Kiswahili Education in Crisis!

Challenges Plaguing the Teaching and Learning of Kiswahili Language

Despite Kiswahili being the national language of Kenya and widely spoken across East Africa, its teaching and learning face significant challenges that hinder its potential. Below are some of the key issues:

1. Uninspiring attitudes towards Kiswahili

Widespread perception of difficulty: Many stakeholders – parents, teachers, and students – view Kiswahili as a tough subject. This mindset negatively affects learners’ engagement and attitudes, leading to poor performance.

Stigma of “Hardness”: The belief that Kiswahili is difficult discourages students from pursuing it seriously. This attitude limits its appeal, especially as a potential career path, and risks the erosion of its cultural and academic value.

National Identity Crisis: As Kiswahili gains traction as a regional language in Africa, the disinterest within the country itself poses a threat to its long-term preservation.

2. Shortage of qualified Kiswahili teachers

Inexperienced teachers: Many schools rely on educators who have not formally studied Kiswahili or lack specialized training. These teachers often lack the confidence or knowledge to teach the subject effectively.

Subpar instruction: Some teachers resort to teaching by rote, simply reading from textbooks without offering meaningful explanations or supporting students in understanding complex concepts. This results in learners internalizing incorrect or superficial knowledge.

3. Mixing and bundling language elements

Mixing: Many teachers struggle with a limited understanding of language concepts, which leads to the mixing of unrelated ideas. This makes it hard for learners to clearly see the differences between them and to apply related language rules effectively. For example, teachers sometimes combine elements from different areas of language, such as syntax, morphology, and phonetics, without showing how they are distinct. This confusion makes it more challenging for students to understand each concept and how they fit together.

Bundling: A good example of bundling can be seen in the teaching of Ngeli. Instead of teaching each Ngeli separately (e.g., A, WA, U, I), teachers often combine them (e.g., A-WA, U-I, LI-YA). This makes it harder for students to understand the differences and rules that apply to each Ngeli, as each one is unique. The unnecessary bundling also increases the mental effort required to memorize many types of Ngeli, without offering any real benefit. As a result, learning becomes more complicated and less appealing to students.

4. Disconnected and fragmented teaching

Silos in Teaching: In teaching, concepts are often presented in isolation, without linking them to other related elements or the overall context of the language. This fragmented approach creates gaps in students’ understanding, leaving them with disconnected pieces of information rather than a clear, unified picture of how the language works. As a result, learners struggle to make connections and apply their knowledge effectively. For example, Ngeli is often taught late and in isolation from other parts of speech, even though it is essential to the language and sentence structure, which makes understanding more difficult.

Missing foundational knowledge: Because of when and how they are taught, many students never fully grasp basic concepts like the Kiswahili alphabet and basic grammar elements and rules. Without this foundational knowledge, they struggle when more complex topics are introduced and have difficulty applying what they learn effectively.

5. Language evolution and confusion

Generational disconnect: The Kiswahili spoken by older generations, such as Generation X and older millennials, is different from the modern version of the language. A simple example is the way Ngeli is identified and classified – older generations used forms like M-WA and M-Mi, while today we use A-WA and U-I. This generational gap causes confusion when older individuals try to help younger learners. Many older people are unaware of these changes and unintentionally create more confusion.

6. Lack of standardization

Regional variations: Kiswahili is spoken across several countries, each with its own regional dialects and variations. This means learners often come across different pronunciations, vocabulary, and grammar rules, which can be confusing when compared to what they are taught in school. Additionally, the informal “sheng” language, commonly used in daily life, is a mix of Kiswahili and other languages, further distorting the language and adding to the confusion.

Inconsistent resources: Unlike other subjects that have extensive and well-developed resources, Kiswahili still lacks sufficient and comprehensive materials. A review of available resources reveals conflicting information about language concepts and their application, which only makes the learning process more complicated for students.

7. Shallow course materials

Limited explanation: Many course books, especially those created for the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC), lack detailed explanations of key concepts. Learners often find it hard to read ahead, revise, or explore topics they have not fully understood, as most textbooks offer only surface-level content. Without thorough resources, it is difficult to gain a deeper understanding of the language, and students struggle to study effectively or prepare well for exams.

8. The rise of misleading online content

Online misinformation: The rise of content creation for profit has led to poorly researched and oversimplified “quick fix” lessons online, making it easy for learners to be misled by false explanations. Many so-called “teachers” lack a proper understanding of Kiswahili and are more focused on making money than providing accurate and quality education. It is disheartening to see learners thank these teachers profusely for content that is clearly incorrect, unknowingly reinforcing their misunderstandings.

A Solution in the making: TCEN’s bite-sized Kiswahili lessons

Recognizing these challenges, TCEN has developed bite-sized, comprehensive online Kiswahili lessons tailored for learners at all levels, from beginners to advanced students. Users can access the platform as individual learners, teachers, or institutions, with each option providing the appropriate features and functionalities for their specific needs.

In designing the lessons, deliberate efforts have been made to ensure:

Step-by-step learning: The concepts are broken down into manageable segments and organized in a clear, step-by-step structure, starting with basic ideas and gradually progressing to more complex ones. This approach ensures that learners can master each concept at their own pace and fully understand the material before moving on to the next level.

Interactive and engaging experience: The lessons include audiovisuals, memory aids, and fun interactive activities, making the learning process more engaging and enjoyable for students.

Global accessibility: As Kiswahili is being learned by people worldwide, the integrated translator offers a valuable tool for users to quickly translate lessons into languages they understand. This helps learners grasp difficult concepts and better master the language’s structure. With this feature, learners from all over the world can study Kiswahili easily, whether they are learning on their own or with a teacher

Progress tracking: The built-in alerts, assessments, reports, and communication tools help track learning progress and provide valuable feedback, supporting continuous improvement throughout the learning process

Flexible learning: Lessons can be accessed from anywhere at any time, allowing learners to study independently or with an instructor. They can be taken individually or in groups, providing flexibility, convenience.

Value to user: The best thing about TCEN Kiswahili lessons is that all the research has already been done for you, saving you time and effort. You can simply choose the lessons that fit your needs and only pay for what you select, making it a convenient and cost-effective way to learn.

Conclusion

The challenges facing Kiswahili education are not insurmountable. With a concerted effort to improve teaching practices, develop better resources, and embrace new technologies, Kiswahili can thrive as a national, regional, and international language.

Time to dive in and get learning! Visit www.cardinalelementary.com/elymica-options to secure your dashboard.