CURRICULUM VITAE DR. KENNETH KAMURI NGURE Lecturer, Department of English and Linguistics Kenyatta University Contact address: P.O Box 2061 00232 Ruiru, Kenya Telephone: +254-720104990; +254-733552970 E-mail:kennethngure@rocketmail.com PROFESSIONAL RESEARCH INTERESTS Language endangerment and revitalization; Language contact; Language and identity EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND` Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Linguistics, University of Nairobi, December, 2012. Dissertation: From Rendille to Samburu: A Language Shift Involving Two Mutually Unintelligible Languages of Northern Kenya Master of Arts in Linguistics and African Languages, University of Nairobi, December, 2005. Thesis: The Loss of Prenasalised Stops in the Southern and Northern Varieties of Gikuyu. Bachelor of Education (Second Class Honors, Upper Division) Linguistics and Literature, University of Nairobi, December, 1997. WORK EXPERIENCE September 2012, To Date -Lecturer, Department of English and Linguistics, Kenyatta University. October 2009, September 2012- Tutorial fellow, Department of English and Linguistics, Kenyatta University. 2007-Todate. Part-time lecturer in the department of Linguistics and Language, University of Nairobi. 2005 2009, Tutor, St. John s Teachers Training College, Kilimambogo, Thika, Kenya. 1
1998 2005 Teacher with the Teachers Service Commission. Subject: English and Literature. ADMINISTRATIVE EXPERIENCE December 2015, To Date, Chairman of the Seminar and Publication Committee of Kitui Campus, Kenyatta University. September 2012, Todate -Coordinator School of Humanities and Social Sciences- Kitui Campus, KU. December 2012, January 2013, Acting Deputy Director, Kitui Campus, KU. PUBLICATIONS Books 1. Ngure, K.K. (2015) From Rendille to Samburu; A Consequence of Compromised Linguistic Fidelity. Cologn: Rudiger Koppe Verlag. Articles in Journals 2. Ngure K.K (2016) Language Endangerment:Illustrations from Marsabit County. University of Nairobi journal of language and linguistics Vol.5 (2016), 142-160. 3. Ngure, K. K and D. Karuru (2015) Language and Identity within the Decision Theory Framework: The Case of the Rendille People of Kenya. International Journal of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences Vol. 3 No. 8. 4. Chege, K., Wagacha P. W., De Pauw Guy, Muchemi L., Ng'ang'a W., Ngure K., and Mutiga J. (2010) Developing an Open source spell checker for Gĩkũyũ. Proceedings of the Second Workshop on African Language Technology (AfLaT 2010) published by European Language Resources Association (ELRA). FORTHCOMING PUBLICATIONS Ngure K.K ( 2016 ). Assault From Unexpected Front: The Shift From Rendille To Samburu. Rongo University Journal of Language. Ngure K.K (2016) Forging Linguistic Identity with or without Language; a case of the Burji of Northern Kenya. To be published by CASAS. SEMINAR/CONFERENCE ATTENDED 1. Seminar to commemorate World Mother Tongue Day held at the University of Nairobi on 23-25 th February 2016. Presented a paper on Identity Formation with or without Language: the Case of Selected Ethnic Communities From Marsabit County. 2
2. First Regional Conference on Translation and Interpretation Studies held in the Centre for Translation and Interpretation, University of Nairobi on 18-19 February 2016. Presented a paper entitled, The Importance of Ethnographic Explanation as an Accompaniment to Translation of Aphorisms; Illustrations from Rendille Proverbs Translated into English. 3. International Conference on African Urban Youth language held in Kenyatta University, Kenya on 11 th -13 th December 2015. Presented a paper on Entrenchment of Sheng in Church: Illustrations from a Pentecostal Church in the Eastlands of Nairobi, Kenya. 4. The 12 th Nilosaharan Colloquium held at the University of Nairobi on 1 st -4 th September 2015. Presented a paper on Lexical Borrowing in Samburu: Evidence of Contact between a Nilotic and a Cushitic Language. 5. University of Nairobi Departmental Seminar held on 29 th July 2015. Presented a talk on the topic When the Culture is Unwell, what happens to Language? 6. Seminar to commemorate World Mother Tongue Day held at the University of Nairobi on February 2015. Presented a paper on The Impact of Language Endangerment on Development: Illustrations from Marsabit County 7. Practising Multilingualism in (Higher) Education in Africa-GANAA Summer School, Pretoria, South Africa 23-27 September 2013 Co-presented a paper on The Choice of the Language of Instruction in a Language Shift Situation; A Case of the Rendille Community of Northern Kenya. 8. International Conference on Multilingualism held in Kenyatta University, Kenya 22-23 July 2010. 9. Presented a paper on The History and Development of English in a workshop held in Catholic University of Eastern Africa on 12 September 2010 10. Presented findings of a research on the loss of prenasalisation in the Southern and Northern varieties of Gikuyu, at the University of Nairobi s linguistics symposium in Sept. 2005. Workshops/Training Fora 1. A workshop on writing for publication on the theme Translingual practices, gesture,media style orgainised by the African Urban Youth Language Conference Convenors on 11 th December 2015 in Kenyatta University. 3
