Dr. Billian Otundo
Dr. Billian Otundo
Brief Description
Dr. Billian K. Otundo is a postdoctoral researcher at the Cluster of Excellence Africa Multiple at the University of Bayreuth, Germany, where she is concurrently pursuing her habilitation at the Department of English Linguistics at the same university. Alongside her research, Dr. Otundo contributes to the academic community by teaching both undergraduate and postgraduate students. More information on her teaching can be found on the Team English Linguistics page.
Dr. Otundo completed her doctorate as a fellow of the Bayreuth International Graduate School of African Studies (BIGSAS), with a dissertation (Otundo, 2018) examining ethnically marked varieties of Kenyan English. Her current habilitation project focuses on multilingual African learning environments, with particular emphasis on translanguaging. More details on her research are available here. At the Cluster of Excellence, Dr. Otundo is also co-convener and organiser of two postdoctoral working groups, with research extending into language localisation and digital innovations, as well as the intersection of language, artificial intelligence, and accelerated learning. Further information on the working groups can be found here and here.
Dr. Otundo’s academic journey also includes a postdoctoral research position at Radboud University in the Netherlands, where she was a co-applicant on a project in collaboration with Moi University, INCLUDE, and the African Studies Centre at Leiden University. She analysed public narratives used by civil society organisations and community-based organisations advocating for land rights in Kenya (e.g., 2022, 2019, and 2018). Her research explored the intersection of language, social justice, and land advocacy in the Kenyan context, enriching her broader understanding of linguistic and social issues in Africa. Details can be found here. Her research activities integrate quantitative and qualitative data, with expertise in various analytical tools, including SPSS, R-Programming, Praat, and MAXQDA.
In addition to her academic responsibilities, Dr. Otundo has organised workshops, conference panels, and linguistics laboratory colloquia, and has presented papers at numerous international conferences across Europe and Africa. Her commitment to fostering academic exchange is further demonstrated by her role as a founding member of the Philippine-Kenya Education Network (PEN), which brings together five universities in Kenya and five in the Philippines for online exchanges.
Dr. Otundo is also engaged in collaborative research on intonation patterns in Kenyan English and Swahili, in partnership with the Chair of the Phonetic Laboratory at the University of Cologne, Germany. More details are available here. She has contributed to several international research initiatives, for instance, a study on code-switching in radio phone-in programmes from Kenya and Cameroon (Otundo & Mühleisen, 2022) and a project on the decolonisation of higher education in Africa from a cognitive linguistics perspective. This latter project, in collaboration with a colleague from Collège Montmorency, Canada, addresses the paradoxes surrounding the use of ex-colonial European languages by African readers and writers (Otundo & Dodonou, 2021). Dr. Otundo’s contributions to educational discourse are significant, particularly her recent analysis of the challenges in implementing the Education Article of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in Kenya (Otundo, 2022). She has also co-authored a study on the role of toponyms in university linguistics curricula as a means of promoting epistemological decolonization in African education (Otundo & Doumbia, 2023).
In her professional capacity, Dr. Otundo is regularly invited to review and provide input on the linguistics curriculum at Moi University in Kenya. Furthermore, she was approached as an expert to streamline two policies for the County Government of Bungoma, Kenya—namely the Gender Mainstreaming Policy and the Disability Mainstreaming Policy—offering expertise on language accessibility and multicultural inclusion. While the information presented here highlights some of Dr. Otundo’s achievements and contributions, it is not an exhaustive account of her extensive academic and professional endeavours. She may be contacted for further details or collaboration opportunities.
