DETERMINING OPTIMAL STRATEGIES FOR TEACHING ENGLISH VOWEL PHONEMES IN TANZANIAN PRIMARY SCHOOLS: ANALYTICAL VS HOLISTIC

Abstract

This paper explores the structure of the determiner phrase (DP) in Kɨbhwanɉi, a Bantu language spoken in the southern highlands of Tanzania, using the Minimalist Approach. The study identifies the functional categories that head the DP and examines the order of modifiers in Kɨbhwanɉi DP. Data were obtained from vocabulary tests, document review, and focus group discussions. The findings reveal that the functional categories that head the DP in Kɨbhwanɉi are augments, prenominal possessive formative -nya, and prenominal demonstratives. Modifiers may range from one to six in different orders. The study employs the Minimalist Program (MP) and Abney's DP Hypothesis. The MP explains the correspondence between the DP and IP while the DP Hypothesis proposes that the determiner heads the noun phrase. The research contributes to the literature on DP studies in Bantu languages.