SOCIOLOLINGUISTIC SURVEYS - Centre for Language Studies

level of understanding, whether the language should be used in school as a medium of
instruction, print or electrocic media, and the general attitude people have towards the
Chichewa as a national language.
Three data collection instruments were used during the survey, a structured questionnaire
which mostly comprised closed items and a few open ended questions. Researchers read
out questions to which subjects responded. The answers were recorded on the
questionnaire by the researchers. The second instrument was a Chiyao wordlist which
was recorded on an audio tape. Subjects were required to listen to words read out in one
by one on audio tape and to give a Chichewa or Chiyao meaning. Finally a recorded
Chiyao passage was played to the subjects. After listening to the passage, each subject
was required to explain in either Chichewa or Chiyao what the passage was about. This
was done to prevent subjects from helping each other. This was intended to determine
level of understanding and knowledge of Chiyao of the subjects.
The three data collection instruments were first pilot tested in some of the districts in
which the survey was conducted. The questionnaire were subsequently reviewed and
revised in readiness for the main survey.
All interviews were conducted by trained interviewers with knowledge of Chiyao. This
was done because it helps to lower resistance to the questions asked and raised the value
of responses. All data collected were edited and coded, and then entered into a computer
to obtain frequency, percentage and cross­tabulation tables.
3.2 PROBLEMS ENCOUNTERED DURING THE SURVEY
In the planning stage it was envisaged that 1,500 subjects would be interviewed. In the
event only 862 people were actually interviewed. A number of factors contributed to this
failure.
First, in the planning stages, not enough time was allocated to travelling to the research
areas and actual field work. It was assumed that travelling would be relatively easy. In
the event it was discovered that the roads were in bad condition and in some areas plainly
inaccessible.
For example, after travelling for three hours on a bad road from their base at Michesi to
Makanjira, the researchers were forced to return because a bridge was in a state of
disrepair. This was a common occurence. Thus more time was spent negotiating the
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