THE IMPACT OF LANGUAGE PROGRAMS ON CONGOLESE REFUGEES IN

KENYA

PURITY MUENI MUTUA

C50-6886-2020

A RESEARCH PROPOSAL SUBMITTED TO THE SCHOOL OF HUMANITIES AND

SOCIAL SCIENCES IN PARTIAL FULFILMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR
THE AWARD OF THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF ARTS IN APPLIED LINGUISTICS
OF MACHAKOS UNIVERSITY

FEBRUARY,2023

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PROPOSED BY

PURITY MUENI MUTUA

REG NO:C50-6886-2020

SIGN……………… DATE…………….

SUPERVISOR

I confirm that the work reported in this proposal was carried out by the candidate under my
supervision

Sign ……………….. Date…………………

Dr. Joyce Njiri

Department of Linguistics and Languages

Machakos University

Sign………………. Date………………….

Dr. Evelyn Simiyu

Department of Linguistics and Languages

Machakos University

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 TABLE OF CONTENT

DECLARATION………………………………. …………………………………………...…. ii
TABLE OF CONTENT……………………………………………………………………...…iii
LIST OF TABLES………………………………………………………………………………v
LIST OF FIGURES…………………………………………………………………………...vi
ABBREVIATIONS AND ACRONYMS…………………………………………...................vii
OPERATIONAL DEFINATION TERMS…………………………………………………..Viii
ABSTRACT……………………………………………………………………………………ix
CHAPTER ONE…………………………………………………………………………………1
INTRODUCTION……………………………………………………………………………….1
1.1 Background of the study………………………………...……………………………………1
1.2 Statement of the problem……………………………………………………………………...3
1.3 Research Objectives…………………………………………………………………………...5
1.4 Research Questions…………………………………………………………………………....5
1.5 Significance of the study………………………………………………………………………6
1.6 Scope of the study……………………………………………………………………………..6
1.7 Limitation of the study………………………………………………………………………...6
CHAPTER TWO………………………………………………………………………………...7
LITERATURE REVIEW……………………………………………………………………….7
2.1 Introduction………………………………………………………………………………….7
2.2 Language programs………………………………………………………………………......7
2.3 Review of related literature………………………………………………………………….8
2.4 Theoretical Framework………………………………………………………………………9
2.5 Conceptual Framework…………………………………………………………………….12
CHAPTER THREE……………………………………………………………………………13
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY……………………………………………………………...13
3.1 Introduction……………………………………………………………………………….13

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 3.2 Research Design…………………………………………………………………………..13
3.3 Target population…………………………………………………………………………….13
3.4 Sampling procedure……………………………………………………………………….....13
3.5 Data Collection Procedure………………………………………………………………...…14
3.6 Validity and Reliability of the Research Instrument………………………………………....14

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 LIST OF TABLES

Table 1:1 Residence of Congolese refugees in Kenya……………………………………………1

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 LIST OF FIGURES

Figure 2:1 Conceptual Framework……………………………………………………………12

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 ABBREVIATIONS AND ACRONYMS

DRC Democratic Republic of Congo

EAC East African Community

UNHCR United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees

ESL English as Second Language

WTI Windle Trust International

SLA Second Language Acquisition

ZPD Zone of Proximal Development

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 OPERATIONAL DEFINITION TERMS

Host country A country whose leaders accept the visitation of representatives of

another country.

Language programs Courses designed to help non-English speakers learn to speak,

read, write and understand written and spoken English.

Refugee A person who has been forced to leave their country in order to escape

War, persecution or natural disaster.

Foreign Language A language that is not an official language of, nor typically spoken

In a given country and that native speakers from that country must

Usually acquire through conscious learning.

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 ABSTRACT

Given that the number of refugees into Kenya is increasing strikingly, it is important for all
stakeholders to gain knowledge on how best to host them. Language barrier has presented the
main challenge that refugees face first when they get in to their host country. This continues to
cause anxiety and failure of inclusion of these refugees within the host communities. This study
seeks to establish the impact of language program on Congolese refugees in Kenya. The specific
objectives are to determine the effect of language programs on the speaking, reading and writing
skills of Congolese refugees aged 14 years and above in Kenya. The study will be anchored on
the following three theories which include Destination Language Model, Constructivist Theory
and Simple View of Reading. The study will use descriptive research design. The instrument for
collection of data will be researcher-administered questionnaire. The target population of the
study will be all Congolese refugees aged 14 years and above in Kenya. 2 Cluster Sampling will
be used to first sample a random geographical place i.e. Kitengela. In the last stage, stratified
Random Sampling will be used to sample 36 youths,6 parents,6 currently working ,3 graduates
of language programs Congolese refugees,3 tutors in the language programs and 2 education
officials. Data analysis will be done through descriptive statistics methods.

