On the standardization of Citumbuka and Ciyao orthographies: some observations

Abstract

The Malawi government has recently decreed that children in junior primary school (i.e. Standards 1 to 4) should be instructed in their mother tongues. Prior to this decree, the national language, Chichewa, was the medium of instruction. It is obvious that the new mother tongue education policy will have serious implications for teaching and learning materials to be used in the schools. One of the areas that will need consideration will be the orthography. Hitherto the only language with an officially approved standard orthography is Chichewa. It will, however, be necessary to provide standard orthographies for the newly introduced mother tongues to facilitate teaching and learning. This study discusses some problems that bedevil the current orthographies of two Malawian languages, Citumbuka and Ciyao. Suggestions on how the orthographies of these two languages can be improved are made.