'English Is Must to Us'

This book explores the interaction between context and attitude in the language-in-education experiences of multilingual children in Kakuma Refugee Camp in Northern Kenya, East Africa. The aim was to discover how they respond to the policy and practice in language-in-education and the macro- societal influences that affect their attitudes. We discuss the realities the refugee learners face as a corollary of language use in their education and the responses towards these realities. We used the Critical Ethnography methodology to collect and analyse the data. Findings indicate that the refugees follow the Kenyan language-in-education policy, a relic of colonialism, whereby English is the medium of instruction from Class Four onwards. Many refugees have a love-hate relationship with English. They find it hard to master, yet like it as a passport to resettlement overseas. Language ideologies and macro-societal issues are explored in depth as these influence refugees' attitudes and choices.