Island survey

 Thank you for praying for our recent language survey! We got back to Dar es Salaam safely last Friday. It went very well and we now have a much clearer picture about the language situation in the two areas we were surveying. I want to share with you some of what we learned and some pictures from survey.

Ukerewe Island, from the ferry.

In those two weeks I traveled by airplane, by bus, by Land Cruiser, by ferry (two different ones) and by a smaller boat. This is our vehicle, traveling from one island to another:

We interviewed six different groups from the two language areas. In the first couple days we had to do a lot of waiting because all of the government officials we needed to see, and get permission from, were preparing for a festival, but we were able to get good information from a group of Kerewe and Kara speakers about where to go to start our research.

Part of the survey team with some islanders.

Our research: In each village, our research consisted of several parts. We interviewed village leaders to learn about the area, languages, religions, and so on. We would also do a group interview with a number of villagers to get their perceptions about the area, language varieties, and understanding of them. We asked the group to listen to stories in nearby languages and answer questions about them to give us an idea of their level of understanding. We would also ask a few speakers to help with eliciting a word and phrase list to help define the similarities and differences.

Group interview.

Taking word lists.

Our findings: We learned that both languages are still important and thriving. It looks as if Kerewe, the larger language, is different enough from the languages around it to merit starting a language project for Kerewe. The Kara group was a bit more complicated. Although they live on a smaller island with just eight villages, each village has its own distinguishable dialect. Kara is also quite similar to a nearby language as well, so it’s still uncertain what the best language variety is for the Kara to use. 

We were even able to find an old Kerewe New Testament; it was published in the 1940s and is almost unavailable, but could be a good starting point for a new translation. God was very present in this survey, clearing the way before us and bringing us into contact with the right people.

Near one village, they showed us the area's open-air museum and explained its historical and cultural significance.

For me it was really exciting to get to see that the Kara and Kerewe people, whom I spent so much time researching for my survey class last summer, are actually real people and their language is really being spoken.  Since my Swahili skills are only three weeks along, my participation was somewhat limited, but it was a good experience to get to practice with the language a little and to watch how survey works and learn more about it. I also loved the chance to get out and see more of the country, which is beautiful and diverse. 

Upcoming survey trip

                                                                             ©Fotografx

This weekend I'll be traveling again! The language survey that's planned for the next couple weeks is of a couple of languages spoken on the islands in Lake Victoria. I will be traveling with the survey team leader from Dar and a couple other workers from the language project in the Mara region (northwest Tanzania). On the survey, we want to assess the dialect situation in the Kara and Kerewe languages and find out if they should be added to the cluster of language projects in the area, or if the Kara and Kerewe peoples understand one of the neighboring languages well enough to use their already translated materials. As some of you know, I researched this survey need for a class project last summer, so it's exciting to have the opportunity to be part of the survey.

Please pray for the survey over the next couple weeks!

• for the survey team, that everyone involved would work well together and that we'd make good decisions. 
• that we would get the necessary permissions and be approved by the government officials.
• for us to build good relationships with the Kara and Kerewe peoples and the church leaders.
• for good roads and no accidents as we travel.
• for health and safety for the team. 
• that we would choose good locations for research and that we'd gather good and accurate information that will help with decisions about the language project.

Thanks! 

Pictures from language school

I spent three weeks here learning Swahili. These are in very random order.

Coffee plantation.

Volleyball!

The campsite and the valley.

I went for a hike to try to climb this. Unfortunately, the path disappeared partway up. 

Study buddies

International church.

"Waterfall." These people haven't been to the Northwest.