Transformation or Socio-Cultural Identity: Style Shifting on Language Used in Tanzanian Film Industry (Bongo Movies)

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This paper seeks to demonstrate how there has been a manifestation of a style-shifting on the languages used in Tanzanian film industry (Bongo movies), from less to highly prestigious language; Kiswahili and English being the case. That, when people are highly negotiating for the use of Kiswahili in different domains, in Tanzanian film industry there is a style shifting from Kiswahili to English. This paper investigates whether code-switching and use of English titles and subtitles in the Bongo Movies is a product of language transformation or a way of constructing a new socio-cultural identity through relating to English usage, the language of authority and economic power, or is for attracting more audience or outside country market or whether it is the outcome of free economy, market and privatization or internationalization and globalization where English seems to be inevitable. The study was guided by Speech Accommodation Theory to clarify motivations for adjustment in speech patterns. Data for this study were collected through watching and reviewing 11 DVDs of Bongo movies produced after year 2000 to trace the status of language transformation, and interviewing 10 film stakeholders to examine the possible factors for style shifting on language used in Tanzania films. The data revealed that the use of English titles and subtitles, and code-switching from Kiswahili to English are the linguistic strategies for constructing socio-cultural identity, the manifestation of a multilingual Tanzania, film contextualization, free market economy particularly the need to attract and accommodate the international audience, co-production with outside companies, sponsors’ demands, and International Film Festival requirements.