A PhD synopsis in African Languages

1. THE CONTRIBUTION OF LUGANDA ORAL LITERATURE TO
CHILDREN LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT AND PROFICIENCY: A
CASE OF MUBENDE AND KAMPALA DISTRICTS
DDAMBA ACHILIES
B.A. (Hons) EDUC, M.ED (LLE.)
A SYNOPSIS SUBMITTED TO THE DIRECTORATE OF RESEARCH
AND GRADUATE TRAINING AS A REQUIREMENT FOR ADMISSION
TO THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY (AFRICAN
LANGUAGES) OF MAKERERE UNIVERSITY
April, 2017

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Introduction to the study:
The general aim of this study is to make a deeper investigation into the contribution of Luganda
Oral Literature to the development of Children language development and proficiency in Uganda
taking the case of Mubende and Kampala Districts. In Africa and in particular Uganda, as
elsewhere, literature is applied and practiced in a society and therefore a socio-applied
phenomenon. It is obvious that any analysis of oral literature must take account of the social and
applied context (Finnegan, 1970). Oral literature is a term generally applied to spoken literary
traditions such as folk tales, lullabies, proverbs, riddles, life stories, plays, epic poems and
historical recitations (Mushegyezi, 2013). Unlike written, literary genres, oral literature is
conveyed or passed down to future generations by word of mouth, typically through
memorisation and recitation. It is thus considered a verbal art form, and a tool of making a good
speech, report, narrative article or a poem be it written or oral (Nakkazi, 2000). These verbal arts
are the “custodians” of authentic use of language registers, dialects, idiolects which can provide
an excellent basis for language development and proficiency among children (Finnegan 1970).
Oral literature especially poetry can provide children with the necessary exercise needed to
master most of the Luganda syllables, yet constant use of tongue twisters guides them to realise
stressed, and non stressed syllables. Thus, it enables them to develop language and to become
proficient with it.
Luganda orature lies among the cultural information and values transmitted mainly by the
spoken word and received by the ear but later responded to by the whole organism,
(Taban, 1972). In the study by Bagunywa (1970), before western civilization in Africa, and
particularly in Uganda, oral literature contributed a great percentage to the traditional African
knowledge, and, everyone had to contribute to the existence of these verbal arts (orature). The
core of socialization and social identity and, even transmission of knowledge were all aided by
oral literature. Children learnt to live a descent acceptable life with a strong Charisma to work
through observational learning, imitation, and direct guidance by the elders, Ssentanda (2010). It
is hence of no surprise that children could easily develop their language and become proficient
with it because more often the case is; in circumstances where the audience can see the party (an
adult) communicating, hears the intonation of the words, the message is quickly transmitted by a
carrier or other agent, Mbarwa (1998:4). This helps children develop their language capacities.

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In developing children’s language and proficiency, oral literature can able children effectively
deliver delicate information as they express themselves, Basoga (2000). In the same way, it
enables them develop the ability to build words and, even grammatically correct sentences.
Achebe (1958) contends that, they act as ‘flavours’ if correctly used in their expressions. Such
flavours help in building their syntax, because naturally, children love to play with language to
feel their power, and rhythm (Phonology) and to experiment them, Petty (1967). The exposure of
Luganda oral literature to children provides a fertile ground to experiment words (morphology)
in different contexts/ sentences which may facilitate their language development, and
proficiency. So, it is the intention of this study to go deeper in investigating into the reality of
this contention by specifically finding out the nature of Luganda Oral Literature (LOL) known to
Children in Mubende and Kampala districts, establishing how children’s Luganda language
capacities (LLC) vary with their levels of Oral literature knowledge (Olk), and thus develop a
model of how to use LOL to develop children’s Luganda language proficiency.
The problem statement:
Many children lack the art of self expression and are always limited by knowledge to solve
lingual problems they encounter due to insufficient language. Many, by the age of eight years in
rural areas cannot adequately build correct words (morphology), construct a diversity of
sentences (syntactical ability) and even to competently articulate written words in Luganda
(Nakkazi, 2000). This hinders their language development and proficiency. In Urban areas, many
children below the age of ten years can articulate in English language but not in Luganda, be it
their ‘mother tongue’. This fact raises questions of whether LOL contributes to the development
and proficiency of children’s LLC, or that such creative oral works have nothing to aid children’s
linguistic competence. It is therefore the overarching intention of this study to establish the
contribution of LOL to children language development and proficiency.
The Purpose:
The purpose of this study will be to make a deeper investigation into the contribution of Luganda
Oral Literature to the development of Children language development and proficiency, in order

