This study investigates the role of the Ethiopian Evangelical Church Mekane Yesus (EECMY) in the development of the Oromo language. The main aim of the study is to provide an account of the contribution of this particular church to the maintenance and development of Oromo, which is spoken by the largest speech community in Ethiopia. The study draws on theoretical and methodological frameworks from the field of language planning and development. The main source of data was interviews and focus group discussions conducted with church leaders at different organisational levels and other members of the church community. In addition, documents found in the church archives were analysed. The findings indicate that a number of church activities have contributed to the maintenance and development of the language. These activities include translation and transliteration work of the Bible and other religious literature, literacy and educational programmes, media work as well as use of Oromo in the liturgy and church services. This study also examined the obstacles that hindered the development of Oromo. The main obstacle was the conflict within the EECMY that arose in 1995 over the use of the language. The study unearths the roots of the controversy through a brief historical examination of the church’s attempts to develop the language, despite opposition from the Ethiopian Orthodox Church and earlier regimes, which proscribed the use of the vernacular languages in Ethiopia. Thereafter it focuses on the internal conflict after the change to a democratic government when the situation in Ethiopia became more favourable towards use of vernacular languages. It identifies the causes of the conflict, the way in which it was resolved and the effects which it had on the development of the language. Recommendations are made for further research and some suggestions are given regarding ways to promote the future development of the Oromo language. / Linguistics and Modern Languages / D. Litt. et Phil. (Linguistics)

The study was aimed at investigating challenges hampering mother-tongue education with special reference to Afan Oromo in the Eastern Hararge Zone, the Oromia Regional State, Ethiopia. The study mainly explored the available learning materials and the skilled teachers in mother-tongue education, attitudinal factors, the extent of stakeholders’ support for mother-tongue education, parents’ education and their awareness about education through mother tongue and parent school involvements. In the study, the researcher used a mixed method approach in which both quantitative and qualitative research designs were employed to corroborate the data obtained through one method by using other methods to minimise limitations observed in a single design. In the quantitative design, survey questionnaires were employed. Accordingly, 634 primary school teachers and 134 students were randomly selected and asked to fill the questionnaires. These quantitative data were analysed through the SPSS software and responses were analysed using the percentages and the chi-square. Qualitative data obtained through in-depth interviews and observations were analysed using thematic approaches. Documents on education policy, constitutions of the country and reports of the Ministry of Education of Ethiopia were also consulted and integrated with the analyses of the data. The study generally suggests unless strong political and administrative supports are given and public awareness about the mother tongue use in education and development is created, the effort to make Afan Oromo the language of education, intellectuals and development may remain fruitless. In this respect, all the stakeholders, intellectuals and leaders must work together to overcome challenges and dilemmas that impede the implementation of mother-tongue education. The practical works on the ground should match with the language policy of the country. Popular awareness raising activities and mobilization of the communities should be carried out carefully to involve all the communities / African Languages

Mother-Tongue-Based Multilingual Education (MTB MLE) has become an important concept in the field of primary education in many parts of the world. MTB MLE is a form of education that deals with the bridging of learning in the mother tongue to using one or more languages as languages of instruction in schools. This study took place in the Southern Nation and Nationality Peoples Regional State of Ethiopia (SNNPRS) to investigate the implementation challenges faced by two sample minority languages, namely Dawuro and Kontaatho, that use the mother tongue as both medium of instruction and as a subject in primary schools. The study focused on the drawbacks that hindered the proper implementation of the education and training policy regarding mother-tongue education in minority language areas. To conduct the study, the qualitative research method was employed. Representatives from the Ministry of Education, Colleges of Teacher Education, primary school directors and teachers of mother tongue as a subject and as a medium of instruction, parents and relevant community representatives took part. From the Ministry of Education, two experts from the Curriculum Design and Implementation Directorate and two participants from Mother tongue and English Language development directorate were purposively invited to participate in individual interviews. Similarly, three instructors from one of the Colleges of Teacher Education and 32 mother-tongue teachers drawn from eight schools of the target area were also individually interviewed. In addition, three heterogenous focus group discussions were conducted with stakeholders comprising community and parents’ representatives, schoolteachers’ representative, students’ representatives and school directors. The study was based on the social constructivist and Vygotsky’s Zone of Proximal Development theoretical assumptions. The findings of the study indicated that MTB MLE is not being successfully implemented in the minority language areas in the SNNPRS because of the deficits in awareness raising, proper teacher training, readiness of the languages in relation to orthography and scientific terminology to be used as medium of instruction, availability and quality of teaching and learning materials, standardised orthography, availability of guidelines and a strategy to carry out the MTB MLE programme, support and follow up of the implementation of the MTB MLE programme. / Curriculum and Instructional Studies / Ph. D. (Curriculum and Instructional Studies)