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Selected Proceedings of the 37th Annual Conference on African Linguistics edited by Doris L. Payne and Jaime Peña ISBN 978-1-57473-420-1 library binding v + 203 pages publication date: 2007 published by Cascadilla Proceedings Project, Somerville, MA, USA Table of contents Abstract Karsten Legère Vidunda (G38) as an Endangered Language? 43-54 (complete pdf) The Bantu language Vidunda (L1) is spoken by a Tanzanian minority group living in the Morogoro Region, Kilosa District (mainly Vidunda Ward). The core area is remote and almost exclusively inhabited by Vidunda speaking people (approx. 10000 persons, population census 2002). During field research a questionnaire survey among primary school learners was conducted. The results demonstrate that inter-generational L1 transmission still takes place. However, the exclusive exposure to Swahili (medium of instruction and learning) in school has a detrimental effect on L1 usage, proficiency and maintenance. Swahili gradually becomes the most frequently used medium of communication among the young generation. Concurrently, the fragile L1 competence is eroding, e.g., L1 vocabulary is no longer acquired. As a consequence, Vidunda will soon face a massive loss of competent L1 speakers. |