SOCIOLOLINGUISTIC SURVEYS - Centre for Language Studies

part of it in any direct way, it was deemed necessary to find out views on the issue. In
general, the respondnets did not find it embarrassing either to identify themselves as
Senas or to speak Chisena. The respondents also indicated their willingness to be taught
in Chisena as well as their acceptance of the pupils to be taught Chisena in the schools.
6.6 CONCLUSIONS
There are a number of conclusions which can be drawn from the data presented above:
(1) That the majority of the Senas have a positive attitude towards their ethnic
group and their language, which contradicts the pervasive myths that the senas
do not have pride in their language and culture;
(2) That the majority of the pupils (60.6%) in the Chisena speaking areas would
like to be taught in Chisena;
(3) That the majority of the parents/guardians (78.9%) support the idea of having
their wards taught in their mother tongue (Chisena);
(4) That the majority of the teachers (87.5%) would accept Chisena in the
schools;
(5) That Chichewa has permeated every fabric of the Sena society thereby making
Sena societies bilingual/multilingual.
6.7 RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE MINISTRY OF EDUCATION (MOE)
(i)
The results of the survey clearly show that pupils, teachers and
parents/guardians are in favour of using Chisena in the schools. The MOE
should therefore proceed with the mother tongue instruction policy.
(ii)
The MOE should develop teacher training programmes to cater for the mother
tongue instruction policy given that the current programmes only cater for two
languages of instruction, namely English and Chichewa.
(iii)
There is also an urgent need for the MIE and its professional partners to
develop teaching and learning materials in Chisena since these are nonexistent.
The required books include primers, teachers’ guides, elementary
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