Academic career
| Since Jan 2022 |
Postdoctoral researcher, Cluster of Excellence Africa Multiple, University of Bayreuth |
| Aug – Dec 2021 |
Cooperation visiting scientist, Phonetics Laboratory, University of Cologne. Awarded funding by TWAS-DFG, The World Academy of Sciences for the Advancement of Science in Developing Countries, and she investigated intonation in advice-giving in Kenyan English and Kiswahili (e.g, Otundo & Grice 2022) |
| Apr – Jul 2021 |
Research fellow, University of Bayreuth, Africa Multiple Cluster of Excellence. Awarded funding by the German Research Foundation (DFG) to investigate student teachers’ attitudes toward translanguaging in learning spaces vis-à-vis social life (forthc.) and communicating in multilingual learning ecologies: teacher trainees’ perceptions of translanguaging in lecture rooms in Kenya (2023) |
| 2019 – 2021 |
Lecturer of linguistics, Moi University |
| 2018 – 2019 |
Postdoctoral researcher, Radboud University. Awarded funding by NWO-WOTRO, Science for Global Development. She researched public narratives utilised by Kenyan community-based organisations advocating for land rights (e.g., Otundo & Nangulu 2022; Otundo et.al 2018 & 2019). |
Academic Service
| Since Jul 2023 |
Editorial board member, Journal of Linguistics, Literary and Communication Studies |
| Since Sep 2022 |
Editorial board member, Cluster of Excellence Africa Multiple (University of Bayreuth) publication of Multiplicity series |
| Oct 2020 - Dec 2021 |
English programme coordinator, Department of Literature, Linguistics, Foreign Languages and Film Studies, Moi University |
| Aug 2020 - Aug 2021 |
Policy mainstreaming expert and consultant from academic sector, The County Government of Bungoma, Kenya |
| Since Sep 2020 |
Founding member and project coordinator, Philippines-Kenya Education Network (PEN) |
| Jul 2017 - Dec 2021 |
Part-time project administrator and selection committee member, Academic Mobility for African Sustainable Development (AMAS) Project funded by the European Union (EU) |
Grants and scholarships
| Since Jan 2022 |
Postdoctoral research grant for research on multilingual African learning spaces (with the project PI, Prof. Mühleisen, S.), DFG - Excellence Cluster Africa Multiple |
| 2023/2024 |
Research grant for Post-doc Working Group (co-convened with Mark- Thiesen, C., Alfieri, N., & Doumbia, L.), DFG - Excellence Cluster Africa Multiple |
| Aug 2021- Dec 2021 |
Research grant as cooperation visiting scientist at University of Cologne - Germany, The World Academy of Sciences (TWAS-DFG) |
| Apr 2021- Jul 2021 |
Research grant on a fellowship programme of the Bayreuth Academy of Advanced African Studies, DFG - Excellence Cluster Africa Multiple |
| Jan 2018 - Aug 2019 |
Research grant as postdoctoral researcher at Radboud University, Netherlands, (project PIs, Prof. Spierenburg, M., & Dr. Van Kempen. L.), the NWO/WOTRO & Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs |
| Apr 2011 - Nov 2015 |
BIGSAS fellow partial scholarship, to pursue a doctorate at the University of Bayreuth, Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (BIGSAS - DFG) |
Cited Publications
2023
Otundo, Billian K.; Doumbia, Lamine
Exploring the significance of toponyms in the university linguistics curriculum: insights from Kibera in Kenya and Sabalibougou in Mali. Curric Perspect, 43 (Suppl 1), 105-115. https://doi.org/10.1007/s41297-023-00203-0
Otundo, Billian K.
Communicating in multilingual learning ecologies: teacher trainees’ perceptions of translanguaging in lecture rooms in Kenya. Journal of Linguistics, Literary and Communication Studies, 2(2), 24-34. https://doi.org/10.58721/jllcs.v2i2.378
2022
Otundo, Billian K.; Mühleisen, Susanne
Code-switching and advising in multilingual African situations: An analysis of radio phone-in programmes in Kenya and Cameroon. Journal of the Language Association of Eastern Africa (vol 1), (1): 1-15. https://scholarship.claremont.edu/jlaea/vol1/iss1/5
Otundo, Billian K.; Grice, Martine
Intonation in advice-giving in Kenyan English and Kiswahili. Speech Prosody, 150–54. https://www.isca-archive.org/speechprosody_2022/otundo22_speechprosody.html
Otundo, Billian K.; Nangulu, Anne
“They’re plotting against us”: public narratives utilised by Kenyan community- based organisations advocating for land rights. Journal of the Language Association of Eastern Africa (vol 1), (1). https://scholarship.claremont.edu/jlaea/vol1/iss1/3
Otundo, Billian K.
Barriers to the implementation of Education Article 24 of the CRPD in Kenya. In Grischow, Jeff & Mfoafo-M’Carthy, Magnus (eds). Disability Rights and Inclusiveness in Africa: The United Nations Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities, Challenges and Change. London: James Currey Publishers. https://www.degruyter.com/document/doi/10.1515/9781800103825-009/html
2021
Dodounou, T.; Otundo, Billian K.
“Borrowed” Languages in Africa: A Reflection on the reader-writer imaginary. In Irina, Turner, Emnet, Tadesse & Abrahim Brahima (eds). Decolonization of Higher Education in Africa. Routledge Publishers. https://www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/edit/10.4324/9780429355288-9/borrowed-languages-africa-tsevi-dodounou-billian-otundo
2020
Otundo, Billian K.
