Mungai Mutonya | Washington University in St. Louis (original) (raw)
Papers by Mungai Mutonya
This paper focuses on acoustic analysis of African English (AfrE) vowels produced by a controlled... more This paper focuses on acoustic analysis of African English (AfrE) vowels produced by a controlled sample of speakers from Kenya, Ghana, and Zimbabwe. Adopting quantitative methods of data sampling and analysis, and holding dialectal factors as homogeneous as possible, this exploratory study subjects Schmied's (1991a) claim-that a major source of regional variation is the 'deviation' in the production of RP central vowel [‰](a si nbird)-to empirical scrutiny.
This study attempts an analysis of a restructured Swahili variety spoken by Nairobi\u27s street c... more This study attempts an analysis of a restructured Swahili variety spoken by Nairobi\u27s street community: Kinoki. Adapting tools of sociolinguistic inquiry and focusing on Kinoki\u27s divergence from the dominant urban slang, Sheng, the study discusses attitudes toward divergent terms referencing the street community, street activities, and law enforcement officials. Results indicate that street children, unlike their school-going peers living in the city\u27s low-income neighborhoods, redefine pejoratives that devalue and stigmatize street people and their lifestyle. Instead, Kinoki empowers the marginalized community to construct a positive identity, to ameliorate representations of street lifestyle, and to redefine neologisms that reference in-group (us) and out-group (them) experiences. Further, the study situates Kinoki within Nairobi\u27s complex linguistic environment and explores its social roles
Language attitude studies in Sub-Saharan Africa have often relied on qualitative methods to deter... more Language attitude studies in Sub-Saharan Africa have often relied on qualitative methods to determine societal attitudes towards prestigious forms of speech. This book departs from tradition by utilizing empirical methods to analyze attitudes towards heavily- and weakly-accented varieties of African Englishes. Cognizant of the inherent sociolinguistic complexities in densely multilingual African societies, the author holds dialectal factors as homogeneous as possible, tailors traditional tools of attitudinal research to suit an African context, and measures responses towards East, West,and Southern African Englishes. Sampling and analytical techniques such as matched guise technique and factor analysis are outlined meticulously in an effort to tease out underlying attitudes. The findings show a diversity of attitudes based on regional affiliations and accentedness. Illustrated with several figures and tables, this book will be stimulating and valuable to readers interested in Africa...
Journal of African Cultural Studies, Jun 1, 2008
Advertisers are increasingly using urban slang and other non-standard forms of Swahili to reach o... more Advertisers are increasingly using urban slang and other non-standard forms of Swahili to reach out to a broader audience in the densely multilingual Nairobi. Influenced by social and linguistic shifts in the city, and keeping pace with trends in other societies, Nairobi advertisers are ...
Journal of African and Afro-American …, Jan 1, 2004
World Englishes, Jan 1, 2008
… International, A: The Humanities and Social …, Jan 1, 2001
Publication View. 32063480. Vowel systems of African Englishes : acoustic and perceptual analysis... more Publication View. 32063480. Vowel systems of African Englishes : acoustic and perceptual analysis / (2000). Mutonya, Mungai. Abstract. Thesis (Ph. D.)--Michigan State University, 2000.. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 159-164).. Appendices: p.126-157.. Photocopy. ...
East Lansing, MI: Michigan State University, Jan 1, 1997
Journal of African Cultural Studies, Jan 1, 2008
Journal of Global Initiatives: Policy, …, Jan 1, 2010
Books by Mungai Mutonya
This paper focuses on acoustic analysis of African English (AfrE) vowels produced by a controlled... more This paper focuses on acoustic analysis of African English (AfrE) vowels produced by a controlled sample of speakers from Kenya, Ghana, and Zimbabwe. Adopting quantitative methods of data sampling and analysis, and holding dialectal factors as homogeneous as possible, this exploratory study subjects Schmied's (1991a) claim-that a major source of regional variation is the 'deviation' in the production of RP central vowel [‰](a si nbird)-to empirical scrutiny.
This study attempts an analysis of a restructured Swahili variety spoken by Nairobi\u27s street c... more This study attempts an analysis of a restructured Swahili variety spoken by Nairobi\u27s street community: Kinoki. Adapting tools of sociolinguistic inquiry and focusing on Kinoki\u27s divergence from the dominant urban slang, Sheng, the study discusses attitudes toward divergent terms referencing the street community, street activities, and law enforcement officials. Results indicate that street children, unlike their school-going peers living in the city\u27s low-income neighborhoods, redefine pejoratives that devalue and stigmatize street people and their lifestyle. Instead, Kinoki empowers the marginalized community to construct a positive identity, to ameliorate representations of street lifestyle, and to redefine neologisms that reference in-group (us) and out-group (them) experiences. Further, the study situates Kinoki within Nairobi\u27s complex linguistic environment and explores its social roles
Language attitude studies in Sub-Saharan Africa have often relied on qualitative methods to deter... more Language attitude studies in Sub-Saharan Africa have often relied on qualitative methods to determine societal attitudes towards prestigious forms of speech. This book departs from tradition by utilizing empirical methods to analyze attitudes towards heavily- and weakly-accented varieties of African Englishes. Cognizant of the inherent sociolinguistic complexities in densely multilingual African societies, the author holds dialectal factors as homogeneous as possible, tailors traditional tools of attitudinal research to suit an African context, and measures responses towards East, West,and Southern African Englishes. Sampling and analytical techniques such as matched guise technique and factor analysis are outlined meticulously in an effort to tease out underlying attitudes. The findings show a diversity of attitudes based on regional affiliations and accentedness. Illustrated with several figures and tables, this book will be stimulating and valuable to readers interested in Africa...
Journal of African Cultural Studies, Jun 1, 2008
Advertisers are increasingly using urban slang and other non-standard forms of Swahili to reach o... more Advertisers are increasingly using urban slang and other non-standard forms of Swahili to reach out to a broader audience in the densely multilingual Nairobi. Influenced by social and linguistic shifts in the city, and keeping pace with trends in other societies, Nairobi advertisers are ...
Journal of African and Afro-American …, Jan 1, 2004
World Englishes, Jan 1, 2008
… International, A: The Humanities and Social …, Jan 1, 2001
Publication View. 32063480. Vowel systems of African Englishes : acoustic and perceptual analysis... more Publication View. 32063480. Vowel systems of African Englishes : acoustic and perceptual analysis / (2000). Mutonya, Mungai. Abstract. Thesis (Ph. D.)--Michigan State University, 2000.. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 159-164).. Appendices: p.126-157.. Photocopy. ...
East Lansing, MI: Michigan State University, Jan 1, 1997
Journal of African Cultural Studies, Jan 1, 2008
Journal of Global Initiatives: Policy, …, Jan 1, 2010