| dc.description.abstract | The motivation for the research on the acquisition
of language by Luo children derived from the work of
an interdisciplinary group of anthropologists and
psychologists at the University of California, Berkeley.
Their Field Nanual (Slobin 1967) served as the basic
theoretical reference for the research, and I am heavily
indebted to the authors, Susan M. Ervin-Tripp, John J.
Gperz. Dan I. Slobin, Jan Brukman, Keith Kernan,
Claudia Nitchell, and Brian Stross.
A debt of gratitude is owed also to Professors
Elizabeth Colson, Gerald Berreman,and Helvin ferlman
or instruction and traIning received pridr to the research
in Kenya. Professors John Gumperz, Susan E 'vin
Tripp, Helvin Perlman, and Dan Slobin all read early
drafts of the present work and provided helpful suggestions.
Advice and aid were provided. through discussions ,'ltih Jan
Brukman, Ed Hernandez, Keith and Claudia Kernan, and
Brian Stross on the nature of child language and studies
of language acquisition, and encouragement was received
through correspondence w Lt.h Aaron Cicourel on methodological
issues in the research.
The Institute for Develoument Studies, University - J
College, Nairobi, provided me \Vith a position as
Visiting research associate during the research period,
111
and to the Institute and Dr. B. A. Ogot, Director of
the Cultural Division, I wish to express my thanks for
the assistance rendered. The Makerere Institute of
Social Research, l1akerere University College, Kampala,
also was kind to provide me with the position of
Visiting Research Associate.
An expression of thanks is due the Luo people
of Alego sublocation, Sakwa Location, Homa Bay District.
They kindly allowed me to reside among them and
welcomed me into their homes during the course of the
research. A special note of thanks is due my interpreters
and co-workers, Julius Okumu Obare and Peter
Oyugi Olil. without their patience and assistance, the
research would have suffered immeasurably.
The research was made possible by a Fellows flip and
Research Grant from the National Institute of Mental
Health (Fl-HH-32,559-0l; ~Grant MH-12,649"!01). | en |
