Attidudes to Swahili
The role of Swahili in unifying the people of Tanzania to work for independence guaranteed it prestige and positive attitudes. He used it in domains where formerly English had been used exclusively- he also translated Shakerpeare’s Julius Caesar and the Merchant of Venince into Swahili –and this too increasted its status. People have often seen the success of Swahili as the national language in Tanzania as due to its’ neutral status –it is not identified with a particular tribe. But its widespread acceptance was also due to the fact that Tanzanians developed a strong loyalty towards the language which united them in working towards uhuru (‘freedom’). The story of the acceptance of Swahili as the national language of Tanzania is therefore an interesting one. Swahili serves as a lingua franca in a country with hundreds of different tribal vernaculars. It provides a culturally acceptable symbol of unity. It is potentially divisive. Swahili has provided a very convenient compromise in Tanzania. But finally it is important to remember that the story of how Swahili became the national language of Tanzania might be told rather difference by a group whose tribal vernacular was a competing lingua franca