Kisisi (our Language) by Perry Gilmore

Kisisi (our Language)

The Story of Colin and Sadiki

Perry Gilmore

Wiley · Print & ebook · October 12, 2015

Recognized as a finalist for the CAE 2018 Outstanding Book Award!

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Who it’s for
Two boys’ invented language anchors a blend of ethnography, linguistic study, and memoir.
Themes
Child-invented language, Cross-cultural friendship, Postcolonial Kenya
Genres
Sociolinguistics, East African History, Psycholinguistics

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About this book

Recognized as a finalist for the CAE 2018 Outstanding Book Award!

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Part historic ethnography, part linguistic case study and part a mother’s memoir, Kisisi tells the story of two boys (Colin and Sadiki) who, together invented their own language, and of the friendship they shared in postcolonial Kenya. - Documents and examines the invention of a ‘new’ language between two boys in postcolonial Kenya - Offers a unique insight into child language development and use - Presents a mixed genre narrative and multidisciplinary discussion that describes the children’s border-crossing friendship and their unique and innovative private language - Beautifully written by one of the foremost scholars in child development, language acquisition and education, the book provides a seamless blending of the personal and the ethnographic - The story of Colin and Sadiki raises profound questions and has direct implications for many fields of study including child language acquisition and socialization, education, anthropology, and the anthropology of childhood

A Private Language

Two boys’ invented language anchors a blend of ethnography, linguistic study, and memoir.

Come here for

  • Colin and Sadiki’s invented language
  • Their friendship in postcolonial Kenya

Expect

  • A mixed-genre narrative
  • Discussion spanning child language, socialization, education, and anthropology

Where it sits

Sociolinguistics70%
Psycholinguistics39%
East African History26%

Percentages are BookFrontier’s reading of the book.

Publisher categories

  • How Cultures Work
Authors
Perry Gilmore
Publisher
Wiley
Published
October 12, 2015
Format
Print & ebook
Theme
Child-invented language · Cross-cultural friendship · Postcolonial Kenya
Reading lane
How Cultures Work