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 CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION

1.0 Introduction

This chapter comprises of background of the study, the statement of the problem, the research
objectives, research questions, the significance of the study, the scope and limitations of the
study. It will give a background on language programs and the Congolese refugees.

1.1 Background of the study

The world is encountering radical pace of change, unexpected conflicts, wars and oppressions in
certain countries and massive entries of large numbers of refugees into host countries due to
these uncertainties. As a result of this extensive mobility by international migration, integration
of refugees into the host countries is crucial. Refugees’ migration is often sudden and they can’t
therefore plan for what they are to go through in their host countries. Countries should therefore
endeavor to remain hospitable to refugees that may seek residence in their communities.

Immigrants of all origins are surrounded by economic, social and political pressure to integrate
both linguistically and culturally. Among the various difficulties that refugees encounter,
language presents a primary challenge. Destination language skills, which are key to sustainably
incorporating refugees into their host countries are of great importance to the labor market and
shaping opportunities for employment, earning and occupational status (Cheswick and Miller
1995). However, despite its vital importance, many refugees never reach adequate proficiency in
the host country language. Those who fail to achieve adequate proficiency in the host country
language generally fail to achieve economic and social integration. Language barrier can also
make refugees feel isolated, hopeless and anti-social which often leads to depression or even
indulgence into criminal activities. It is therefore all-important for countries to continuously and
constantly adopt and review their strategies and approaches to teach refugees their official and
national language in case they are coming from a different background. (Jurgen Meisel 2007).

Kenya is now the second biggest refugee hosting country in Africa after Ethiopia hosting over
520,000 refugees. Majority of these refugees are staying in Dadaab camp in the southeast,
Kakuma camp in the northwest and in Nairobi city. However, due to security, environmental and
economic burdens, in March 2021 the government of Kenya announced a decision to close
refugee camps. In response to this, UNHCR presented Kenya with solutions that included
departure to third countries under various arrangements and alternative stay options in Kenya

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which may include integrating the refugees to its community. This therefore requires the country
to put up strategies in terms of language programs for the refugees to prepare for their smooth
transition.

1.1.1 Congolese refugees

The Democratic Republic of Congo is the latest country to join the East Africa Community
having joined on 29th March 2022.The entrance of this country into the EAC has encouraged a
great number of its displaced people to freely relocate to EAC members which include Kenya,
Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi and Angola. With more than 5.6 million people displaced,
the DRC has the largest number of internally displaced people on the continent. According to
UNHCR Feb 2022, In Kenya there are around 49,123 Congolese refugees with some residing in
refugee camps and others in urban areas.

Table 1:1 Residence of Congolese refugees in Kenya

Country of Dadaab Kakuma Kalobeyei Urban Total

origin camp camp settlement (Nairobi, Nakuru
and Mombasa)
DR Congo 99 15,937 1,617 31,470 49,123

Statistics show that Congolese make the largest number of refugees in the urban areas, and
actually among the few refugee nationalities with its large number residing in Nairobi city
compared to those that are in refugee camps in Dadaab and Kakuma. The rate at which the
Congolese population is growing in Nairobi is actually striking.

Despite their escalating numbers they are only armed with the language of their motherland that
is French and relatively broken Kiswahili. French is the only language they know and practice
confidently hence their only path of communication.This confronts them with a barrier of
communicating and sharing information with their Kenyan hosts who use English as their
official language of communication and transaction.The desire and motivation to learn English
language therefore becomes a key priority to the refugees hence the need for a structured
methodology to cure and bridge this gap.

1.1.2 Language Programs

Language programs are courses that are designed to help non-English speakers learn to speak,
read, write and understand written and spoken English. These programs serve a diverse
population depending on learners’ status (e.g., immigrants, refugees, international students etc)

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and goals (e.g., basic or functional literacy, family literacy, workplace education and citizen
preparation).

Language programs, e.g., English as Second Language (ESL) is an English language study
program for individual who do not speak English as their first language and want to improve
their English language skills. Different classes teach different language skills depending on the
need and skills of the students, but all courses teach conversational English, grammar, reading,
listening, comprehension, writing and vocabulary. Most importantly language programs enable
refugees and immigrants to learn the language of the host country or community, which is
usually the national language. They also deal with the literacy of refugees who may have never
been in school and therefore not proficient in even their native languages. Language programs
are usually mostly designed for refugees or immigrants who are beyond schooling age i.e., 14
years and above and therefore this study will focus on those refugees that at 14 years and above.

