http://hdl.handle.net/123456789/18772 2026-04-05T18:46:55Z 2026-04-05T18:46:55Z ONKWANI EVERLYNE http://hdl.handle.net/123456789/18786 2026-02-04T07:17:22Z 2025-01-01T00:00:00Z

A CRITICAL DISCOURSE ANALYSIS OF GENDERED LANGUAGE IN ENGLISH COURSE BOOKS OF KENYAN SECONDARY SCHOOLS ONKWANI EVERLYNE Discourse on gendered language continues to elicit debate since it communicates prejudiced opinions and views about males and females. The course books of English for Kenyan secondary schools contain gendered language that portrays stereotyped perspectives about females and males. However, literature on gendered remarks which exclude, trivialize and demean either gender in those books has not been documented. This study examined gendered language in Secondary English for Form1-3 and New Horizons in English for Form 4 course books approved by KICD. The study explored the forms of gendered language, analysed ideologies that determine use of gender biased language and explained how power is manifested in gendered language since there is scanty knowledge about the gendered language in the current course books for English. The study employed a conceptual framework constituting Fairclough‘s (2001) Critical Discourse Analysis approach and Lakoff‘s (1975) Deficit Approach to explain ideologies that determine gendered language and power relations manifested in the English course books. An analytical research design was adopted in studying pictures and texts such as passages, dialogues, narratives, interviews, speeches, letters, biographies and poems with gendered language. 15 texts with gendered overtones from each course book were identified by purposive sampling to make a total of 60 texts and 22 accompanying pictures. The researcher read the texts and identified gender unresponsive pictures, words, sentences and dialogues and then a list of the data was prepared for analysis. Content analysis was used to classify data into gendered language at word, sentence and discourse level. The analysis of the data for this research was based on the three dimensional model, Critical Discourse Analysis by Fairclough (2001). The findings of this study indicate existence of gendered language at word, sentence and discourse levels since males are over-represented as compared to females. The males are over- represented in pictures and texts in number and portrayal in determining roles in society whereas females are over-represented in nurturance and supportive roles. The male gender is portrayed as the norm and powerful, controlling resources and females. On the other hand, females are excluded and undermined through use of gender unresponsive language. The ideologies informing gender biased language represent males and females as existing in separate spheres of society in binary opposition relation. The forms of power relations between genders legitimize males over females as expressed by gendered language. Findings indicate that the English course books of Kenyan secondary schools promote patriarchy through gendered language.

2025-01-01T00:00:00Z JANETOMWANCHA http://hdl.handle.net/123456789/18783 2026-02-04T07:03:35Z 2025-01-01T00:00:00Z

ADISCOURSEANALYSISOFTHESPEECHACTSANDCOOPERATIVE PRINCIPLES IN COURTROOMINTERACTIONSINSELECTED SUBORDINATECOURTSOFLAWINKENYA JANETOMWANCHA This study undertook a Discourse Analysis of the Speech Acts and Cooperative Principles in courtroom interactions in selected Kenyan courts of law. Discourse analysis analyzes the use of spoken or written language in a social context, courtroom setting being one of the contexts. The study of discourse is entirely context-dependent because conversation involves situational knowledge beyond just the words spoken. Often times, meaning cannot be extrapolated from an exchange merely from its verbal utterances because there are many semantic factors involved in authentic communication. The dearth of research addressing the use of speech acts and cooperative principles by legal practitioners, judges, and litigants during court proceedings inhibits a comprehensive understanding of legal discourse in Kenyan courts. Since this study was dependent on courtroom discourse, it was expected that there be peculiarities in the way the participants used their language and the acts performed by their language. This study investigated the types of speech acts, as classified by Searle in Levinson (1983) and speech act strategies enacted by courtroom discourse participants and their purpose during courtroom proceedings in selected subordinate courts in Kenya. Further, the study examined, by use of tables the most common CP maxim that is observed by courtroom discourse participants. In addition, it explored the discourse participant’s non-observance of Paul Grice’s Cooperative Principle maxims by violating and flouting during subordinate Kenyan courtroom interactions. Discourse Analysis (DA) is the theory that informed this study. Concepts from the Speech Acts Theory, the Searl in Levinson (1983) model and the Cooperative Principle model by Paul Grice were also used. The study adopted a descriptive research design. The study purposefully sampled three chief magistrate courts. The sample consisted twelve cases audio recorded and observations written on a notebook. To allow for analysis, the audio recordings were be transcribed and the various language features coded using Nvivo 14 computer software. The findings revealed the existence of five major types of Speech Acts with 12 subcategories of the SA. The study also identified the four CP maxims and found out that the maxim of manner has the most instances of maxim observation. Four major CP maxims and 2 ways of non-observance were analyzed. The study revealed that there is a relationship between the SA and the CP maxims is Subordinate Kenyan Courts of Law Proceedings. Theoretically, this study has confirmed, and expanded the basis of Speech Acts, observance, and non-observance of the CP in the academic terrain of correlating language, law, crimes / offences, and trials. The research has made significant contributions to both the field of linguistics and the legal system in Kenya, with broader implications for legal discourse and practice globally. Students studying in higher levels, especially the English majors and English for specific purposes students now have an ample amount of knowledge about the types and usage of speech acts and observance, non observance of the CP maxims in legal oral discourse from subordinate Kenyan courts of law.

2025-01-01T00:00:00Z