Exploring Kalanga Language Representation in Zimbabwean Broadcast Media

Abstract

Kalanga is the third most spoken language in Zimbabwe, a country with 18 spoken languages. The language was previously marginalised but it was officially recognised in the Constitution of Zimbabwe Amendment (No. 20) Act, 2013. This article reports on an interdisciplinary study that juxtaposed language and media studies, particularly exploring the representation of Kalanga in Zimbabwean broadcast media. One of the major functions of media is to teach languages and transmit cultural heritage. Notably, the manner in which broadcast media prioritises languages, influences the audience's perceptions, cultural identities and language use. A content analysis of archived one month television and radio content and an integrative literature review were used, while the data was analysed using the grounded theory. The study concluded that there is an uneven airtime distribution of languages on broadcast media, and as a result Kalanga has very little airtime. The study also revealed that presenters are bilingual and multilingual and they code-switch between languages even on shows that are strictly spoken in Kalanga, thus affecting the quality of their broadcast language. Also notable was the prevalence of Kalanga music in broadcast media. However, most of the new radio stations licensed to redress past language marginalisation are not located where the language speakers in question reside and their airwaves reach a very small radius.