The government of Kenya supports both formal and non-formal language programs in their
strategies of teaching English language. In order to effectively support language programs, the
government officials administering these refugees should gather and analyze reliable and
relevant available information on the educational background of the refugees. This will help the
tutors in the language programs know each specific refugee and why they need to learn English
i.e. (for socialization, for seeking job etc.). The typical assumption that is there is that most adult
refugees would learn the language of the host country through socialization but not all of them
are lucky enough to acquire proficiency through socialization only. The government should
therefore put in place other strategies to assist refugees in learning English. Whatever strategy
the government chooses to embrace in the teaching of English language to refugees, no strategy
remains more fundamental than language programs

1.2 Statement of the problem

Language is an important requirement for the incorporation of refugees into any hosting
community. Whether they have sufficient knowledge of their first language or not, immigrants
and refugees often identify language barrier as one of the first challenge they face which hinders
their inclusion into the host community. Apart from facilitating social interaction, language helps
refugees navigate a new environment including enabling them seek social services such as health
care, housing, education and inclusion into labor market among others.

Whereas several studies exist that examined second language acquisition among refugees, no
study yet exist that analyses the impact of language programs on refugees; specifically, those
coming from non-English speaking countries (e.g., Congolese refugees) transiting into countries
whose official language is English. Congolese children above the age of 14 years, who have
gone beyond the primary schooling age in Kenya, find themselves in a serious language
acquisition crisis for they may not join formal schooling system where basic skills of language

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are taught. This study attempts to fill the gap by investigating the impact of language programs,
on Congolese refugees aged 14 years and above in Kenya.

1.3 Research Objectives

The study will be guided by the following objectives

i. To determine the impact of language programs on the spoken English of Congolese

refugees aged 14 years and above in Kenya.

ii. To examine the influence of language programs on the writing skills of the Congolese
refugees aged 14 years and above in Kenya.

iii. To analyze the effect of language programs on the reading skills of the Congolese
refugees aged 14 years and above in Kenya.

iv. To establish the strategies and framework the Kenyan government has on language
programs dealing with the Congolese refugees aged 14 years and above in Kenya.

1.4 Research Questions

The study sought to answer the following research questions;
i. What is the impact of language programs on the spoken English of the Congolese
refugees aged 14 years and above in Kenya?

ii. How do language programs influence the written English of the Congolese refugees aged
14 years and above in Kenya?

iii. What is the effect of language programs on the reading skills of the Congolese refugees
aged 14 years and above in Kenya?

iv. What are the strategies /framework that the Kenyan government has on language
programs related or associated with the Congolese refugees aged 14 years and above in
Kenya?

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1.5 Significance of the study
The study adds to the growing body of knowledge on language programs available for refugees
in developing countries (Kenya). The study also gives significant guidance and proposals on the
best practices to set a framework of a formal/standardized approach in developing and executing
these programs. The education and the immigration sectors can gain from the study as its meant
to cure underlying deficiencies in the teaching of English as a foreign language to the refugees.
The findings of the study will provide the opportunity for both private and public managements
of language programs institutions to assess and analyze the best practices in the teaching of the
English language in their institutions, which would help them identify their shortcoming and
strengths hence making it easier for the refugees to learn standard English which can be used in
different parts of the world.
1.6 Scope of the Study
The study will be done among Congolese refugees living in Kenya, specifically Machakos and
Nairobi County. The population will consist of the Congolese refugees including those refugees
who have gone through language programs, members of the host community, teachers handling
them in the language programs, government officials in line departments of education and
immigration and the managers of the institutions offering the language programs.
1.7 Limitation of the Study
My interaction with the target population so far, reveal that some of them may not freely give out
the required information due to the fear of the intent and the purpose of the study. I plan to create
a good working rapport with them to make our interaction and exchanges seamless.

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 CHAPTER TWO

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

2.1 Introduction
This chapter presents the literature review on language programs and Congolese refugees. It
summarizes the knowledge from other scholars who have carried out their research in the same
field of study. The chapter presents the empirical review, theoretical review, the research gaps
and conceptual framework.

2.2 Language programs

2.2.1 Language programs and spoken English

Speaking is speech or utterances with the purpose of having the intention to be recognized by
the receiver by processing the statement in order to recognize one`s intention Gert and Hans
(2008). Besides, Rebecca (2006) stated that speaking is the first mode in which children acquire
language, part of daily involvement of most people with language activities and its the prime
motor of language change. It’s one of the basic skills in learning foreign language besides
listening, reading and writing.

Ur (1999) states that of all four skills, speaking is considered to be the most important skill and
in addition Rivers (1978) states that speaking is used twice as much as reading and writing in our
communication and therefore it becomes the greatest interest for refugees. Richard (2002) states
that a large percentage of world`s language, the learners study English in order to develop
proficiency in speaking. In other words, the ability of English is measured by the result in
speaking skills or oral communication. Speaking, as a way of communication makes people who
come from different countries to be comfortable in making interactions and communication. As
stated by Richards and Renandya (2002), speaking is one of the central elements of
communication because through it one can express his/her feelings, emotion and idea. In
addition, Brown (2004) argues that speaking is an interactive process of constructing meaning
that involve producing, receiving and processing information. When one speaks, they should be
able to make meaning depending on the context of the information

As for its function, Richard (2008) states that the functions of speaking are classified into three;
talk as interaction, talk as transaction and talk as performance. Talk as interaction means the
conversation that people have daily like greetings, recounts or engaging in small talks. Talk as
transaction is about when one seeks to deliver a message like a teacher teaching a student while
on contrary, talk as performance is a public talk like giving a speech to an audience.
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Speaking is very important in our lives because it's through it that we can communicate and carry
out our day-to-day activities. It is inevitable for interpersonal communication and in career life.
Speaking skills also improve intercultural understanding, giving refugees a voice to tell their
story which can address the effects of loss and trauma. The skill is also key to refugee’s
assimilation to their host countries because its key determinant of their earnings.

