Tested comprehension Reported comprehension

Carla Radloff 1993 found, in a similar survey, that the answers to questions like numbers 1 and 3 usually corresponded to intelligibility test results, which supported the tests’ conclusions. Moreover, where responses to these questions differed from the test results, they corresponded to strong attitudes usually negative towards the dialects in question. On this survey, question 4 allowed subjects to further clarify their response to question 3. Question 2 revealed whether the subject had had enough contact with the dialect that he had just heard to be able to identify it. Responses to all of these questions can indicate not only the information specifically asked for but also any strong language attitudes.

3.2 Tested comprehension

Table 3. Result of recorded text testing of inherent intelligibility between Kulere dialects Stories from dialect village in parentheses Toff Tabui Ambul Tamoso Richa Richa Kamwai Kamwai Marhai-Massenge Marhai Su b je ct s f ro m Toff Kwarka 93 85 80 65 82 Ambul Dashid 81 94 86 34 71 Richa Diggot 88 93 90 30 73 Kamwai Tukye 74 74 79 91 89 Marhai-Massenge Massenge 76 62 58 30 99 Percentage in light grayscale is below the threshold set for judging inherent intelligibility. From table 3 we can learn three things about the inherent intelligibility between the speakers of the different dialects: 1. No non-Kamwai subjects can understand Kamwai without prior learning. 2. Speakers of the Marhai-Massenge dialect can not understand the Richa, Ambul, or Kamwai dialects. 3. Speakers of the Kamwai dialect are likely not to understand the Toff or Ambul dialects.

3.3 Reported comprehension

According to the people, they understand each other’s dialects. But their reported level of comprehension varies from one dialect to another. The Toff dialect is reported to be the most understood by people from all the dialects, followed by Richa, Ambul, Kamwai, and Marhai-Massenge dialects. See table 4 below. Table 4. Order of best understood, easiest to speak, and perceived level of comprehension Dialect Village Toff Ambul Richa Kamwai Marhai-Massenge Toff Kwarka Tamoso Dashid Anacha Diggot Kamwai Tukye Marhai Massenge Toff 1st All 1st All 2nd All 3rd Most 2nd Most 2nd Most 2nd All 2nd Most 3rd Most 2nd All Ambul 2nd Most 1st All 1st All 4th Most 5th All 3rd Most 2nd Most Richa 3rd Little 2nd Most 3rd Most 2nd Most 1st All 1st All 3rd All 3rd Most Kamwai 4th Little 3rd Most 5th Half 3rd Most 3rd Most 1st All 4th Most 4th Most Marhai- Massenge 5th Little 4th Half 4th All 4th All 1st All 1st All 1st All NB: 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th represent “Order of best understood and easiest to speak,” while All, Most, Half, and Little stand for “Perceived level of comprehension.” We conducted the participatory method exercises in Anacha for the Richa dialect. 4 Language acceptability

4.1 Dialect choice for development