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to find out the nature of Luganda Oral Literature known to children in Mubende and Kampala
districts and to establish how their Luganda language capacities vary with their levels of Oral
literature knowledge.
Specific Objectives
The specific objectives of the study will be to;
1. Find out the nature of Luganda Oral Literature known to children in Mubende and
Kampala districts.
2. Establish how children’s Luganda language capacities vary with their levels of Oral
literature knowledge.
3. Develop a model of how to use Luganda Oral Literature to develop children’s Luganda
language proficiency?
Research Questions:
This study will be guided by the following research questions;
1. What is the nature of Luganda Oral Literature known to children in Mubende and
Kampala districts?
2. How does children’s Luganda language capacity vary with their levels of Oral literature
knowledge?
3. How can Luganda Oral Literature be used to develop children’s Luganda language
proficiency.
Significance of the Study:
This study will be significant to many categories of people like; parents and guardians will
discover ways of promoting oral literature in their homes. They will also help to develop the
language economy and proficiency of the children under their care. Children will develop love
for oral literature and apply it in daily life thus improve their Luganda language capacities. The
study will also store some LOL and add to the researcher’s knowledge in Luganda language.
This study will also benefit other language researchers especially in African languages by citing /

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referring to it, yet conceptually, this study will benefit the people in Mubende and Kampala
districts where it is to be conducted by elaborating the importance of LOL in facilitating one’s
LLC.
Theoretical/Conceptual Framework
i) Theoretical Framework
This study will be guided by the Speech Act Theory advanced by Austin (1962). It holds that
language is a form of action, and so, recognises the essentially social and co-operative nature of
communication, and stresses the importance of considering the intentions and beliefs of speakers
and listeners. Austin (1962) proposed that the act of saying something, which he called
locutionary act, can be subdivided into two further components; the way in which an utterance is
expressed or the illocutionary force of an utterance, and the effect an utterance has on its
audience or the perlocutionary act.
Proponents of Speech Act Theory such as Halliday (1975) and O’Neill, (1996) do agree that we
cannot understand language development and usage to Children without understanding the
various functions of Children’s communication. Children perform a variety of functions with
language. By distinguishing the illocutionary and perlocutionary aspects of language, Austin will
provide the researcher with ground for deeply investigating into the contribution of Luganda oral
literature to children language development and proficiency.
ii) Conceptual Framework
The study will be conceptualized on the independent and dependent variables of this study,
which are, Luganda oral literature and Children’s language development and proficiency, where
by the later affects the former.
Scope of the study:
The study shall be carried out in two districts in central Uganda which are; Kampala and
Mubende. The two districts will give an insight of the place of Luganda Oral literature in both
Urban and Rural areas respectively. The study will cover the contents and methodological
aspects of Luganda Oral Literature and Luganda language capacities and proficiency among