Lado (1977) recognizes four components of spoken English;

One of them is fluency which is achieved when one is able to speak comfortably and
confidently for an extended period of time. This skill means that a listener can follow
clearly on what the speaker is saying and not get lost. Signs of fluency include a
reasonably fast speed of speaking and only a small number of pauses. A fluent speaker
should also not spend a lot of time searching for the language items needed to express the
message.

Vocabulary which is the appropriate diction which is used in communication is the other
component. If one doesn`t have the words to say what they want to say, then they can`t
say it. For one to be a good speaker they must grow their vocabulary which in turn makes
their speaking skills stronger. Having limited vocabulary is also a barrier that precludes
learners from learning a language. Without it nothing can be conveyed and therefore
without mastering vocabulary sufficiently in English, learners will not be able to speak
English properly.

Pronunciation is another skill that one requires in spoken English.The sub-skills of

pronunciation include word and sentence stress, intonation, rhythm and use of individual
sounds of language. In speaking, pronunciation plays a vital role in order to make the
process of communication easy to understand.

Grammar is also needed for learners to arrange a correct sentence in conversation. This is
in line with an explanation suggested by Heaton (1978) that students` ability to
manipulate structure and to distinguish appropriate grammatical form in appropriateness.
The utility of grammar is also to learn the correct way to gain expertise in a language in
oral and written form

The above works as cited informs this study that speaking is very critical in the
learning,teaching and acquisition of a foreign language.It guides on the importance of
investing heavily in speaking skills while initiating and implementing language
programs.

2.2.2 Language programs and reading skills

Reading is a self-discovery process in which readers interact with written materials by investing
cognitively to decompose new knowledge so as to infer meaning Hellyer (2001). Bonomo

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(1973), refers to reading as bringing meaning to and getting meaning from printed or written
materials. By reading, people can get information from different sources such as newspapers,
books and magazines. The ultimate purpose of reading is to understand the text being read and
therefore reading skills foster comprehension. If one doesn`t have knowledge of reading he
cannot be expected to understand any written material.

Reading has several benefits which include;

 It improves language skills

 It improves comprehension

 It helps build vocabulary

 It stimulates imagination

 It builds one`s confidence

 It facilitates transfer of knowledge and information

Andrews (1970) observed, more practice is usually afforded speaking and listening skills on
ground that oral language is primary and that reading skills will come naturally if the learners are
able to speak the language. As she correctly pointed out, the implicit assumption is certainly not
true in the case of non-native speakers.

Reading instructions requires word recognition fluency. Research by Segal wit (1991)
demonstrated that word recognition automaticity was an important factor in proficiency levels of
second language learners in terms of overall reading fluency. He also found that second language
university students who were more fluent readers overall had better word recognition
automaticity skills. The results of the study further argue that increased word recognition
automaticity results from incidental exposure to vocabulary through instruction over extended
periods of time

Kroll 2002 also reports on a study in which greater L2 word recognition fluency is associated
with higher levels among university students. It’s revealed that learners gain fluency through
word recognition and that significant gains in word reading fluency were shown in just two
training sessions. In the training of word recognition, Tan 1997 in her study trained her students
through flash card practice and the results showed that experimental students outperformed a
control group not only in fluency but also in passage comprehension

Another thing that reading instruction require is Emphasis on Vocabulary learning and
vocabulary rich environment. The relationship between vocabulary knowledge and reading

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comprehension has been powerfully demonstrated in L2 by Hal Stijn (1997.) In their study also
Droop and Verhoeven (2003) demonstrate a powerful relation between vocabulary knowledge
and later reading ability with third and fourth grade language minority children in Holland.

Background knowledge in appropriate ways is also very key. Almost all reading researchers
agree that background knowledge plays an important role in reading comprehension. Readers
comprehend texts better when texts are culturally familiar or when they relate to well-developed
disciplinary knowledge of a reader. The limited role of background knowledge for
comprehending new topics was clearly documented by Bernhardt (1991), and additional studies
reviewed in Alderson (2000) Present conflicting evidence on the role of background knowledge
on reading. Nonetheless, background knowledge appears to provide strong support for
comprehension in many contexts.

