Athari za Kisemantiki kwa Wanafunzi Wakikuyu Wanaojifunza Kiswahili

Abstract

Various linguists have noted that the first language acquired always affects the learning of the second language. If the second language being learned belongs to the same family with the first language learned, the learners tend to transfer meanings to the second language being acquired. Although Kikuyu and Kiswahili are both Bantu languages, students who are Kikuyu first language speakers make several errors, ranging from pronunciation to semantic ones, due to the first language interference. No study has been conducted on semantic transfer resulting from Kikuyu first language speakers as they learn Kiswahili. Particularly the errors resulting from this transfer have not been investigated. Consequently how meanings in Kiswahili language are affected due to this transfer is still unknown. lt is against this background that the researcher, through this study, undertook to investigate semantic errors resulting from Kikuyu students first language speakers as they learn Kiswahili. The researcher went a step fitrther and looked at how these errors are manifested on their \\ritten composition. The study also looked at the level of interference on students performance so that recommendations on how to solve this problem can be arrived at. The population was drawn from form three students in Nyandarua district. Twenty students of Kikuyu origin were selected from each school. A total of a hundred students were tested. They were given three topics to write compositions on and were also requested to construct sentences using words provided by the researcher, which were obtained through pilot study. Contrastive Analysis and Word Referent Pairing Approach were used. Data was analyzed using descriptive analysis method after compiling the frequency of mistakes made. lt was found that students were transferring meanings from their Kikuyu language to Kiswahili language. This caused them to make errors which affected meanings in Kiswahili Language through direct translation, word substitution and semantic shifi. It is anticipated that the findings of this research would go along way in helping students and teachers to understand and correct semantic mistakes resulting from first language transfer. The researcher has made recommendations on the way forward in providing solutions to semantic transfer from Kikuyu first language speakers as they learn Kiswahili. That teachers and instructors handling Kikuyu students first language speakers should be made to know that the said students make semantic mistakes as they learn Kiswahili language. This will help them device methods of assisting them. While in class the teacher should allow students to work on their own as he/she guides them. This will make students practice the skills of Kiswahili language.