Department of Languages
Permanent URI for this collection
Browse
Recent Submissions
Item The role of English language textbooks (book 1) in raising awareness on climate change among high school students.(Busitema University, 2026) Ampaire, PrimahClimate change has emerged as one of the most pressing global environmental challenges of the twenty-first century, affecting ecosystems, biodiversity, food security, water resources, and human livelihoods. Education has been recognized as an important tool for promoting environmental awareness and encouraging sustainable practices among young people. In Uganda, the integration of climate change content into the secondary school curriculum, particularly through English Language textbooks, provides learners with opportunities to develop knowledge, attitudes, and values that support environmental conservation. However, despite the inclusion of climate change topics in English Language Textbook (Book 1), little empirical evidence exists regarding the extent to which these textbooks effectively raise climate change awareness among high school students. The purpose of this study was to examine the role of English Language Textbook (Book 1) in raising awareness on climate change among high school students. Specifically, the study sought to examine the climate change content presented in the textbook, assess how the textbook influences students' knowledge and awareness of climate change, identify challenges affecting the use of the textbook in promoting climate change awareness, and suggest strategies for improving the effectiveness of English Language textbooks in environmental education. The study adopted a qualitative descriptive research design. Data were collected from teachers and students in selected high schools using interviews, classroom observations, document analysis, and focus group discussions. The collected data were analysed thematically, with findings presented according to the objectives of the study. The findings revealed that English Language Textbook (Book 1) contains a variety of passages, comprehension exercises, discussions, vocabulary activities, and writing tasks that expose learners to important climate change concepts such as environmental conservation, deforestation, pollution, waste management, and sustainable use of natural resources. The study further established that the textbook contributes to improving learners' awareness of climate change by promoting reading, critical thinking, classroom discussions, and environmental responsibility. However, the study identified several challenges, including inadequate instructional resources, limited teacher training on environmental education, insufficient practical environmental activities, and inadequate time allocated for discussing climate change issues in class. The study concludes that English Language Textbook (Book 1) plays a significant role in raising awareness of climate change among high school students, although its effectiveness depends largely on the teaching approaches adopted by teachers and the availability of complementary learning resources. The study recommends strengthening the integration of environmental education within English Language teaching, providing teachers with continuous professional development on climate change education.Item An examination of betrayal In Iyolwa village in Tororo district versus betrayal in the novel, devil on the cross.(Busitema University, 2026) Nyabel, LindahThis study explored the theme of betrayal as evidenced in Iyolwa Village, Tororo District, and as depicted in Ngugi wa Thiong’o’s Devil on the Cross. Betrayal was defined as the breaking of trust or loyalty and was examined as one of the most destructive moral vices affecting both individuals and society. The study investigated how betrayal manifested within human relationships politically, socially, and economically, and how literature reflected such lived realities. Findings from Iyolwa Village revealed that betrayal was increasingly manifested through leadership corruption, dishonesty in family and business relationships, infidelity, and the neglect of societal norms and values. Such practices weakened social cohesion and undermined development. Data collected through interviews and discussions indicated that personal greed, competition for limited resources, and declining moral discipline were key drivers of betrayal. Cultural elders further observed that the erosion of traditional values such as loyalty, togetherness, and truthfulness made betrayal more prevalent in contemporary society. In Devil on the Cross, Ngugi wa Thiong’o portrayed betrayal on a broader national scale, illustrating how Kenyan elites betrayed their country by collaborating with foreign exploiters. Characters such as Mwireri wa Mukiraai and participants in the “Feast of the Devils” symbolized leaders who sacrificed the welfare of their people for personal gain. At the interpersonal level, betrayal was also evident in broken relationships, particularly in Wariinga’s story, where love, exploitation, and self-realization intersected. A comparative analysis of Iyolwa Village and Ngugi wa Thiong’o’s fictional Kenya revealed that, although shaped by different contexts, betrayal arouse from similar moral weaknesses, including greed, selfishness, and disregard for communal well-being. In both cases, betrayal eroded trust and contributed to wider social challenges such as corruption, inequality, and moral decay. By combining literary analysis with real-life experiences, the study demonstrated that literature served as a mirror of society. The study was organized into five