From an instructional perspective, the issue becomes whether or not there are any specific
benefits for promoting appropriate background knowledge for learners encountering new
information in instructional texts. Chen and Graves (1995) conducted one of the few L2 studies
to pursue this issue directly and demonstrated that the use of text previewing led to significant
better comprehension in comparison with both a control group and a group that activated general
background knowledge. The findings can be interpreted as support for the activation of specific
information that is relevant to the text as opposed to activating more general background
knowledge.

Building reading Fluency and rate which involves both word recognition accuracy and
automaticity is of great importance too. It requires a rapid speed of processing across extended
text and makes appropriate use of prosodic and syntactic structures. It can be carried out for
extended periods of time and takes long time to develop Kuhn and Stahl, (2003). Almost any
kind of independent or assisted repeated reading program, done carefully and appropriately will
have a direct positive effect on reading fluency and indirect positive effect on comprehension
improvement.

A further line of fluency research involves efforts to have students read under some amount of
time pressure. Breznitz (1997) has shown that with low-level grade 1 learners, reading under
mild pressure increased reading efficiency and led to better text comprehension. Walczyk (1999)
demonstrated that both fluency processes show stronger relation to reading abilities when
students read under time pressure and that their reading comprehension scores improved.

The above cited works opines that reading is critical in language acquisition and for it to be
actualised word recognition should be emphasised and learners exposed to vocabulary through
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methods such as flashcard practice and passage comprehension.It further guides that learners
exposure to print has a direct relationship to vocabulary knowledge and comprehension
skills.Repeated reading programs ,when done appropriately will promote positive effect in
fluency and comprehension improvement.Therefore,for reading to be taught effectively in
language programs the above should be embraced.

2.2.3 Language programs and written English

The purpose of learning English is to improve learner’s four skills of listening, speaking, reading
and writing. Writing is the skill that has to approached only after the other previous three have
been already employed. It is a productive and essential skill which includes all knowledge and
abilities to express one`s ideas through the written word. Jeen peter (2021). It provides learners
with various ways to create their ideas and thoughts in a foreign language. Writing is the most
complex method of expression and the final skill to be achieved in the order of acquisition. It is
used to maintain contact with other people, express thoughts, feelings and even entertain. When
a person writes he tries to bring out all the knowledge he has on the topic he writes about which
leads to improvement of memory, sharpness and creativity. Among the four basic skills, writing
demands a great effort. Dumais (1988) states that writing in English is meant to fill the gap that
exists between the ability to express ideas, feelings, opinions in native language and the ability to
express the same thing in written form in English.

According to Deane (2018), writing is the most significant development in human history and
therefore also very key as noted by Said (2018) that it is generally seen as an important skill in
acquisition of English language because through it English vocabulary and grammar can be
strengthened .Improving the writing abilities of learners has both academic and social
implications and it has been noted that English language learners perform well in their writing
tasks when they are properly guided by teachers or instructors Kroll (2003).The digital era
requires one who has a good writing ability in English because E-mails, fax, online chat and
even website updates are an excellent proficiency in English writing to communicate

Beginner-level writing classes are challenging because of the students’ still-limited knowledge of
the language and therefore learners should be guided from the basics such as;

 Begin each sentence with a capital letter

 End each sentence with a full stop or and question a question mark.

 Use capital letter with proper names and the pronoun “I”.

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  Each sentence contains a subject, verb and object. (i.e.) the basic sentence structure
subject+verb+complement

To teach writing learners must also know the basic parts of speech which are nouns, verbs,
adjectives, adverbs etc. and the instructor should be keen to ensure learners understand the role
of each part of speech in a sentence.

More to this, in the Kenyan education system (the host country) where the target population is
domiciled and expected to grow through the education system, writing is not only a skill but also
an examinable aspect and area in form of creative and imaginative writing.It is also tested in its
functional aspect, for example speech writing,minutes writing and letter writing.The need to
intensively invest in writing skills in any language program cannot be over emphasised.

2.2.4 Language programs and Kenyan government strategies

A language program is a scheme or a course designed to help non-English speakers learn to
speak, read, write and understand written and spoken English. Lack of English language
knowledge is one of the biggest barriers to economic growth and therefore language programs
are there to assist refugees and other immigrants to acquire this knowledge. General goals of
language programs include;

 To enable limited English proficient learners become competent in the comprehension,

speaking, reading and composition of the English language through integrated use of the
second language method.

 To provide learners of the English language with model language learning courses aimed
at developing their communication skills for study, professional and leisure purposes.

 To prepare learners of English language to be effective communicators and intercultural

leaders

Language programs, for example English as a Second Language (ESL), is an English language
study program for individuals who do not speak English as their first language and want to
improve their English language skills. Different classes teach different language skills but all
courses teach conversational English, grammar, reading, listening, comprehension, writing and
vocabulary. Language programs that deal with refugees help them become economically self-
sufficient, socially and civically engaged.

