CHAPTER ONE 1.0 INTRODUCTION 1.1 Background to the study n the United States, the Centre for Minority Education and Research of the University of California an·ied out one of the most comprehensive longitudinal studies (1981-91) of bilingual education programs to date. The objective of the study was to determine whether teaching Spanish-speaking students (who had limited English proficiency) mostly in English or in combination with Spanish enabled them to catch up to their native English-speaking peers in basic skills (English reading, language arts, and math). Students in 51 schools across five states were sampled. way (1993) carried out a study to examine the attitudes of Kenyan high-school students toward the national language, Kiswahili. This study was intended to provide useful information for evaluating the : Kiswahili-language curriculum. Okay used a stratified random approach to select the sample of 483 tudents from three school types in one province in Kenya. The Attitude/Motivation Test Battery Gardner and Smythe 1981) was adapted to suit the Kenyan context and was administered to the sample. The questionnaire explored seven dimensions of attitudes toward Kiswahili with respect to ender, ethnic background, and school type. Experienced Kiswahili teachers held focus-group 1terviews to identify factors that might explain these attitudes. In addition, the study explored the effects of making Kiswahili a mandatory subject.