SOCIOLOLINGUISTIC SURVEYS - Centre for Language Studies

duplication of efforts.
5 CHILOMWE SURVEY
5.1 BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY
The centre for Language Studies caried out a sociolingustic survey of Chilomwe speaking
areas of Thyolo, Mulanje and Phalombe districts between the 2 nd and 8 th December, 1998.
Prior to the main survey, a pilot survey was conducted at Phalombe and Khonjeni
(Thyolo) from 19 th to 22 nd November, 1998.
The Chilomwe survey was a third in a series of language surveys whose goal is to
determine the acceptance and practicality of using mother tongues as media of instruction
in standards 1 to 4.
5.2 GENERAL OBJECTIVES
The general objective of the survey was to determine the need and relevance as well as
the acceptability of using Chilomwe as a medium of instruction in the Chilomwe
speaking areas of Thyolo, Mulanje, and Phalombe.
5.3 SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES
The survey had the following as its specific objectives:
(i)
(ii)
(iii)
(iv)
(v)
(vi)
To determine parents’, pupils’ and teachers attitudes towards the use of
Chilomwe as a school subject and as a medium of instructiion.
T o establish attitudes of Chilomwe speakers towards Chichewa as a subject
and as a medium of instruction.
To establish teachers’ competence in using Chilmwe as a meduim of
instruction.
To determine the availability of teaching/learning materials to support
Chilomwe as a medium of instruction.
To confirm/disconfirm the claim that the Lomwes find it embarrassing to
speak their mother tongue.
To confirm/disconfirm the claim that Chiomwe is a dying language.
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