https://kerd.ku.ac.ke/handle/123456789/132 2026-10-02T00:00:28Z https://kerd.ku.ac.ke/handle/123456789/1589 Variations in Spoken English Used by Teachers in Kenya: Pedagogical Implications Njoroge, Martin C. The research reported in this paper identifies and describes phonological and grammatical variations in the English spoken by teachers at Kenyan primary school level, correlates the variations observed with the teachers’ amount of education completed in the English language and discusses pedagogical implications of the emergent patterns. First, the results indicate that the teacher’s spoken English varies from the British standard variety - the model of correctness at all the education tiers in Kenya and second, that the amount of education a speaker has completed in the English language significantly influences language variability. The findings imply that if more primary school teachers were to receive further exposure to English grammar and phonology through the continuing education programs available in Kenyan universities, their spoken English would then vary less from the standard English and international mutual intelligibility would be improved. An article published in Working Papers in Educational Linguistics 2008-01-01T00:00:00Z https://kerd.ku.ac.ke/handle/123456789/1561 Education in an Unfamiliar Language: Impact of Teachers’ Limited Language Proficiency on Pedagogy, a Situational Analysis of Upper Primary Schools in Kenya McCoy, Bernard This article reviews the pedagogical constraints imposed by teachers’ limited language proficiency in the medium of instruction in Kenyan primary schools by examining classroom interaction and suggests how an improved understanding of the role language ability on the development of cognitive skills in learners can be accessed. Emerging from these investigations is the need for more specific research pertaining to the causal link between teacher language proficiency and teacher-led approaches in countries that have adopted foreign language policies. Finally, recommendations are made for the introduction of internationally recognized English language assessments and second language programme for Kenyan primary school educators. An article published in The Journal of Pan African Studies 2017-01-01T00:00:00Z https://kerd.ku.ac.ke/handle/123456789/1104 Listening Competencies in English: A Descriptive Study of Primary School Teacher Trainees in Kenya Wangungu, Lydiah Wambui This descriptive study sought to establish the listening competence in English of primary teacher trainees in Kenya. The study correlated the social variables of sex, age, performance in Mid- course examination, entry behaviour and the college type and the listening competences of the teacher trainees. It also established the teacher trainees‟ attitudes towards listening skills. The Affective Filter of „The Monitor Model‟ by Krashen was used in the study to investigate the attitude of teacher trainees towards listening skills. Interactive Processing as propounded by Richards also informed the study on the processes used in the listening process and on importance of context in the listening event. A sample of two Teacher Training Colleges was used for the study. The colleges were purposively sampled so that one of them was drawn from the public sector and the other from the private sector. Simple random sampling was used to pick one class in each of the colleges for the study. The respondents were put into three strata using their performance in Mid-course examination namely: The above average trainees, the average trainees and the below average trainees. A test comprising three tasks: dictation, cloze test and listening comprehension were used to elicit data on the listening competences of the teacher trainees. Measures of central tendency were used to analyse the data. One way ANOVA was used to establish the differences in means between and within groups. Correlations between performances by the different groups were established using correlation coefficients and results presented in tables. A questionnaire was also administered to the teacher trainees to seek their views on the listening lessons and the importance of listening skills. The findings indicated that the trainees lacked the desired competence levels in listening skills. However, the teacher trainees had the minimum competence levels in the listening comprehension and in the dictation but not in the cloze test. The trainees in the public college performed better than teacher trainees in the private college in all the listening tasks. The female trainees performed better than their male counterparts. Teacher trainees with strong entry behavior performed better than the teacher trainees with weak entry behavior. The younger teacher trainees performed better than the older teacher trainees. Performance in the Mid-course Examination also influenced the listening competences of the teacher trainees. The study recommended that there should be a set minimum entry behaviour of the trainees joining training colleges. Majority of the teacher trainees were found to have a positive attitude towards the listening skill. Though majority of the trainees thought that listening skill has been given enough emphasis in the Primary Teacher Education syllabus, a large percentage thought otherwise. Most of the teacher trainees rated their listening quality as moderate. There is therefore a need to lower the affective filter of the teacher trainees by helping them cultivate a more positive attitude towards listening skills, eliminating noise in the listening contexts and giving in-service trainings to primary school teachers in order to improve their speaking skills. A Thesis Submitted by Wangungu Lydiah Wambui to the School of Humanities and Social Sciences in Partial Fulfilment of the Requirements for the Award of the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy in English and Linguistics of Kenyatta University, June 2015 2015-01-01T00:00:00Z https://kerd.ku.ac.ke/handle/123456789/827 Mother Tongue Education in Primary Teacher Education in Kenya: a Language Management Critique of the Quota System Mwaniki, Munene Mother tongue education (MTE) has been a subject of rigorous debate for more than half a century, in both industrialized and developing societies. Despite disparate views on MTE, there is an uneasy consensus on its importance in educational systems, especially in the foundational years. Using the Language Management Framework, the article provides a critical appraisal of MTE discourses in relation to primary teacher education and the quota system of student teacher selection and teacher deployment in Kenya. The article argues that from a language management perspective, these two mechanisms are critical in sustaining and promoting MTE in Kenya, and possibly elsewhere A research article in Multilingual Education 2014-01-01T00:00:00Z