PRESERVING LANGUAGE THROUGH CULTURAL PRACTICES: A PATH TO LINGUISTIC REVITALISATION AMONG THE CIGOGO COMMUNITY IN TANZANIA

James Tennyson Mwaipyana

Abstract


This study assessed the preservation of language through cultural practices for linguistic revitalisation among the Cigogo community in Tanzania. The study was purely qualitative, whereby three major tools were used for data collection and analysis, including Coopers Accounting Scheme, in-depth interviews, and observation. Major themes were summarised into ngoma, lullabies, storytelling and riddles. The results revealed that cultural practices among the Cigogo community are instrumental in maintaining linguistic heritage by embedding language within storytelling and traditional arts, ensuring its transmission and vitality across generations. Therefore, the study recommends that to save Cigogo, it should champion the contexts that give it a soul, ensuring that the stories, songs, and sayings continue to be the discursive threads that weave the community together.

Keywords


language, cultural practices, linguistic revival

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References


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DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.46827/ejlll.v10i3.722

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