Manifestation of mother tongue in intonation of English: Evidence from Lubukusu. The International Mother Language Day Conference Proceedings, 2. http://r-library.mmust.ac.ke/123456789/1366
2018
Otundo, Billian K.
Exploring Ethnically-Marked Varieties of Kenyan English: Intonation and Associated Attitudes. Berlin: LIT Verlag. https://www.lit-verlag.de/isbn/978-3-643-90970-1
2019
Spierenburg, M.; Matelski M.; Zijlstra, S; Van Kempen, L.; Dekker, M.; Nangulu, A. & Otundo, B. K.
Civil Society Engagement with Land Rights Advocacy in Kenya: What Roles to Play? Interim Findings. Leiden; Nijmegen: African Studies Center Leiden (ASCL): Radboud University. https://www.ascleiden.nl/publications/interim-findings-civil-society-engagement-land-rights-advocacy-kenya
2018
Matelski, M.; Otundo, B. K.; Zijlstra, S,; Dekker, M.; Van Kempen, L.; Nangulu, A. & Spierenburg, M.
Civil society engagement with land rights advocacy in Kenya: what roles to play?
Literature Review. Nijmegen: Radboud University; Leiden: African Studies Centre. https://openaccess.leidenuniv.nl/bitstream/handle/1887/62459/Civil_society_engagement_with_
land_rights_advocacy_in_Kenya.pdf?sequence=1
2017
Otundo, Billian K.
Implicitation in the translation of Ernest Hemingway’s “Hills like White Elephants” from English into Lubukusu. In Uchenna Oyali (ed.), Perspectives on Translation Studies in Africa. BIGSASworks! BIGSAS Working Papers, 14. Bayreuth: University of Bayreuth, Institute of African Studies. 36-51. urn:nbn:de:bvb:703-epub-3350-1
To access the lecture by Dr. Otundo, please click here
Priorities (Research Interests)
- Sociolinguistics, Multilingualism, Translanguaging, Language Contact, Code-switching, Code-mixing
- World Englishes with interest in English as a Second Language (ESL), English in Kenya, Mali, Nigeria, Cameroon, Greece, Cyprus and Germany
- Variational Linguistics, Language Attitudes, Views, and Perceptions
- Sociophonetics, Variational Intonation and Prosody
- Linguistic Anthropology with Focus on Language and Identity, Inclusion and Belonging
- Educational Linguistics, Language Practices in Formal and Informal Learning Spaces
- Language-in-Education Policy in Africa and Decolonising the Linguistics Curriculum.
Publications
2024
Billian K. Otundo, Tsevi Dodounou: Naming, labelling and the cultural construction of the identity of persons with albinism in East, Central, and West Africa. In: African Identities, (2024). - .
doi:10.1080/14725843.2024.2415591
Billian K. Otundo, Simon Wehrle: Intonation style, multilingualism and code-switching in classroom discourse : Evidence from Kenyan English and Swahili. - (Poster), Veranstaltung: P&P20–2024, Phonetics and Phonology 2024, 1.-2. October 2024, Martin-Luther-Universität Halle-Wittenberg, Halle/Saale.
doi:10.13140/RG.2.2.14679.89769
Billian K. Otundo, Walter Sande: Linguistic Borrowing and Cultural Significance : Analysing the Impact of Dholuo Figures of Speech on Olusuba Folksongs and Abasuba Cultural Identity. - Bayreuth, 2024. - VI, 22 S.
doi:10.15495/EPub_UBT_00007863
Billian K. Otundo: Student teachers' attitudes toward translanguaging in formal learning vis-à-vis informal interaction : A survey of a university in Kenya. In: Susanne Mohr, Lindsay Ferrara (Hrsg.): Learning Languages, Being Social : Informal Language Learning and Socialization in Additional Languages. - Berlin : De Gruyter Mouton, 2024. - S. 231-260.
doi:10.1515/9783110794670-009
2023
Billian K. Otundo: Communicating in multilingual learning ecologies : Teacher trainees' perceptions of translanguaging in lecture rooms in Kenya. In: Journal of Linguistics, Literary and Communication Studies, 2 (2023). - S. 24-34.
doi:10.58721/jllcs.v2i2.378
Billian K. Otundo, Lamine Doumbia: Exploring the significance of toponyms in the university linguistics curriculum : insights from Kibera in Kenya and Sabalibougou in Mali. In: Curriculum Perspectives, 43 (2023). - S. 105-115.
