Abstract: Researches done on second language acquisition have shown that learners of the second language do make a number of errors. In many cases these errors are not deliberate but occur naturally due to the first languages structure and how that structure interacts with the language that the learner intends to acquire. This study was carried out among learners of Kiswahili, a bantu language spoken in most parts of Eastern Africa. Those studied were those whose first language is EkeGusii another Bantu language spoken in Kisii county in the western part of Kenya. The study was done with a view to establish grammatical errors that occurred both in spoken and written Kiswahili made by children whose first language is EkeGusii. The study was carried out in the rural area within the southern part of the county. The decision to carry out the study in rural areas was based on the fact that these learners have had less interaction with other languages and therefore the effects of the first language were likely to be more prominent. The study revealed that errors occurred as a result of the first language structure and sounds that were transferred to Kiswahili thereby substantially affecting communication in the second language.
Keywords: Grammatical errors, Effects, EkeGusii, Kiswahili.
Title: Challenges of Acquiring Second Language: A Case Study of Ekegusii Speakers Learning Kiswahili in Kenya
Author: Otebo Mogere Mercy, Dr. Silas Owala, Dr. Elizabeth Odhiambo
International Journal of Social Science and Humanities Research
ISSN 2348-3156 (Print), ISSN 2348-3164 (online)
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