Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o

High school (ages 12+)
History & Culture

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/ng-g-wa-thiong-o

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. When was Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o born?June 5, 1938
2. Where was Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o born?Kamiriithu, Limuru, Kenya
3. Who is Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o?He is a Kenyan writer and teacher who loves telling stories and wants people to speak their own languages.
4. Why did he write in Gikuyu instead of English?He wanted to keep his own language alive and show that it is as important as English, so people could share their own stories in their own words.

Linguistic Imperialism: The dominance of one language over others, often imposed through political or economic power structures.
Cultural Sovereignty: The right of a people to maintain and control their own culture, traditions, and identity.
Decolonization of the Mind: The process of shedding colonial mentalities and reclaiming indigenous knowledge, languages, and cultural values.