AN INVESTIGATION INTO LANGUAGE ATTITUDES OF SECONDARY-SCHOOL STUDENTS IN ZIMBABWE*

THE SIGNIFICANCE OF the role that attitudes play in language education, planning and development has been noted by researchers in Africa and elsewhere. To date there have been very few documented studies on language attitudes in Zimbabwe. This present study was inspired by previous work carried out by Ngara (1982), Mparutsa (1986), and Chiwome and Thondhlana (1989). Ngara examined the attitudes to English and Shona of 60 Shona-speaking students in Form III at three different schools. Hofman (1977) writing earlier, felt able to categorize language attitudes into intrinsic and extrinsic value systems, noting the ambivalence with which the dominant language, English, was viewed by first language (LI) Shona speakers. But, as Ngara notes, the liberation war radicalized African politics and Zimbabweans became increasingly aware of language as a symbol of culture and nationalism. While English is still regarded as the language of officialdom and education, there is an increasingly positive attitude towards the use and the value of Shona (Ngara, 1982, 24-6)