence of the subject in idioms greatly hinders their comprehensibility. Further, etymological elaboration is required in order to establish the absent subject. The findings therefore imply that whenever the comprehensibility of an idiom is compromised by the lack of the subject in the utterance, cognitive linguists should process the meaning by using etymological elaboration The study concludes that interpretation of idiomatic expressions in Gĩkũyũ can be enhanced by establishing the absent subject through etymological elaboration which provides clues that aid interpretation .Secondly, semantic analysis of the idioms enhances comprehensibility. The study recommends further research on absent subjects in Gĩkũyũ idioms that were not part of this study. Secondly, other idiom processing strategies for example contextualization (Copper, 2004) can be used to establish the absent subjects in idiomatic expressions. Thirdly, further research can be conducted to establish other aspects of idioms that hinder comprehensibility of idioms not only in Gĩkũyũ but also in other languages. The study will not only provide valuable linguistic knowledge on the study of idioms in Gĩkũyũ but will also encourage further research on idioms in other languages.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 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 Metaphoric Conceptualisation of “LOVE IS A PLANT” in Gĩkũyũ: A Cognitive-Semantics Perspective(Bulletin of Advanced English Studies, 2019) Gathigia, Moses Gatambuki; Maitaria, Joseph NyehitaStarting from the premise that a metaphor is a cognitive mechanism in which one experiential domain is partially mapped onto a different experiential domain , this paper examines the metaphoric conceptualis ation of “LOVE IS A PLANT” in Gĩkũyũ from a cognitive semantics perspective. In order to achieve this objective, t he study adopted the fundamental tenets of the C onceptual Metaphor Theory (CMT). An interview schedule was administered to 48 speakers of Gĩkũyũ by the researcher assisted by two research assistants of different gender. The data collected were subjected to the Metaphor Identification Procedure Vrije Universiteit (MIPVU) to find out whether the lexical items collected were metaphorical or not. Using four annotators, includin g the researcher, the study identified nine plant osemic metaphors which play a pivotal role in the understanding of love in G ĩ kũyũ. The study concludes that plantosemic metaphors are co nceptual phenomena which are integral component of the Gĩkũyũ cultural milieu expressed in language . Further, the study also notesItem A Cognitive Approach to EkeGusii Pop Songs(Australian International Academic Centre, 2018-03) Ntabo, Victor Ondara; Gathigia, Moses Gatambuki; Nyarigoti, Naom MoraaA 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 MetaphorItem Nexus between Gender and Language Shift among the Youth in Nairobi County, Kenya(Australian International Academic Centre, 2018-08) Gathigia, Moses Gatambuki; Nyarigoti, Naom Moraa; Kimani, Rosemary WamaithaThe phenomenon of language shift is brought about by language contact. Language shift from mother tongue to another language among the youth is an issue that cannot be wished away due to, inter alia, factors like urbanization, migration, multilingualism or bilingualism and the country’s language policy. Studies have also shown that there is notable difference in the use of language along gender lines. The objective of this study, therefore, is to assess the nexus between the gender variable and language shift among the youth in Nairobi County, Kenya. The study is anchored on a sociolinguistic theory known as the Domain Theory. The study adopted the ex-post facto research design. The study targeted students in public day secondary schools in Nairobi County, Kenya. The sample size of the study comprised 98 students drawn from public day secondary schools in three sub-counties in Nairobi County. Questionnaires were used as the tools of data collection. The reliability of the tool was computed using the Cronbach’s coefficient method with a reliability coefficient of 0.83. Descriptive statistics was used to describe the findings of the data. Chi-square tests were conducted to establish the relationship between gender and language shift. There was a significant relationship (χ2=18.143, p<0.05) between gender and the language used in communication with students of the same sex. There was also a significant relationship (χ2 =13.144, p<0.005) between gender and the language used at school. The findings also show that majority of those who use Kiswahili (62%), Sheng (100%), English and Sheng (100%) or Kiswahili and Sheng (100%) are males. The findings, therefore, show that female and male students use languages differently and therefore, language shift occurred differently between the two genders. The findings, therefore, imply that in schools, female students are more likely to use English while male students are more likely to use Sheng. Kiswahili is used equally among males and females while mother tongue is not used at all. The study concludes that gender plays a significant role in language shift among the youth in Nairobi County. The study recommends that the Ministry of Education reviews the current language policy to include instructions in mother tongue in secondary schools.Item The Treatment of Indigenous Languages in Kenya’s Pre- and Post-independent Education Commissions and in the Constitution of 2010(Australian International Academic Centre, 2017-12-30) Gathigia, Moses Gatambuki; Njoroge, Martin C.An indigenous or community language is the language that nurtures the child in the early years of his or her life. The UNESCO land mark publication in 1953 underscores the importance of educating children in their community languages: an education that is packaged in a language which the child does not understand is simply difficultfor the child. Kenya has had a number of education commissions that significantly address the place of indigenous languages in a child’s education. Further, Kenya Constitution on its part tackles language issues too. This paper, therefore, examines how the Constitution and the various colonial and post-colonial educational commissions that have been undertaken in Kenya treat indigenous languages. Should these indigenous languages be used as a medium of instruction? What are their benefitsto a child’s life? To answer these questions, the historical method of study which utilizes mainly secondary and primary sources of data is adopted. The main sources of primary data which form the basis of the discussion and analysis in the paper are Kenya’s constitution (2010) and the educational commissions and reports in the two epochs: colonial and post-colonial periods. The main sources of secondary data scrutinized include: written documents such as books, journals and newspapers. The paper notes that the various educational commissions contain numerous recommendations that have informed Kenya’s education sector over the years on the way indigenous languages should be utilized for both individual and national development. This notwithstanding, the paper concludes that indigenous languages in Kenya have been given a short shrift to the advantage of English language hegemony. The paper proposes a sound implementation of the commissions’ recommendations in order to revitalize indigenous languages so that a Kenyan learner can reap benefits that accrue from the use of indigenous languages in education