doi:10.1007/s41297-023-00203-0
2022
Billian K. Otundo, Martine Grice: Intonation in advice-giving in Kenyan English and Kiswahili. - (Poster), Veranstaltung: Speech Prosody 2022, 23-26 May 2022, University of Lisbon, Portugal.
doi:10.13140/RG.2.2.27593.76647
Billian K. Otundo, Anne Nangulu: "They're plotting against us": Public narratives utilised by Kenyan Community-Based Organisations advocating for land rights. In: Journal of the Language Association of Eastern Africa, 1 (2022). - .
doi:10.5642/jlaea.JZLV3537
Billian K. Otundo, Susanne Mühleisen: Code-switching and advising in multilingual African situations : An analysis of radio phone-in programmes in Kenya and Cameroon. In: Journal of the Language Association of Eastern Africa, 1 (2022). - .
doi:10.5642/jlaea.CBOF4616
Billian K. Otundo: Barriers to the Implementation of Education Article 24 of the CRPD in Kenya. In: Jeff D. Grischow, Magnus Mfoafo-M'Carthy (Hrsg.): Disability Rights and Inclusiveness in Africa : The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, challenges and change. - Woodbridge : Boydell & Brewer, 2022. - S. 103-130.
doi:10.1515/9781800103825-009
Billian K. Otundo, Martine Grice: Intonation in advice-giving in Kenyan English and Kiswahili. In: Proceedings of the 11th International Conference on Speech Prosody. - Lissabon : 2022. - S. 150-154.
doi:10.21437/SpeechProsody.2022-31
2021
Tsevi Dodounou, Billian K. Otundo: "Borrowed" Languages in Africa : A Reflection on the reader-writer imaginary. In: Emnet Tadesse Woldegiorgis, Irina Turner, Abraham Brahima (Hrsg.): Decolonisation of Higher Education in Africa : Perspectives from Hybrid Knowledge Production. - London : Routledge, 2021. - S. 177-192.
2020
Billian K. Otundo: Manifestation of Mother Tongue in Intonation of English : Evidence from Lubukusu. In: Indigenous Languages Matter for Development, Peace Building, and Reconciliation : Proceedings. - Kakamega, Kenya : 2020. - S. 55-76.
2019
Billian K. Otundo: Why grassroots movements addressing displacement in Kenya continue to face challenges. In: INCLUDE : Knowledge Platform on Inclusive Development Policies, 2019-04-29
Maaike Matelski, Billian K. Otundo, Selma Zijlstra, Marleen Dekker, Luuk van Kempen, Anne Kisaka Nangulu, Marja Spierenburg: Civil society engagement with land rights advocacy in Kenya: What roles to play? Interim findings and tentative policy messages. In: Semantic Scholar, 2019
2018
Billian K. Otundo: Exploring Ethnically-Marked Varieties of Kenyan English : Intonation and Associated Attitudes. - Berlin : LIT Verlag, 2018. - XIII, 240 S.
2017
Cheikh A. Babou, Louis Ndong, Billian K. Otundo, Uchenna Oyali, Mbaye Seye: Perspectives on translation studies in Africa. - Uchenna Oyali (Hrsg.). - Bayreuth : 2017. - XI, 88 S.
Billian K. Otundo: Attitudes toward Kenyan English : Ethnically-Marked Pronunciation. - Bayreuth : 2017. - V, 73 S.
Billian K. Otundo: Implicitation in the translation of Ernest Hemingway's "Hills like White Elephants" from English into Lubukusu. In: Uchenna Oyali (Hrsg.): Perspectives on translation studies in Africa. - Bayreuth : 2017. - S. 33-48.
Billian K. Otundo: Intonation variation of declarative questions by Kenyan speakers of English. In: International Journal of Current Research, 9 (2017). - S. 59412-59419.
2014
Billian K. Otundo: Attitudes toward Kenyan English : Ethnically-Marked Pronunciation. - Saarbrücken : Akademikerverlag, 2014.
2011
Billian K. Otundo: The Impact of Gender Attitudes on Writing Skills : A Study of English Language in Kenyan Secondary Schools. - Saarbrücken : VDM Verlag Dr. Müller, 2011.
Dr. Billian Otundo
- Postdoctoral researcher at the Cluster of Excellence Africa Multiple,
University of Bayreuth.
- Habilitation, Department of English Linguistics,
Uni-Bayreuth.
Phone: -
E-mail: billian.otundo@uni-bayreuth.de
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