Amharic terminologies development efforts in primary education curriculum materials

Abstract

The study examined term development approach, and term formation methods of Primary Education Amharic Terminologies. It has been conducted using descriptive design of Descretive research. Qualitative data were collected through a questionnaire from textbook writers of grade five and six Civics and Ethical Education, Integrated Science, Mathematics, and Social Studies subjects. Interview data were gathered from curriculum and concerned government institutions experts of Amhara region and federal government. Besides, textbooks of the aforementioned subjects were reviewed to excerpt terms. Then, the qualitative data were analyzed using thematic techniques, and term formation methods; whereas the quantified qualitative data were computed using percentile. The study revealed that textbook writers and curriculum experts were traditionally tend to use primarily puristic approach in order to coin transparent terms. In relation to the efforts made to develop Amharic terms the study indicated that different term formation methods such as derivation, compounding, and blending, abbreviating, terminologization, semantic transfer within a special language, trans-disciplinary borrowing, direct loan, and loan translation can be used in developing Amharic terms. Among these term formation methods the dominant ones is loan translation. Finally, the study suggested that policy based terminology development and cooperation of stakeholder namely linguists, curriculum experts, textbook writers and subject teachers’ inorder to have sustainable term cultivation endeavours as well as quality terms.