Research
The Importance of Mobilizing Wolaita Community to Participate in Wolaita Language Standardization Issue in Wolaita Zone, Southern Ethiopia
The main objective of the study was to find out the importance of mobilizing Wolaita community to participate in Wolaita language standardization issue. The research participants were purposively selected 22 individuals from Boditi town, Humbo wereda and two sectors from Wolaita zone level office. Questionnaire and in-depth interview were used as instruments for data collection. Both qualitative and quantitative data analysis methods were employed to find results. Hence, the findings showed that there were many significances of mobilizing the community to participate in Wolaita language standardization issue. The main importances were that the culture and language of Wolaita will develop, almost all people use similar and standardized language in all areas of Wolaita Zone. Transmitting mobilizing messages to the community through mass media like Wolaita FM radio 99.9 and affixing different placards were some of techniques to mobilize the people. Hence, it was recommended that the stake holders like Zone and wereda culture, tourism and government communication affairs department together with other government sectors should design possible strategies that enable them to mobilize the people to participate in Wolaita language standardization issue.
Investigating Challenges that Teachers Face when Teaching Local Languages in Selected Secondary Schools of Wolaita Zone in SNNPR Ethiopia
The main objective of the study was to investigate challenges that teachers face when teaching local languages in two selected secondary schools of Wolaita zone. The research subjects were purposively selected ten Wolaita language teachers from both secondary schools. Besides, six education experts from Humbo wereda and Sodo town education bureau were involved. Two instruments were used to collect the data: questionnaire and interview. Both qualitative and quantitative data analysis methods were employed to obtain the results. Hence, the findings of the study proved that shortage of text books and teacher guides, lack of using syllabus and curriculum as a guideline when teaching were some of the challenges teacher were facing in classroom. The study also indicated that significant efforts were not made by concerned bodies like wereda and town education office and the schools to provide sufficient text books and teacher's guides. The study clearly proved that un like other teachers Wolaita language teachers had no access to different social media like internet which is prepared in Wolaita language. The findings also approved that the efforts made by the concerned bodies of both schools were not effective and did not bring relevant change on challenges that teachers were facing. Hence, it is recommended that the concerned bodies like Wereda education bureau in collaboration with other stake holders should provide sufficient textbooks to teachers and students. Adequate teacher's guides should also be supplied to teachers. To effectively resolve the challenges related to teaching materials the schools and wereda as well as town education office should work in collaboration with various stake holders like zone education department and regional level education bureau and should report on time to them before the problems encounters.
