Georgia State University ScholarWorks @ Georgia State University Applied Linguistics and English as a Second Department of Applied Linguistics and English Language Dissertations as a Second Language Fall 12-15-2016 Language Policy in Rwanda: Shifting Linguistic and Educational Landscape Pamela Pearson Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.gsu.edu/alesl_diss Recommended Citation Pearson, Pamela, "Language Policy in Rwanda: Shifting Linguistic and Educational Landscape." Dissertation, Georgia State University, 2016. https://scholarworks.gsu.edu/alesl_diss/39 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Department of Applied Linguistics and English as a Second Language at ScholarWorks @ Georgia State University. It has been accepted for inclusion in Applied Linguistics and English as a Second Language Dissertations by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks @ Georgia State University. For more information, please contact [email protected]. LANGUAGE POLICY IN RWANDA: SHIFTING LINGUISTIC AND EDUCATIONAL LANDSCAPE by PAMELA PEARSON Under the Direction of Diane Belcher and Gayle Nelson ABSTRACT In the two decades since the 1994 Genocide, Rwanda has experienced pervasive societal change, due in large part to ambitious policymaking in sectors ranging from business to public health to education. Extensive language policies have also been enacted, including a 2008 Cabinet resolution shifting the medium of instruction (MOI) in all public schools from Kinyarwanda and French to English (Republic of Rwanda, 2008). The promotion of English in a formerly francophone nation inspired the present study seeking a closer look at the current state of language planning and policy (LPP) in Rwanda. Toward that end, ethnography of language policy (Hornberger & Johnson, 2007) fieldwork, consisting primarily of linguistic landscape analysis, teacher interviews, and classroom observations, was carried out in Southern Province, Rwanda throughout the 2011-2012 academic year. Four research questions addressing various aspects of the 2008 Cabinet resolution are answered herein through three distinct but interrelated research articles. The first article investigates the current linguistic ecology of Rwanda, utilizing linguistic landscape analysis methodology to explore language use in public spaces. Diachronic comparative analysis uncovers language shift trends (e.g., major English gain, major French loss, negligible Kinyarwanda shift) that converge with national policy initiatives – the language ecological implications of which (e.g. language loss, linguistic diversity) are discussed. The second article reports mainly on the ethnographic interview data. The interviews, conducted with teachers (n = 8) in two public primary schools and two public secondary schools, illuminate (a) the layers and spaces in Rwandan MOI policy and practice, as well as (b) the local realities associated with implementing national language-in-education policy without an articulated plan. The third article, informed predominantly by classroom observation at the four research sites, examines issues related to MOI policy implementation in Rwanda (e.g., classroom language use; English medium instruction vs. mother tongue instruction) as well as its impacts on education (e.g., disparate student access to content and language) through discourse analysis of classroom language use by teachers and students. Taken together, these three “snapshots” form a panorama of the LPP situation of contemporary Rwanda, exposing the shifts occurring across the past five- year period in the Rwandan linguistic and educational landscape. INDEX WORDS: Language-in-education policy and planning, Ethnography of language policy, Medium of instruction, Mother tongue instruction, Classroom language use, Linguistic landscape analysis, Language ecology, Language shift LANGUAGE POLICY IN RWANDA: SHIFTING LINGUISTIC AND EDUCATIONAL LANDSCAPE by PAMELA PEARSON A Dissertation Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the College of Arts and Sciences Georgia State University 2016 Copyright by Pamela Jo Pearson 2016 LANGUAGE POLICY IN RWANDA: SHIFTING LINGUISTIC AND EDUCATIONAL LANDSCAPE by PAMELA PEARSON Committee Chair: Diane Belcher Gayle Nelson Committee: Viviana Cortes Eric Friginal David Cassels Johnson Electronic Version Approved: Office of Graduate Studies College of Arts and Sciences Georgia State University December 2016 iv DEDICATION I wish to dedicate this work to the indomitable public school teachers and students of Rwanda, both past and present; to my intrepid grandmother Mary, who taught in a one-room schoolhouse in rural Iowa when she was a young woman; to my first teacher, my unfailingly supportive mother, Bonnie, who instilled in me