Of interest to linguists, artists, ma-youth, scholars of urban studies,
educationalists, policy makers and language planners who are grappling
with the challenges of multilingualism and language of education in
Kenya.
The city of Nairobi is a rich context for the study of sociolinguistic
phenomena. The coexistence of speakers of many different languages,
further differentiated by socio-economic status, age and ethnicity
provide conditions for the development of a mixed code such as Sheng, an
urban variety of Kenyan Swahili which has morphed from a "youth
language" into a vernacular of wider use. Sheng is a unique phenomenon
in the study of linguistic change and innovation in an African context,
a reflection of the ethnolinguistic diversity of Kenya, and language
asymmetry created by socio-economic disparities. It also provides a
window into understanding the processes of urban multilingualism, within
the specific space structuring of Nairobi city.
This book is a detailed account of the rise and development of Sheng,
its linguistic structure, social functions, and possible future
directions. The author's analysis ofits presence in newspapers, TV,
radio and online, makes it clear that Sheng functions as a particularly
useful lens through which to explore contemporary Kenya.
