''Baraza la Kiswahili la Taifa'' (National Swahili Council, abbreviated as BAKITA) is a Tanzanian institution responsible with regulating and promoting the

Kiswahili language Swahili, also known by its local name , is the native language of the Swahili people, who are found primarily in Tanzania, Kenya and Mozambique (along the East African coast and adjacent litoral islands). It is a Bantu language, though Swahili ...

Background

Tanganyika Tanganyika may refer to: Places * Tanganyika Territory (1916–1961), a former British territory which preceded the sovereign state * Tanganyika (1961–1964), a sovereign state, comprising the mainland part of present-day Tanzania * Tanzania Main ...

and

Zanzibar Zanzibar (; ; ) is an insular semi-autonomous province which united with Tanganyika in 1964 to form the United Republic of Tanzania. It is an archipelago in the Indian Ocean, off the coast of the mainland, and consists of many small islands ...

, the two constituents of modern Tanzania, had come under German colonial rule by the 1880s. The territory was inhabited by a large number of ethnic groups speaking different languages. The German colonial government decided to use Kiswahili as the language of administration after becoming fearful that use of German would introduce the local population to subversive Marxist texts. The British, who took over after the defeat of Germany in World War 1 continued this policy. Swahili has 17 dialects. The Interterritorial Language Committee in 1930 under British colonial rule in East Africa tasked with creating a standardized form of the language. The Kiunjuga dialect spoken in Zanzibar was chosen as the base. The committee was also involved in standardizing the spelling as well as coining new words. The committee was reorganized into a purely academic institution as '' Taasisi ya Uchunguzi wa Kiswahili'' (TATAKI) in 1964 and integrated into the

University of Dar es Salaam The University of Dar es Salaam (UDSM) is a public university in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. It was established in 1961 as an affiliate college of the University of London. The university became an affiliate of the University of East Africa (UEA) in 1 ...

in 1970. Meanwhile, the

Tanganyika African National Union The Tanganyika African National Union (TANU) was the principal political party in the struggle for sovereignty in the East African state of Tanganyika (now Tanzania). The party was formed from the Tanganyika African Association by Julius Nyerere ...

, fighting for freedom from colonial rule, had adopted Kiswahili as a language of mass organization and political revolution. After coming to power, Kiswahili was made the national language and was seen as a tool for national integration and social development. Since Taasisi ya Uchunguzi was Kiswahili had transitioned into a purely academic institution, there was a void with respect to its standardization functions. ''Baraza la Kiswahili la Taifa'' was founded to fill this void.

Foundation and activities

BAKITA was founded by a parliamentary act in 1967 as organization dedicated to the development and advocacy of Kiswahili as a means of national integration in Tanzania. Its mission was laid down in this act and further expanded in an amendment passed in 1983. Key activities mandated for the organization include creating a healthy atmosphere for the development of Kiswahili, encouraging use of the language in government and business functions, coordinating activities of other organizations involved with Kiswahili, standardizing the language BAKITA cooperates with organizations like TATAKI in creation, standardization and dissemination of specialized terminologies Other institutions can propose new vocabulary to respond to emerging needs but only BAKITA can approve usage. By the end of the 1970s, terminologies had been published in ''Tafsisru Sanifu'', a BAKITA journal, for economics and business, administration and government, mathematics, science, social science and engineering among other fields. BAKITA coordinates its activities with similar bodies in

Kenya ) , national_anthem = "Ee Mungu Nguvu Yetu"() , image_map = , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital = Nairobi , coordinates = , largest_city = Nairobi , ...

and

Uganda }), is a landlocked country in East Africa East Africa, Eastern Africa, or East of Africa, is the eastern subregion of the African continent. In the United Nations Statistics Division scheme of geographic regions, 10-11-(16*) territor ...

to aid in the development of Kiswahili.

References

External links

Site web official

Site web governative
{{DEFAULTSORT:Baraza La Kiswahili La Taifa Government agencies of Tanzania Language regulators Swahili language

Background

Foundation and activities

See also

References

External links