the value of education, although she personally didn’t have the opportunity to pursue it beyond high school; and in loving memory of Pearl, a precious little girl who never got to see the inside of a classroom. v ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS First and foremost, I would like to recognize the Department of Applied Linguistics and ESL for admitting me to the doctoral program back in 2007 and for supporting me and my work over the better part of a decade. The 12th floor of 34 Peachtree was the best academic home I could have ever imagined, and I loved every minute of the long hours I spent at Workstation 14 in the GTA Room. Among the many who shaped my academic career during my time at GSU, primary appreciation goes to my co-chairs, Gayle Nelson and Diane Belcher. Gayle took a chance on me when she took me on as her advisee, and she has been with me every step of the way ever since – including some across Rwanda and over the Virungas and back. You’ve been “fabulous,” Gayle, and the phrase ‘thank you for everything’ feels inadequate to express how grateful I am to and for you, but I really do thank you for everything. Dr. Belcher, it has been an honor to study with you and to have your input on this project. I hope you can see your influence in my work. I made many research decisions based on issues we read about or discussed in QUAL Methods. Huge gratitude also goes to my committee members, Viviana Cortes and Eric Friginal of the Department of AL/ESL at GSU, and David Cassels Johnson of the College of Education at the University of Iowa. Throughout this pursuit, your support, flexibility, patience, and feedback have been greatly appreciated. Viviana, you have played a role in my academic career since January 2004, when I began your Discourse Analysis course at ISU; I am so lucky to have you as a constant in my life. Eric, your enthusiasm and encouragement have always been appreciated. And Dave, it has been an honor to have you serve on my committee. Your work – particularly your colloquium on Ethnography of Language Policy at AAAL 2010 – has inspired this project more than any other scholarship. I hope my work lives up to your vision for your framework. vi In the Department of AL/ESL, I was fortunate to be perennially surrounded by truly outstanding faculty, colleagues, and students. Beyond my committee, I recognize graduate faculty present and past: YouJin Kim, for mentoring me in SLA research and for fun and productive work sessions at White Windmill; Stephanie Lindemann, who recommended I look into the State Department Fulbright in addition to the Department of Education Fulbright-Hays, whose international apportionment ended up getting cut in 2011; John Murphy, Sara Cushing, Lucy Pickering, and Nan Jiang. I enjoyed your classes, and I learned so much from each of you. I am grateful for having had assistantships to teach in the Intensive English Program, mostly because I got the opportunity to work closely with Meredith Bricker; John Bunting, a class act; Alison Camacho, my “lunch buddy” and 一番おともだち; Sharon Cavusgil, a rock solid friend and professional; Marcel Daniels, my Saudi culture and literacy co-investigator; Rachel Da Silva, my Vietnamese pronunciation co-investigator; Jean Daugherty; Cheryl Delk, whose humor was never lost on me (case in point: the perfect attendance list); Louise Gobron, my favorite storyteller and movie date (Rwanda acknowledgement follows); Sarah Kegley, my kindred pet friend and Stone Mountain hiking pal; Margareta Larsson, a wonderful friend and endlessly calming influence; Daphne Orr; Janet Beth Randall; Debra Snell, my treasured housemate and “taximoto” ride to campus (more acknowledgements to come); Amanda Starrick, my fellow Sun Volt/futbol fan and “rock & roll retirement” co-producer; John Stowe, our magical colleague whose sudden loss is still felt to this day; Dara Suchke; and Diana Wrenn. I appreciate each of you for the camaraderie we shared. I would also like to recognize all of the key folks in administration throughout my time at 34 Peachtree: Susan Coleman, Linh Dang, Janie Hardman, Doreen Kincaid, Kerodna Smith, and Patrick Pierre (at the 34 Peachtree security desk). vii For making life in the PhD program so enriching and enjoyable, from the bottom of my heart I thank my classmates/fellow GTAs: Amanda Baker, Paco Barron-Serrano, Luciana Findlay, Eman Ghanem, Sarah Goodwin, Liang Guo, Jack Hardy, Eliana Hirano, Gloria Hu, Magdi Kandil, Iryna Kozlova, Joe Lee, Cassie Leymarie, Man Li, Jason Litzenberg, Lauren Lukkarila, Meg Montee, Kate Moran, Caroline Payant, Brittany Polat, Audrey Roberson, Amanda Lanier Temples, Ashley Titak, Nancy Yanez-Pinto, WeiWei Yang, Lijuan Ye, and Cheongmin Yook. Love you guys, and guess what: I finally get to