John M.Mugane
| Name | John M.Mugane |
|---|---|
| Affiliation | Visiting Professor at African Studies Center, Tokyo University of Foreign Studies, Professor at Harvard University, Professor of the Practice of African Languages and Cultures and Director of the African Language Program |
mugane fas.harvard.edu |
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| HP | https://aaas.fas.harvard.edu/people/john-m-mugane |
| Research Field | PhD in Linguistics |
| Key Words | Africa's languages, linguistics, Language learning, AI in language learning, Ngũgĩ wa Thiongʼ o |
| Academic Career | PhD in Linguistics University of Arizona, Tucson (1997) Ph.D., Linguistics, (African Linguistics, Morphology & Syntax) Ohio University, Athens (1991) M.A., Linguistics Ohio University, Athens (1991) M.A., International Affairs: African Studies Kenyatta University, Nairobi (1987) B.ED. (Hons.), Education, Linguistics, Swahili, and Literature |
| Degree | PhD in Linguistics University of Arizona, Tucson (1997) Ph.D., Linguistics, (African Linguistics, Morphology & Syntax) Ohio University, Athens (1991) M.A., Linguistics Ohio University, Athens (1991) M.A., International Affairs: African Studies Kenyatta University, Nairobi (1987) B.ED. (Hons.), Education, Linguistics, Swahili, and Literature |
| Professional Career | 2006 – present： Professor of the Practice of African Languages and Cultures and Director of the African Language Program, Harvard University, Department of African and African American Studies. Summer 2003 - Spring 2006: Senior Preceptor and Director of the African Language Program, Harvard University, Department of African and African American Studies. Fall 1999 - Spring 2003: Assistant Professor, Department of Linguistics, Ohio University (Tenure Track). 1995 - 1999: Lecturer of Swahili Language, Stanford University. |
| Academic Associations | African Studies Association (ASA). North Eastern Regional Consortium of Programs in African Languages (NERCPAL). Linguistic Society of America (LSA). |
| Major Works |
Research Topic：The Story of African Language Learning in Everyday Life, in Intellectual Production and in Professional Discourses Description of Research：The story of the African language learning in everyday life and in intellectual production and discourse has yet to be studied and told systematically. Africa's languages are rarely acknowledged or included in publications yet they are the foundation upon which the study of Africa is built. The issue of learning African languages in the context of persistent marginalization within formal intellectual and professional spaces has yet to be thrashed out. While African languages are vibrant in everyday communication, cultural expression, and traditional knowledge systems, they remain largely absent or muted in academic, technical, and professional discourses. The research focus here is to vocalize and make visible the resilience of African voices clearly heard when Africa's languages become the medium researched and interviewed. African languages thus far in history have been relegated to informal and colloquial spaces, even as intellectual work continues in them, unnoticed or undervalued. This research seeks to examine the impact of invisibility knowledge production, professional identity, and cultural autonomy, proposing strategies to amplify these voices and ensure they are seen and heard in the realms of global thought leadership and professional practice. 【COURSES TAUGHT】 -Introduction to African Languages and Cultures (Harvard University 2003 - Present) -Learning how to Learn Languages (Harvard University) -Beginning Swahili (Stanford, UCLA, UC-Berkeley, Ohio Univ., Harvard) -Intermediate Swahili (Stanford, Yale, UCLA, Ohio Univ., Harvard) -Advanced Swahili (Stanford, Ohio Univ., Harvard) Beginning Gikuyu (Ohio University, Harvard) Intermediate/advanced Gikuyu (Harvard) -Introduction to Linguistics (University of Arizona 1991-1993) -Language and Society (University of Arizona 1991-1993) -Graduate Seminar on Linguistic Human Rights (Ohio University 2000-03) -Linguistic Field Methods (Ohio University, 2002-03) 【LANGUAGES】 Bantu languages: Gĩkũyũ, Swahili |