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Periodical article | Leiden University catalogue | WorldCat |
Title: | Can law be taught in Kiswahili? |
Author: | Mukoyogo, M.C. |
Year: | 1991 |
Periodical: | Eastern Africa Law Review |
Volume: | 18 |
Issue: | 2 |
Period: | December |
Pages: | 227-246 |
Language: | English |
Notes: | biblio. refs. |
Geographic terms: | Tanzania East Africa |
Subjects: | legal education African languages education languages of instruction Swahili language law Teaching |
Abstract: | Whether or not to apply Swahili as a medium of instruction for teaching law in Tanzania will depend on a number of considerations. Does the basic law of Tanzania require that court proceedings and records be kept only in Kiswahili? Is Kiswahili well established as a language, nationally and internationally? Is it well developed in terms of manpower and materials? Or, if not, is there a conscious policy in favour of Kiswahili as a starting point for building up a firm basis for future development? A look at Tanzania's language policy and its implementation suggests that there have been shifting trends in utilizing Kiswahili and English as the medium of instruction in schools, with the result that pupils often find themselves without a mastery of either. The author believes that effective learning in science and technology or education for special purposes requires a mastery of at least two languages. Moreover, the various levels of language use must also be taken into consideration should Swahili be adopted as a medium of instruction for lawyers. Law is a special subject. It should not be taken for granted that every Tanzanian will understand law even if it is taught in Swahili. The esoteric nature of the language of the law cannot be removed simply by teaching law in Kiswahili. App. (legislation made in Kiswahili), notes, ref. |