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Periodical article Periodical article Leiden University catalogue Leiden University catalogue WorldCat catalogue WorldCat
Title:Swahili in the Technical Age
Author:Hyder, Mohamed
Year:1966
Periodical:East Africa Journal
Volume:2
Issue:9
Period:February
Pages:3-10
Language:English
Geographic term:East Africa
Subjects:Swahili language
education
Education and Oral Traditions
Abstract:First the author, a zoologist, examines the thesis that in many ways language is reminiscent of living organisms. This leads to the question of whether Swahili can give expression to, as well as reflect, the cultural attainments of the 20th century. Then follows a brief examination of Swahili in relation to the Technical Age. Thisleads to a discussion of the problems of the level of education of the people that one addresses and that of vocabulary. The author examines the degree to which Swahili has so far been able to accommodate and perhaps assimilate foreign concepts. There are two further aspects to the question of vocabulary: Swahili has already a large vocabulary of technical terms and it has shown a tremendous responsiveness and versatility in giving common words technical meaning. The next question is whether or not the use of Swahili as a medium of communicating scientific and technical information is desirable. Then follows an examination of the issue of the use of Swahili as a medium of instruction. For the author the most fundamental issue is that the adoption of Swahili as a national language and its use as medium of education lies in the intellectual. spiritual, cultural and social liberation of the African peoples of East Africa.
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