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children. It will more specifically explore the nature of LOL known to Children and how their
Luganda language capacities vary with their levels of Olk
Literature Review:
In her recent comparative study of the oral poetry and popular song traditions in Uganda and
South Africa, Kiguli (2004) emphasized the importance of studying the contextual, applied and
socio-historical information as an integral to understanding the dynamic nature and performance
and the performers of oral literature. This oral performance can be understood by taking
account of the social and applied and even the physical surrounding in which it occurs. These
oral concepts, knowledge, and skills development in early childhood are excellent predictors of
children’s future success in language development and proficiency. This is asserted by Paige, et.
al (2003) in their study of Enhancing Phonological awareness and oral language skills in
children. He explains that children who grow up in rich oral literature environments grow with
advanced understanding of the concepts underlying language usage. The study will so account
for the ways to revamp Luganda oral literature in many homes.
A powerful predictor of one’s proficiency in language that has garnered much attention over the
last few decades is phonological awareness. Blachman, 1984, 2000; Bradley and Bryant, 1983;
Byrne and Fielding- Barnsley, 1991.These define phonological awareness as individual’s
implicit and explicit sensitivity to the sub lexical structure of oral language. Children gradually
become aware of the phonological composition of spoken language, with awareness moving
from larger to smaller units, the most sophisticated level of phonological awareness represents
the ability to analyze oral language at the level of Phoneme( Lane, Pullen, Eisele, and
Jordan,2002; Lonigan et.al 2000). This awareness is built in early years of childhood during a
child’s discourse with oral literature, and a lack of it may impede an individual’s ability to
acquire accurate and fluent language (Torgensen, Wagner and Rashotte, 1997)
Convergent evidence from both social and applied linguists has shown that oral literature
knowledge is critical to the acquisition of early decoding skills (e.g. Ball, Blachman, 1991) such
awareness at childhood however, is not enough for acquiring all language skills, children also
come to understand the alphabetic principle (the systematic relationship between letters and

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sounds. Children come to notice that the individual phonemes in words are represented by letters
and that those sounds can be synthesized in the decoding process (Nicholson, 1997). Children
with this understanding are able to develop adequate word recognition to build their
morphological awareness and entire language development and proficiency.
Luganda Oral literature also enables children to understand that sentences contain words and
that; words contain syllables, and so promoting the development of these foundational aspects of
language in children through oral literature helps to avoid a casual chain of negative effects and
language deficiency. The researcher intends to make a further review of related literature in line
with the study specific objectives. The researcher will formulate realistic themes for each
specific objective under which to review the literature. Both primary and secondary data sources
will be used in reviewing literature.
The methodology:
The methodology which will be used for carrying out this study will be structured as follows;
Research Design:
The study will employ a qualitative approach, in which a case study research design will be
utilized. It will utilize this design because it is aimed at investigating the contribution of Luganda
Oral Literature towards Children’s language development and proficiency (Amin, 2005).
Data sources:
The researcher will collect both primary and secondary data relevant to the study.
Instruments and methods for collecting primary data:
Primary data will be collected directly from the selected respondents like the parents, guardians,
children, and teachers in lower primary schools. As such, the researcher will administer the
following instruments:-
a) Questionnaire:

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This is an instrument for teachers of children in lower primary classes (Nursery to
P.3); it will include a range of response questions, close and open ended questions
that will help to find out the level of children language development and proficiency.
b) Interview:
This will include people to interview, the researcher will develop the interview
questions including open-ended questions and carefully eliminating leading
questions. Interviews will be for mostly parents and stakeholders. Interviews will help
the researcher to obtain first hand data from the respondents which data will be
compared with that he will get from his observations as both a researcher from an
urban setting and a parent in a rural setup.
c) Focus group discussions and role plays will also enable the researcher to obtain data from
children respondents
Sample Size:
The specific sample size will be determined after a critical analysis of the study population and
the samples will be obtained for each of the following category of respondents;
i) Number of parents/stakeholders with children between the age of 4-10 years
ii) Children between the age of four to ten years in Mubende district
iii) Children between the age of 4 and 10 years in Kampala district
Sampling Methods and Techniques:
The researcher will use non-probabilistic sampling methods, under which purposive sampling
technique will be used. This is because the judgement of the researcher in selecting the
respondents of this study is more useful than the representativeness of the sample (Amin, 2005).
The data will help the researcher in formulating a very comprehensive case study. All sample
units will be personally contacted and interviewed.
Chapter scheme:
The following will be the chapter scheme of the research report:
Chapter 1: Introduction
Chapter 2: Review of related literature
Chapter 3: Research Methodology

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Chapter 4: Data Presentation, Analysis and Interpretation
Chapter 5: Discussion, Conclusions and Recommendations.
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