They involve structured and organized teaching or training the English language to segmented or
targeted groups of refugees from non-English speaking countries. It is an organized and a formal
system in which government invests its resources in facilitating language learning services to
refugees for effective integration with the host country`s population. Language program

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identifies, organizes and implements activities towards English learning. Successful learning
programs involve training, assessment and certification to the learners who are mainly refugees.

Despite the fact that the constitution of Kenya appreciates the role of language in spurring socio-
economic development, it does not have a tacit policy on the language of migrants and refugees
Marangu Lucy (2020). Government policy on second language acquisition by refugees
determines success or failure of refugee integration in the country.

Language and encampment policies outlined in the constitution of Kenya is that Kiswahili and
English are the official languages and as a result English is highly valued. UNHCR has partnered
with numerous organizations for program implementations in the Camps like Windle Trust
International (WTI), which provides teacher training, scholarships, English language training
including proficiency certification. The government of Kenya however has allowed numerous
refugees to settle outside the camps in different parts of the country, mostly Nairobi city,
Kitengela and Ruiru, and doesn`t have a clear guideline on how to integrate these refugees in the
community in terms of English language acquisition.

There is need for a standardized language program that is tailored for non -English speaking
refugees and managed by the government with a well-researched, streamlined and certified
curriculum. This will ensure only the authorized entities and agencies handle the teaching and
implementation of language programs in Kenya. The open window for private entities and
noncommissioned institutions to offer this critical service to refugees has led to sub -standard
teaching and training of language hence exposing the refugees to exploitation and incompetent
language instructors. The various institutions offering this service have no standard and quality
controls to ensure effective and fruitful English language acquisition. A systematic strategy and
plan of action needs to be put in place for successful implementation of language programs to the
refugees in Kenya, and in this case the Congolese.

2.3 Review of related Literature

There are studies that have been done to investigate how refugees acquire the English language
that this study reviewed. However, most of these studies looked at the Importance of the English
language to refugees and fell short show the strategies that can be put in place to assist the
refugees acquire the language.

Marangu (2020) conducted a study at Kakuma refugees Camp on Integration of refugees and
acquisition of a second Language. The key finding of the study was that successful SLA is an

21
important enabler for successful integration in any local community, where integration entails
giving some freedom to refugees to shape their livelihoods in ways suited to the environment.
Marangu`s study provides insight in the importance of SLA among the refugees. In the proposed
study, strategies on how best SLA can be achieved by refugees will be recommended

Seuring (2022) conducted a study in Germany on the role of preschools and language instruction,
in language acquisition of young refugees. The key finding was that preschools and language
instructions were very crucial in assisting refugee children acquire the language of the host
community. Seuring's study gives the understanding of how key language instructions are in
SLA. The study however focuses only on those refugees that are at the preschool age. In the
proposed study, those refugees that are beyond primary school age (14 years and above) where
language skills are taught will be considered.

Cornelia (2021) also conducted a study on the dynamics of language learning among refugees
and other immigrants. The findings were that it takes refugees more time to increase their
fluency of the language of the host country as compared to other immigrants. Cornelia’s study
informs the proposed study that refugees' SLA is low but does not gives measures that can help
the refugees acquire the language of the host community as fast as the other immigrants. In the
proposed study, Measures and strategies to assist refugees in SLA will be analyzed.

Can (2018) conducted a different study on fostering language acquisition in young refugees
using mobile phones. The study sought for the impact of mobile phones in fostering language
acquisition and found that mobile phones, being widely used by almost everybody can help
young refugees in SLA. In the proposed study, the impact of language programs on refugees'
SLA will be analyzed.

2.4 Theoretical Framework.

The study was anchored on 3 theories which include Chis wick and Miller`s model of destination
language acquisition (1995), Constructivist theory by Vygotsky (1978) and simple view of
reading by Gough and Tunmer (1986)

2.4.1 Destination Language Model

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This model was described by Chis wick and Miller, (1995, 2001) and Esser, (2006). According
to human capital approach of destination language acquisition, the level of language
competencies that immigrants achieve is the outcome of a series of investment decisions to
engage in activities that foster language learning (Esser, 2006). Such investments include
deliberate activities to improve language competencies (e.g., taking language instructions in a
language program), as well as activities that are not specifically aimed at increasing language
competencies but do so as a side-effect. For example, everyday interactions with majority
members (Kristen et al 2016).

Chis wick and Miller wrote in (2001) that immigrants` acquisition of the destination language is
related to three overarching factors that determine investments in language learning activities:
the incentives associated with improved language competencies, the exposure to that language in
terms of both quantity and quality of language input and the learning efficiency, which reflects
an individual`s cognitive capacity for processing the available input. They firmly indicate that
opportunities to come into contact with the destination language which can occur both in formal
settings such as schools or language courses as well as everyday situations help refugees to
greatly improve their language competencies. (Chis wick and Miller, 1995; Kristen, 2019).

