What is the language policy in Tanzania?
Tanzania’s language policy was based on demographic, historical, political, economic, and linguistic factors. Kiswahili had been used in primary education since German colonial rule in the nineteenth century, when it was already widely used throughout the colony.
What is the status of English language in Tanzania?
English, the former colonial language, is the de facto national working language and medium of instruction in secondary and higher education. However, English remains a minority language, spoken by approximately 5% of the population, most of whom are members of a higher social class (Tibategeza, 2010).
Is English an official language in Tanzania?
According to Ethnologue, there are a total of 126 languages spoken in Tanzania. Tanzania’s various ethnic groups typically speak their mother tongues within their own communities. The two official languages, English and Swahili, are used in varying degrees of fluency for communication with other populations.
What is the language policy in South Africa?
According to the country’s official language policies, schools must choose a language or languages of learning and teaching. Most choose English or Afrikaans and not the African language spoken in the area. African languages are then only taught as subjects and are rarely used as a medium of instruction.
How are language policies implemented?
Implementation. The implementation of language policy varies from one State to another. This may be explained by the fact that language policy is often based on contingent historical reasons. Likewise, States also differ as to the degree of explicitness with which they implement a given language policy.
Is English widely spoken in Tanzania?
Tanzania is an East African country and Swahili is the nation’s official language. English is widely spoken, and other languages spoken in the country are the native tongues of various ethnic groups. Most of Tanzania’s population is fluent in their mother tongue and one other language, mainly Kiswahili.
Do people in Tanzania know English?
As many as 90% of Tanzanians speak it, though just 10% do so natively. English is also widely spoken as a second language, reflecting Tanzania’s colonial past.
Why do Tanzanians speak Swahili?
Tanzania. The widespread use of Swahili as a national language in Tanzania came after Tanganyika gained independence in 1961 and the government decided that it would be used as a language to unify the new nation.