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ONGOING RESEARCH/EVALUATION PROJECTS

Project Title: "Joint linguistic research concerning the implementation of the Ethiopian educational policy with respect to the use of vernaculars in elementary schools".

Institution in Norway:

Institute of Linguistics, University of Oslo/ Institute of Linguistics, Addis Abeba University

Name of researcher/evaluator:

Kjell Magne Yri, UoO Baye Yimam, AAU

Name of co-researchers/evaluators:

Elizabeth Lanza, Rolf Theil Endresen, Abebe Gebre Zadik, Zelealem Leyew, Haile Eyesus Ingidashet

Year started:

2002

Planned year of completion:

2006_

Source of Funding NUFU
Executive summary of key ideas, context, methods etc.:

Since 1991 the new political structure of ethnic federalism in Ethiopia has recognized the right of nations, nationalities, and peoples to develop their languages for primary education and other functions. Consequently, 20 out of the 80 languages are now used in schools as a medium of instruction. However, except for Amharic, the rest have mainly been spoken languages, not written. Therefore, there are problems of implementation related to attitudes, standardization, curriculum, teaching material, and manpower. This project aims at studying the use of four local languages (mother tongues) in primary schools of three regions with specific reference to the linguistic difficulties that learners face, and developing a general framework in light of which the situation in other regions within and beyond the country could be studied for a more global understanding of the phenomena. The project has research and training components, the former focusing on ethnographic and linguistic descriptions of the languages of instructions, and the latter developing the competence of the personnel in the Department of Linguistics and in the regions under study. The research is based on empirical data collected through questionnaires, interviews, and classroom observations in addition to surveying available documents.

For further information :

Contact Kjell Magne Yri

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