A Second or Foreign Language? Unveiling the Realities of English in Rural Kisii, Kenya Martha M. Michieka East Tennessee State University 1. Introduction This current study explores the presence and accessibility of English in rural Kisii, Kenya. A total of 111 youths were surveyed by use of a questionnaire. The respondents were asked to report the presence and use of English in their immediate environment such as its presence at home, at school, in the media, and in other social places. The findings show that there is limited presence of English in this rural context. Modern technology, which is indisputably a great resource in the global spread of English, is lacking. Although it is too early to draw generalized conclusions, the findings show that rural Kisii leans more toward English as a foreign language (EFL) context calling for a need for a re-evaluation of the choice of the language of instruction in rural Kisii schools and maybe other rural contexts as well. At independence, in 1963, Kenya adopted a capitalist economy, which consequently means that wealth is not equally distributed. As Prewitt (1974) observes, there are several geographical and educational inequalities in Kenya and a big gap between the haves and have-nots. The majority of the wealthy Kenyans live in Nairobi or other big cities where there is easy access to resources and development opportunities. However, a large percentage (70 to 75%) of the Kenyan population is rural and only 25% of the population lives in the cities (Ember &Ember, 2001; Gall, 1998,). Unlike the urban areas, most rural areas are remote, making it difficult for people who live there to enjoy public services such as education, better transport, and communication. Unfortunately this unequal distribution of wealth is also reflected in the distribution of English, the language of instruction. Kachru (1992) proposes research that seeks to investigate the extent to which English has penetrated into various social classes in non native contexts. Although English has continued to spread rapidly around the world, and this spread has been widely documented, research that specifically addresses rural contexts is still crucial. 1.1. Context of study: Rural Kisii Kisii is the highest part of the South Nyanza highlands. The region is a rolling, hilly landscape, with steep-sided hills intersected by very fertile valleys and an equatorial climate. Even though Kisii is among the most productive cash crop regions in Kenya, transportation to this area remains a major issue of concern. Due to the hilly terrain and the heavy rains in the area, transportation, especially by road, is very difficult. The roads, most of which are unpaved, get very muddy and impassable during the rainy season. Kisii is one of the largest ethnic groups in Kenya forming about 6% of the national population. Kisii district, the home of the Kisii people, has one of the most rapidly growing populations in the world with an increase of about 3-4% per year. About 50% of the population is under 15 years of age similar to the national population trends in Kenya. Although Kisii lies in very rich lands, its dense population has led to an overuse of the land and the depletion of soil fertility. The yields from this overused land have continued to decrease resulting in a poor economy. Many people now live below the poverty line with an average income of about Ksh.2000 (28 US dollars) a month. Where a person happens to grow up sharply affects his or her chances of benefiting from the educational system (Prewitt, 1974). Allocation of government resources in Kenya has always followed an ethnic pattern; those in administration tend to favor their ethnic groups and direct more government © 2011 Martha M. Michieka. Selected Proceedings of the 40th Annual Conference on African Linguistics, ed. Eyamba G. Bokamba et al., 206-216. Somerville, MA: Cascadilla Proceedings Project. 207 resources there (Alwy & Schech, 2004). These resources include improved educational facilities in a given area. Public wealth is largely determined by the ruling elite and the government that prevails. Kisii has never been in the forefront of political development and thus has not been at the forefront of enjoying national resources either. History shows that Kisiis were among the most unreceptive tribes to the missionaries and colonial rule (Nyamwaya & Were, 1986) and this rejection resulted in the lack of the economic and educational advantages that came with missionary/European education. .HQ\D¶VHGXFDWLRQDOSROLF\HPSKDVL]HVLQWHOOHFWXDODFFRPSOLshment as the measure of advancement within the system. As long as Kisiis were not in favor with the missionaries who ran the Western education, they could not do well academically, and thus they could not rise in the social ranks in society. It took a long time before educated elite could develop in Kisii district. Although the Kisii people did not suffer any alienation from their land, they failed to engage in the Western education that would later have an impact on the leadership of Kenya. They did not form a big part of the elite class that took over the political and economic administration at independence. .LVLL¶V VLWXDWLRQ, however, is not unique and might, in fact, reflect life in most rural settings. 1.2. ESL versus EFL contexts Although Kenya is considered an English as a Second Language (ESL) context, availability of the English language varies from context to context making it necessary for research that addresses specific contexts. Whereas English is truly a native language or a strong second language for a number of Kenyans especially those born and raised in metropolitan cities, the same fact may only be a myth for rural language users. Angogo and Hancock (1982) classified the varieties of English (es) spoken in East and West Africa into four kinds: 1. Native English for African-born whites and expatriates 2. Native English of locally-born Africans 3. Nonnative English spoken fluently as second language (in several styles) 4. Nonnative English spoken imperfectly as a foreign language (in several styles) While the line between a foreign and a second language can be blurry especially, in this era of globalization, there are some basic differences between the two contexts. What can be considered an ESL context? According to Stern 1983, ³$VHFond language is usually learnt with much more environmental support than DIRUHLJQODQJXDJH«it is often learned informally (picked up) because of its wide use within WKH FRPPXQLW\´. (p.16). An English as a Foreign Language (EFL) context on the other hand is one where English is mainly acquired in the classroom and not much of it is available in the lHDUQHU¶V immediate environment; it is not the language of instruction or interpersonal communication nor is it the language of administrative or legal systems. This foreign language tends to become the language of the younger people in the community because they are taught when they start school while their parents maintain little to no proficiency because they never learned it. 2. The purpose of the study Based on the assumption that easy accessibility to a language facilitates language learning, the purpose of this study was to survey the presence and availability of English in rural Kisii. The main research question was: How available is the English language in rural Kisii Kenya? From this main question several sub questions were developed. (i) What is the reality of English accessibility through the media? (ii) How much English is available in rural homes? (iii) Who uses English in rural Kisii and what is the frequency of use? (iv) Based on this reality, can rural Kisii be considered an ESL or EFL context? 3. Methodology 3.1. Participants The subjects in this study were 111 students from a vocational training institution in rural Kisii. These students had completed primary school or had a few years of high school, but for some reason, mainly financial or difficulties with class work, they could not complete high school education. The 208 group therefore was representative of typical rural settings where a majority of students do not have the opportunity to go beyond primary school or complete high school. In most cases these are the people who end up staying and raising their families in the rural villages while their counterparts who complete high school move to urban areas in search of jobs and better opportunities. Out of these 111 subjects, 33 were female and 78 male. Their ages ranged between 18 and 25 years, with an average age of 20. The institution offers several technical courses including secretarial, computer, building construction, driver education, electrical installation, carpentry, motor mechanics, leatherwork, and shoe making. Students pay Ksh 9000 (the equivalent of128US dollars) per year for tuition to enroll in one of the courses offered. By Western standards, this tuition might not appear to be high, but for parents who earn an average of Ksh.2000 (28 US dollars DPRQWKWKHWXLWLRQLVDQHTXLYDOHQWRIWRPRQWKV¶HDUQLQJV Data were collected by use of an extensive questionnaire which asked respondents to indicate how often they used English in various contexts: at home, at school, in other social places, in reading and in writing. The purpose of this survey was to elicit information on the uses and contexts of use of English in rural Kisii. The responses were in a 5-point Likert scale with the rubrics All the time (1), Most of the time (2), Some of the time (3), Never (4), and Not applicable (5). The collected data were entered into a database using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences program (SPSS). Frequency reports were generated on all the questions for statistical analysis. These frequencies were then represented in several tables for easier observation of the patterns that were emerging.