Exploring the significance of toponyms in the university linguistics curriculum : insights from Kibera in Kenya and Sabalibougou in Mali
Abstract
- Abstract
- en Africa’s linguistic diversity and cultural richness make it an ideal setting for incorporating case studies of toponyms (place names) into the university linguistics curriculum. By examining the toponyms of Kibera slum areas in Kenya and those of the people of Sabalibougou in Southern Mali, this article explores the various ways that toponyms can be used to enhance the understanding of African languages and cultures. Based on the premise that toponyms communicate knowledge about the natural world, peoples’ experiences, indigenous and local languages, and history, the two case studies of this article highlight the following factors as reasons why toponyms should be studied and incorporated into the university’s linguistics curricula: (i) They reveal the interplay between history, socio-political manifestations, and language; (ii) provide awareness of the role of geography on language, language contact, and language endangerment; (iii) facilitate the relationship between language and culture; and (iv) allow practising orthography, phonetic transcription, and morphosemantics of African languages. Hence, incorporating toponym case studies, like those provided in this study, into the linguistics curriculum can enable students to better comprehend and appreciate Africa’s linguistic diversity and cultural richness, ultimately contributing to the decolonisation of education in Africa.
Subjects
People & roles
Origins & context
- Title
- Exploring the significance of toponyms in the university linguistics curriculum : insights from Kibera in Kenya and Sabalibougou in Mali
- Publication type
- Article
- Language
- English
- Journal
- Curriculum Perspectives
- Year
- 2023
- volume
- 43
- issue
- 1
- Page start
- 105
- Page end
- 115
- Status
- Peer reviewed
Identifiers & sources
- ISSN
- 2367-1793
Full text
- Full text
- Vol.:(0123456789) 1 3 Curriculum Perspectives (2023) 43 (Suppl 1):S105–S115 https://doi.org/10.1007/s41297-023-00203-0 RESEARCH ARTICLE Exploring the significance of toponyms in the university linguistics curriculum: insights from Kibera in Kenya and Sabalibougou in Mali Billian Khalayi Otundo1 · Lamine Doumbia2 Received: 15 September 2022 / Revised: 12 May 2023 / Accepted: 14 May 2023 / Published online: 26 June 2023 © The Author(s) 2023 Abstract Africa’s linguistic diversity and cultural richness make it an ideal setting for incorporating case studies of toponyms (place names) into the university linguistics curriculum. By examining the toponyms of Kibera slum areas in Kenya and those of the people of Sabalibougou in Southern Mali, this article explores the various ways that toponyms can be used to enhance the understanding of African languages and cultures. Based on the premise that toponyms communicate knowledge about the natural world, peoples’ experiences, indigenous and local languages, and history, the two case studies of this article highlight the following factors as reasons why toponyms should be studied and incorporated into the university’s linguistics curricula: (i) They reveal the interplay between history, socio-political manifestations, and language; (ii) provide awareness of the role of geography on language, language contact, and language endangerment; (iii) facilitate the relationship between language and culture; and (iv) allow practising orthography, phonetic transcription, and morphosemantics of African languages. Hence, incorporating toponym case studies, like those provided in this study, into the linguistics curriculum can enable students to better comprehend and appreciate Africa’s linguistic diversity and cultural richness, ultimately contributing to the decolonisation of education in Africa. Keywords Toponyms · Endogenous knowledge · University education · Linguistics curriculum · Mali · Kenya Introduction Research on the… Read the full text about 8,959 words
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