chapters. Chapter one presented the background, problem statement, objectives, research questions, scope, and significance of the study. Chapter Two reviewed related literature on betrayal in African societies and in postcolonial literary works, with specific reference to Devil on the Cross. Chapter Three outlined the qualitative methodology used, including interviews, discussions, observations, and textual analysis. Chapter Four presented and analyzed findings from Iyolwa Village alongside the portrayal of betrayal in the novel, drawing comparisons and contrasts. Chapter Five provided recommendations and, conclusions. The significance of this study lied in its potential to promote moral awareness and critical reflection. It underscored that literature could not be separated from life, as it artistically reflected social realities. The findings were valuable to educators, cultural leaders, and policymakers seeking to strengthen ethical values, restore trust, and rebuild social cohesion in Ugandan communities.Item Psycholinguistics and its application in the classroom among pupils at Rock view primary school in Tororo district, Uganda.(Busitema University, 2026) Asio, SharonThis study investigates the application of psycholinguistic principles in the teaching and learning processes among pupils at Rock View Primary School in Tororo District, Uganda. Psycholinguistics, as an interdisciplinary field combining psychology and linguistics, focuses on understanding how the human mind processes, acquires, and produces language. In the context of primary education, the application of psycholinguistic knowledge can enhance pupils’ comprehension, reading, and oral communication skills, especially in multilingual settings such as Uganda, where English is used as the medium of instruction for learners whose first language is different. Language plays a central role in the cognitive and academic development of learners. However, in many Ugandan schools, the teaching of language often emphasizes content delivery over understanding how pupils mentally process and internalize language concepts. As a result, many pupils face persistent challenges in reading, comprehension, and effective communication. The current curriculum does not fully integrate psycholinguistic strategies, and most teachers have limited knowledge of how to apply them in classroom instruction. This gap in teaching methodology has contributed to low literacy levels and limited learner engagement in language related subjects. The purpose of this study is to examine how psycholinguistic principles can be practically incorporated into classroom instruction to improve pupils’ language acquisition and overall academic performance. Specifically, the study seeks to assess the extent to which the current primary school curriculum integrates psycholinguistic principles, evaluate teachers’ knowledge and competence in applying psycholinguistic strategies, and determine the impact of these strategies on pupils’ reading, comprehension, and oral communication skills. Through this analysis, the study aims to provide recommendations for improving language teaching methods and curriculum design in Ugandan primary schools. The study will be guided by the following objectives: to examine the extent to which the curriculum integrates psycholinguistic principles; to determine the impact of psycholinguistic strategy application on pupils’ language skills; and to propose recommendations for teacher professional development and curriculum improvement. The research questions will focus on how teachers understand and apply psycholinguistic approaches, what challenges they face in implementation, and what outcomes these strategies have on learners’ performance.Item Youth unemployment and crime in Alex la Guma's a walk in the night : a reflection of contemporary society in Jinja district, Uganda.(Busitema University, 2026) Sande, Moses TangaThis study examined the relationship between youth unemployment and crime as portrayed in Alex La Guma's novella A Walk in the Night, and assessed the extent to which this literary portrayal reflects the contemporary socio-economic realities of Jinja District, Uganda. Set in the racially segregated District Six of Cape Town during apartheid, La Guma's novella follows Michael Adonis, a young man whose abrupt and unjust dismissal from his factory job sets in motion a chain of events culminating in petty crime, violence and death, illustrating how blocked economic opportunity can push disillusioned youth toward criminality. Guided by the reflection theory of literature and Robert Merton's strain theory of deviance, the study situated the novella within a broader sociological conversation about the unemployment–crime nexus among urban youth. The study adopted a mixed-methods, descriptive case study design combining a close textual and thematic analysis of the novella with a field survey of youth, local leaders and key informants in selected divisions of Jinja District, namely Jinja City, Walukuba, Masese and Mpumudde. Data were collected through documentary/textual analysis, semi-structured questionnaires, key informant interviews and focus group discussions, and analysed using thematic content analysis for qualitative data and descriptive statistics for quantitative data. The study was guided by four specific objectives: to analyse how A Walk in the Night portrays youth unemployment as a precursor to crime; to examine the socio-economic conditions depicted in the novel that mirror real-life urban youth experiences; to investigate the current state of youth unemployment and crime in Jinja District; and to establish the extent to which La Guma's depiction resonates with the lived experiences of unemployed youth in Jinja District. Findings demonstrated that, despite vast differences in historical and political context, the socio-economic pressures dramatized in the novella closely mirrored the lived realities of unemployed youth in contemporary Jinja District, with 80.6 percent of surveyed respondents reporting that the novel's portrayal resonated with their own community's experience. The study concludes with recommendations for literary pedagogy, youth empowerment policy, community practice and further research.Item Linguistic reasoning at university level (how to develop expert reasoning skills).