2. A workshop on scientific paper writing organized by KDSA/DAAD on 24 th -27 th July 2013 in Kenyatta University. 3. A training on Teaching Methodology, Setting of Examination, Administration of examination, Marking and Analyses of Scores conducted by Centre for Teaching Excellence and Evaluation, Kenyatta University on 28 th May 2013. AWARDS AND OTHER ACCOMPLISHMENTS - Awarded a scholarship to attend the Writers workshop that preceded the conference on African Urban Youth Language. The workshop was held on 10 th December 2015 in Nairobi. - Awarded a grant by Max Planck Institute of Social Anthropology that culminated to a 3 weeks stay at the at Halle/Saale in Germany. - A researcher in the evaluation of Tharaka Mother Tongue Education program sanctioned by the Bible Translation and literacy organization in 2006. - A researcher in the evaluation of the Sabaot Mother Tongue Education program sanctioned by the Bible Translation and literacy organization in 2005. REVIEWER OF THE FOLLOWING PAPERS: 1.The Social Contexts of Greetings in African Languages: The example of Yoruba, Kikuyu and Kiembu. To be published as part of conference proceedings. International Conference on African Languages and Literature in 21 st Century held in Kenyatta University 6 th -8 th 2014. 2.Tone Terracing in Kikuria. To be published as part of conference proceedings. International Conference on African Languages and Literature in 21 st Century held in Kenyatta University 6 th -8 th 2014 POSTGRADUATE SUPERVISIONS Completed project(s) Jane Wanjiku Maina (2015). An Evaluation of Mother Tongue as a Language of Second Language Instruction in Lower Primary: a case study of Primary schools in Gaturi Education Zone, Muranga County. Masters Project. Ongoing projects Karanja David Mwaura. Language Shift Among School Going Teenage Kikuyu Migrants In Eldoret Municipality, Uasin Gishu County, Kenya. 4
PhD Dissertation 1. Kanyi Charles Mugo. Linguistic Motivation for Matrix-language concept in codeswitching instances in Multilingual Society: a Case Study of Mwea in Kirinyaga County. 2. Furera Adamu Garba. Language Endangerment In Nigeria: A Case Study Of The Gera Language Of Bauchi State. 3. Mary Nguvi Muindi. Metaphors in Modern Generation Kamba Songs: A Cognitive Linguistic Perspective. Masters project 1. Esther Mwaniki. Face Threatening Acts in the Discourse of Open Day in Kenyan Secondary Schools. 2. James Bett. Language Use and maintenance in Ethnic Enclaves; A Case stsudy of Nubians in Elderma Ravine Township, Baringo County. 3. Kirea Herman Muriira, A morphological Study of English Loan Words in Kitigania. 4. Jaqueline Ndunge Kimeu. Nativisation of Loanwords into Kikamba: an optimality theoretical Approach. 5. Caroline Musili. A Survey of the Lexical Semantic Differences Between the Machakos Dialect and Muingi Dialect. 6. Karanja David Mwaura. Language Shift Among School Going Teenage Kikuyu Migrants In Eldoret Municipality, Uasin Gishu County, Kenya. 7. Joyline Symon. Metaphors of Terrorism: A case Study of Al-Shabaab Literature. 8. Caroline Chelagat. An investigation of the the linguistic Contact between Kipsigis and Nandi Speech Communities. 9. SandraNyambura Magondu. Gikuyu Tone shift: An optimality Acount. 10. Kinyua Gemma Kaimuri. A Lexico Semantic Analysis Of The Language Of The Lesbian Gay Bisexual And Transgender In Nairobi And Mombasa Cities In Kenya 11. Jennifer Wanjiku Munyu. The interpretation of Gikuyu idiomatic expressions: A cognitive approach MEMBERSHIP -A member of the Foundation for Endangered Languages HOBBIES Listening to vernacular radio stations broadcasting in various languages Playing table tennis REFEREES 1. Prof. Kithaka Wa Mberia 5
Department Of Linguistics & Languages University Of Nairobi P.O Box 30197 Nairobi. Tel. 0722233184 2. Prof. Jayne Mutiga University Of Nairobi Centre for Translation and Interpretation Studies P.O Box 30197, Nairobi. Tel: 0724141262. 6