The Multivoices of Kenyan Primary School Children Learning to Read and Write

This book provides a rich and nuanced examination of children learning to read and write a second language in primary schools in Kenya, taught by teachers who themselves have often learned English as a second or third language.

"Multivoices of Kenyan Children Learning to Read and Write provides a welcome and vivid account of an area that has remained largely unexplored: African children learning to read and write during official (teacher-controlled) times and unofficial (child-controlled) times. The book is engaging, stimulating and a pioneering introduction to the role of translanguaging as a resource which empowers multilingual learners." --Martha Michieka, East Tennessee State University, USA

"Amidst a tendency to rush children from one activity to another in the classroom in order to meet global standards of literacy, Esther Lisanza’s book is a breath of fresh air. By concentrating on the details of children’s interactions as they talk and write inside and outside of the classroom, she demonstrates the rich cultural resources they have to offer from their own experiences. This book offers a new perspective on childhood multilingualism, connecting global concerns related to child literacy and the potential of children across cultures." --Sofie Dewayani, Litara Foundation, Indonesia

This book provides a rich and nuanced examination of children learning to read and write a second language in primary schools in Kenya, taught by teachers who themselves have often learned English as a second or third language. The author uses two case studies, of an urban and a rural school, to explore how different socioeconomic and cultural contexts can affect the enactment of language policies and their effect on literacy. This book contributes a unique perspective to studies in language and literacy education due to its distinctive exploration of young children learning to read and write in the English language in Kenya, and it will be of particular interest to students and scholars of applied linguistics, language education, bilingualism and language policy.

Esther Mukewa Lisanza is Assistant Professor in the Department of African Studies at Howard University, USA. Her research and publications centre on language and literacy development, politics of language in education, African education, and women’s empowerment in Africa.