(Busitema University, 2026) Amoit, Lynn MildredThis mixed-methods study investigated the status of linguistic reasoning at the university level and explored how routine communicative habits and pedagogical configurations actively shaped advanced cognitive capacities. Quantitative evaluations of two hundred fifty (N = 250) undergraduates utilizing adapted verbal reasoning instruments revealed a moderate overall baseline proficiency (M = 68.7, SD = 14.2), but uncovered statistically significant disciplinary variations (F(3, 246) = 8.47, p < .001) where Humanities and Social Science cohorts outperformed their peers in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) tracks. A robust positive correlation (r = .52, p < .001) was established between active, dialogic language participation—such as structured academic debates and analytical essay writing—and objective logical performance. This effectively supported Vygotskian socio-cultural mediation theories and Evans and Stanovich’s dual-process cognitive frameworks by demonstrating that complex linguistic manipulation functioned as a necessary mechanism to trigger effortful System 2 analytical processing. Qualitative data from twenty (n = 20) semi-structured instructor interviews confirmed that while faculty attempted to implement interactive Socratic questioning and scaffolded writing portfolios to build logical capacity within language courses, their pedagogical efficacy was severely undermined by systemic institutional bottlenecks. These barriers included expanding class sizes, dense semester timelines, and highly uneven baseline student preparation.Item Love in pride and prejudice by Jane Austen versus love in Busia district, Uganda.(Busitema University, 2026) Babirye, JosephineThis study examined the portrayal of love in Jane Austen’s novel Pride and Prejudice and compared it with contemporary perceptions of love among people in Busia District, Uganda. The study was conducted because ideas about love, courtship, marriage, and relationships had continued to change across different historical and social contexts. While Pride and Prejudice presented love within the social and cultural setting of nineteenth-century England, contemporary communities had developed new expectations influenced by social, economic, and cultural changes. The study was guided by the aim of comparing representations of love in the selected literary work with current views of romantic relationships in Busia District. The specific objectives were to examine the portrayal of love in Pride and Prejudice, explore contemporary perceptions of love among people in Busia District, compare the similarities and differences between the two contexts, and assess the influence of social expectations on romantic relationships. The study adopted a mixed-methods research approach incorporating both qualitative and quantitative methods. Data were collected through documentary analysis of Pride and Prejudice, structured questionnaires and interviews with selected participants from Busia District. The study population comprised individuals who provided views on romantic relationships, marriage and social expectations surrounding love. Participants were selected using purposive sampling to ensure that information was obtained from individuals with relevant experiences and knowledge of the subject. Quantitative data were analyzed using frequencies and percentages in tables and figures while Qualitative data obtained from interviews and documentary analysis were analyzed thematically according to the study objectives. The findings showed that love in Pride and Prejudice had been presented as a relationship that developed through understanding, personal growth, and overcoming social barriers. The findings further showed that contemporary perceptions of love in Busia District had been influenced by factors such as emotional connection, economic stability, family approval, and changing cultural expectations. The study also found that although the contexts differed, both the novel and contemporary society recognized the importance of trust, respect, and commitment in successful relationships. The study concluded that perceptions of love had changed over time due to differences in social structures and cultural environments; however, some fundamental values associated with meaningful relationships had remained consistent. The study recommended that communities should encourage healthy communication, mutual respect, and realistic expectations in relationships. It also recommended that future researchers should explore changing perceptions of love among different age groups and cultural communities. The study was limited geographically to Busia District, Uganda, and its findings reflected the views and experiences of the selected participants. The study was also limited in content because it focused mainly on romantic love and social relationships rather than all forms of love.