Prospects and Challenges of Standardisation of Kalanga Orthography

Abstract

The study is in the area of language planning and policy. It investigated on prospects and challenges of standardisation of Kalanga orthography as specifically obtained in Bulilima and Mangwe districts. The study identified and assessed the challenges and prospects of standardisation of Kalanga orthography with particular reference to language practices and choices in the districts. The research was premised on the fact that all languages with a dialect bias or a variety need to be standardised for it to develop a writing system. Kalanga is a dialectal language and is new in the field of nationally recognised languages hence developing a new language orthography is a dilemma. Unifying the dialects to come up with a standard with typically similar characteristics is therefore conceived as a major challenge. The process is seen as downgrading and killing other dialects. On the other hand an accepted writing norm presents the common language with numerous advantages specifically for community and national functions. The study is qualitative in nature where a case study research design was employed. Through qualitative data collection instruments, questionnaires, interview and documentary analysis were used to solicit data from purposively selected educationists, local leaders and Kalanga language experts. Based on the fact that Language need to be managed and developed, the language management theory as propounded by Mwaniki (2004) was implored as guideline to the research. The major findings of the study reiterated on the views of both scholars and respondents that challenges associated with dialectal variations, language purism and nonlinguistic factors militated against language use and language choices. The extended findings on prospects of standardisation built largely on the facts that the orthography develops a uniform writing system which in turn enhances literature production. Language management indeed sustained and improved the growth of language and this began with a standardised orthography. For the Kalanga orthography therefore harmonising the three dialects within the same orthography where no dialect is consumed by the other was proposed the greatest prospect in the pipeline.