morphosyntactic analysis of kinandi l1 speaking pupils’ kiswahili essays as an insight into psycholinguistic challenges of second language acquisition

Abstract

This study sought to establish the sources, causes and nature of psycholinguistic challenges Kinandi first language (L1) speaking pupils encounter at the level of morphosyntax when using Kiswahili as their second language (L2). It had four objectives namely: to extract the composite morphosyntactic constructions from the Kiswahili essays of classes 4-8 Kinandi L1 speaking (NSB) pupils, to categorise these constructions, to analyse each category of composite morphosyntatic constructions, and to explain sources and nature of psycholinguistic challenges emerging from this analysis. The study was carried out in Kenya among 309 predominantly Kinandi L1 speaking pupils of classes 4-8 in three primary schools-herein referred to by their initials as N, S and B (NSB)-in Biribiriet Location, Nandi North Sub-County of Nandi County. The study adopted ex post facto and cross-sectional research designs. A pilot study was carried among class four and eight in K primary school which revealed the need for a cross-sectional study. Purposive sampling was applied in choosing the participating schools and classes. A census was adopted in collecting data from the pupils. Data was collected from the NSB pupils‘ essays and records. Four essays were rejected. Out of the remaining 305 essays, 2995 composite morphosyntactic constructions were extracted and sorted into 23 categories of compositeness. It is from these categories that the analysed composite CPs were picked. Grounded theory methodology, contrastive and content analyses were adopted in data analysis. Two theoretical frameworks guided this study namely: Matrix Language Frame (MLF) Model supported by its two sister models 4-M and Abstract Level (ALM) and Contrastive Analysis (CA). The MLF models made it possible to identify the contributions of Kiswahili, Kinandi and the pupils‘ interlanguage in the composite CPs. On the other hand, CA made it possible to contrast each composite CP against its versions in classic Kiswahili and Kinandi. This contrastivity enabled the researcher to identify convergence and divergence (CONDIVEs) and Commissions and Omissions (COMs) among the versions of this CP in order to isolate the overt or covert morphosyntactic elements causing challenges to NSB pupils. The composite constructions are the overt manifestations of the psycholinguistic challenges Kinandi L1 speaking (NSB) pupils encounter(ed) in using Kiswahili as L2. The study identified the Influence of (Kinandi as) L1, complexities of (Kiswahilli as) L2 morphosyntactic system and the (NSB) pupils‘ interlanguage as the three sources of these challenges. It is hoped that, this thesis‘ findings will benefit both the classroom Kiswahili teachers of Kinandi L1 speaking pupils, Kiswahili teacher trainers, Kiswahili curricular developers and those tasked with their implementation. It is the recommendation of this study that, themes on SLA and contact linguistic be incorporated in the syllabi of different levels of Kiswahili education and Kiswahili teacher training in order to equip both the learners and the teachers with skills and knowledge necessary to handle cross linguistic influence issues associated with the acquisition of a second language.