In addition to informal language input like every day interactions with native speakers,
participation in language courses was found to promote the language learning of adult
immigrants (Van Tubergen,2010; Kasyokova et al 2021; Kristen and Seuring, 2021), especially
when instructions take place in an early stage of the learning process (Bernhard and Bernhard,
2021).

2.4.2 Constructivist theory

Vygotsky in his constructivist theory, created the concept of the zone of proximal development
(ZPD) which came to be a central part of his theory. He suggests that individuals learn from each
other and that knowledge is co-constructed. His central aspect of this theory which is the zone of
proximal development (ZPD), is the scope of tasks that are too difficult for a learner to achieve
alone but that they can accomplish with the help of the instructor or a skilled peer. In other
words, the target group of learners who have low proficiency in English and are learning to read
and write, can start off by learning alphabet. With the help of a teacher, the learner can learn
short words like `at` and `cat` which are considered within the (Z P D). On their own, it may take
them longer to acquire this skill but with the teacher's help and explanation, it’s simple enough
for them to understand (Sakiras, 2018)

Vygotsky consistently defines the zone of proximal development as the difference between the
current level of cognitive development and the potential level of cognitive development. He
maintains that a learner is able to reach their learning goal by completing problem-solving tasks
with their teacher or engaging with more competent peers. He believed that a student would not
23
be able to reach the same level of learning by working alone. As a student leaves his zone of
current development, he moves through the zone of proximal development towards his learning
goal.

The zone of proximal development consists of two important components: the student’s potential
development and the role of interaction with competent people. Learning occurs in the zone of
proximal development after the identification of current knowledge which is what the learner is
capable of learning. To help learners achieve independence, Vygotsky outlined scaffolding as a
tool for growth. Learners complete small, manageable steps in order to reach the goal and
working in collaboration with a skilled instructor to help the learner make connections between
concepts. As learners grow within their zone of proximal development and become more
confident, they practice new tasks with the social support that surrounds them. He maintains that
learning occurs through purposeful, meaningful interaction with others.

This theory is important to this study because it supports the idea of language programs with the
help of teachers and more competent peers who have initially gone through the language
programs.The theory forms the basis of the study objectives.It also concurs with the study that
language learning occurs through purposiful,meaningful and structured interraction with others

2.4.3 Simple view of reading

Gough and Tunmer (1986) proposed the simple view of reading to clarify the role of decoding in
reading. They make it clear that strong reading comprehension cannot occur unless both
decoding skills and language comprehension abilities are strong. When students can decode
expertly, their reading comprehension capabilities equal their language comprehension abilities.

According to this theory, learning to read consists of two critical areas; i) Reading each word in a
text fluently and accurately and(ii) comprehending the meaning of the text being read. Learning
these skills does not come naturally and therefore there is a need for careful and systematic
instruction in both word reading and comprehension. The formula of this theory i.e., word
recognition and language comprehension has been supported and validated by a number of
research studies. Understanding the formula will help language instructors with assessing reading
weaknesses and providing appropriate instruction.

Decoding(D)+Language Comprehension (LC) =Reading Comprehension (RC)

The simple view formula shows that learner’s reading comprehension (RC) score can be
predicted if decoding (D) skills and language comprehension (LC) abilities are known.

24
Beginning and struggling readers are often taught to compensate for weak decoding by guessing
an unfamiliar word based on the first letter, then asking themselves if the word makes sense after
reading the sentence. In contrast, when decoding is the focus of instruction learners are taught to
sound out familiar words using all the letters and to practice reading accurately until an adequate
reading rate is achieved, along with accurate decoding.

Although reading is complex, the simple view of reading shows that the complexities can be
assigned to one of the two categories. A deficit in decoding is related to the student’s ability to
read printed words accurately and rapidly. Any deficit in language comprehension is not specific
to reading, but related to a knowledge domain or to a higher order thinking skills such as
reasoning, imagining or interpreting.

The simple view demonstrates that reading difficulties fall into three basic types;

1. Poor at language comprehension-A learner has adequate decoding skills and weak
language comprehension skills.
2. Poor at decoding-A learner has adequate language comprehension and weak decoding
skills
3. Weaknesses in both areas- A learner has weaknesses in both areas. (Poor read

2.5 Conceptual Framework

A conceptual framework is a concise description accompanied by a graphic representation of the
arrangement of various components that define the phenomenon one wants to study. It is a set of
broad ideas and principles taken from relevant fields of enquiry and used to structure a
subsequent presentation. The interconnection of independent and dependent variables completes
the framework for certain expected outcomes. The independent variables include; Speaking
skills, writing skills and reading skills while the dependent variable is the impact on Congolese
refugees in Kenya.

