Language Usage & Localization in East Africa

1. Language Usage & Localization in East Africa Manuela Noske Seattle Area Localization Meet-Up May 15, 2014

2. Problem Statement Is there a need for IT products & services in Standard Swahili in East Africa?

3. Background • Microsoft localizes its Windows OS, the Office suite and various apps into Standard Swahili • One product offering for different markets (Kenya, Tanzania & Uganda) • Uptake appears to be low • Recent language assessment conducted to get better understanding of language use in countries

4. Some Basic Facts about Swahili Speakers: • 15 million L1 speakers (17th edition of Ethnologue) • 150 million or more L2 speakers Status: • National language of Tanzania, Kenya & Uganda • Official language in Tanzania & Kenya (with 2010 constitution) Curated bytwo National Language Councils: • Baraza la Kiswahili la Taifa (BAKITA) in Tanzania • Chama cha Kiswahili cha Taifa (CHAKITA) in Kenya

5. Some Basic Facts about Swahili

6. History of Development of Swahili • ~50 dialects spoken originally along the coastline of Kenya & Tanzania; dialects continue to exist • Kiunguja dialect of Zanzibar designated as standard at 1928 Inter-Territorial Language Conference • Inter-Territorial Language Committee founded in 1930, based in Dar Es Salaam • Development of Standard Swahili pursued jointly by British East African territories between World Wars • Since independencies, curation of language is considered a national matter

7. Language Assessment Tanzania • Standard Swahili taught in school and understood widely, but Standard considered “antiquated” and not used as taught • Status of Standard Swahili is high; people refer to it reverentially • Educated elite & upper middle-class in Tanzania speak Swahili in all contexts • Lower middle-class and working masses speak either their local vernacular or Swahili in a multi-lingual context • Tanzania is a Swahili-speaking country

8. Language Assessment Tanzania • Newspapers, TV & radio are exclusively in Swahili • Written advertisements are in Swahili with a few exceptions for advertisements by large multinational companies • Mobile phone service operates exclusively in Swahili • Communication with Tanzanians in English can be challenging

9. Language Assessment Tanzania Translation: Only Tigo offers free Facebook in Swahili

10. Language Assessment Tanzania

11. Language Assessment Tanzania: First Conclusions • Status of Standard Swahili in Tanzania is high • Tanzanians associate “educatedness” with it • Tanzanians are proficient in “Standard” Swahili, but unclear how much it really resonates with them • There is a need for IT products & services in Standard Swahili in Tanzania, but with a modern(ized) lexicon/terminology

12. Language Assessment Kenya • “Standard” Swahili only spoken along the Kenyan coast • Educated elite & upper middle-class in Kenya speak English in variety of contexts • Lower middle-class & working masses up-country speak either local vernacular or pidgin version of Swahili when in multilingual context • Urban poor, urban youth and anybody who wants to be cool speaks “Sheng” • Sheng is a Swahili-based jargon and is part of Kenya’s pop culture • Sheng changes rapidly; youth have positive attitude towards Sheng

13. Language Assessment Kenya

14. Language Assessment Kenya: First Conclusions • Status of Standard Swahili in Kenya is high • Kenyans associate “educatedness” with it • “Standard” Swahili does not resonate with Kenyans • Young Kenyans identify with Sheng • Some companies use Sheng in marketing materials for its appeal to the youth • There is little need for IT products & services in Standard Swahili in Kenya • To reach lower middle-class and working masses, there is a need for IT products & services in a version of Swahili that is customized for Kenya