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Independent Variables Dependent Variable

Language programs

Speaking Skills
 Fluency
 Pronunciation
 Grammar
The impact on Congolese refugees in Kenya
 Economic empowerment
 Communication empowerment
 Social welfare enrichment
 Seamless integration
 Cultural assimilation

Writing Skills
 Spellings
 Vocabulary
 Sentence structure

26
Reading skills
 Comprehension
 Vocabulary
 Decoding
 Fluency

Figure 2:1 Conceptual Framework

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 CHAPTER THREE

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

3.1 Introduction

This chapter presents the methodology that will be used to carry out this study. It also describes
the type and source of data, the target population and sampling methods and the techniques that
will be used to select the sample size. The chapter will also describe how data will be collected,
analyzed and presented.

3.2 Research Design

Research design lays the foundation for carrying out a research (Yin 2009). This study will use
descriptive research design. Descriptive research design is used to find out what, where, when
and how of a phenomenon (Cooper& Schindler 2003). This research design will be suitable for
the study since it will enable the researcher to observe and measure variables as they will be
without influencing them. It is also through this research design that opinions and suggestions for
improvements in educational instructions can be collected (Cresswell,2012).

3.3 Target Population

The target population of this study will comprise of all Congolese refugee youths aged between
14-20 years, Congolese parents, Congolese refugee adults involved in business or informal
employment, tutors in the language program institutions, Congolese graduates of the existing
language programs and ministry of education officials in Kenya. This is the population that the
researcher finds suitable for this study.

3.4 Sampling procedure

Meng (2013) describes sampling as a systematic and cost-effective way of reducing data size
while maintaining the most important components of the data set. Two cluster sampling will be
employed in the study whereby in the first stage a random geographical selection will be done
(Kitengela) because Congolese refugees are scattered over a large geographical area in Kenya. In
28
the next stage of sampling, Stratified Random Sampling will be employed now in the selected
cluster, whereby the Congolese refugees in Kitengela will be classified based on age (youths and
their parents), those Congolese who have graduated from the language programs and those who
have not and are working or in business, tutors in the language programs and education officials
in the area. Each of the above strata will share out a number that is proportional to its population.

Lastly, convenience Sampling will be employed to sample 36 youths,6 parents,6 working

Congolese,3 tutors,3 graduates of language programs and 2 education officials. Zhi (2014)
postulates that convenience sampling is based on selecting people in the population based on
how easy they are to sample.

3.5 Data Collection Procedure

According to Kothari (2014), data collection procedures are strategies employed in research to
ensure credible, valid and reliable data is obtained to inform the research findings. This study
will administer researcher-administered questionnaires. According to Mugenda and Mugenda
(2003), researcher-administered questionnaires are suitable when the subjects may not have the
ability to read and interpret questions and therefore the researcher reads the items and records the
categories.

3.6 Validity and Reliability of the Research Instrument

Mugenda and Mugenda (2013) clarify that, the exactness of information to a great extent relies
upon the nature of information accumulation instruments. Unwavering quality then again is
clarified by Mugenda and Mugenda (2013) as a measure of how much research instruments yield
steady outcomes.

Cronbach’s Alpha will be applied to measure the co-efficient of internal consistency and thus the
reliability of the instrument. It will measure the average of measurable items and its correlation.
SPSS software will be used to verify the reliability of collected data. Overall scales’ reliability of
the will be situation and the desirable situation will be tested by Cronbach’s alpha, which should
be above the acceptable level of 0.70 (Hair et al., 2016). Alpha above the value of 0.7 is
considered acceptable (George and Mallery,2013).

Validity is a measure of the degree to which data obtained from the instrument accurately and
meaningfully represent the theoretical concept and in particular how the data represents the
variables. Where validity has been established, any inferences made from such data was accurate
and meaningful (Mugenda & Mugenda,2013). The validity of a study increases by using various

29
sources of evidence (Yin,2013). This will confirm the validity of the data and relevant results.
Content validity will be measured through university supervisors.

3.7 Data Analysis and Presentation

Quantitative data collected will be analyzed by the use of descriptive statistics using SPSS and
presented through frequencies and percentages. The information will be displayed by use of bar
charts, graphs and pie charts and in prose-form. This will be done by tallying up responses,
computing the percentages of variations in response as well as describing and interpreting the
data in line with the study objectives and assumptions through the use of SPSS to communicate
research findings.

3.8 Ethical Considerations

Ethical considerations in research involves outlining the content of research and what will be
required of participants, how informed consent will be obtained and confidentiality ensured.
Informed consent will therefore be obtained from all those who will participate in the study.
Those no willing to participate in the study will be under no obligation to do so. Respondents’
names will not be indicated anywhere in the data collection tools for confidentiality and
information gathered will only be used for the purpose of this academic study. The necessary
research authorities will be consulted to grant the researcher permission to carry out the research.
The materials and resources that will be used will be cited accordingly.

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