Intergroup Communication among Gurage

Inter-group communication among Gurage describes the interactions between social variables such as ethnicity and language use which is affected by level of intelligibility inter-lingual comprehension level of intra(inter)-group accommodation and attitude to languages and the speakers. The book measures degree of intelligibility because of inherent shared linguistic structures and due to contact and learning. A mixed methods research was used so that data and findings from qualitative and quantitative methods were triangulated to increase validity and attain some degree of reliability. The Inter-lingual level was hierarchically clustered with which a possible language use options were provided for language planners and decision makers in the Gurage Zone. It was suggested that a planned composite of Mesqan and a Central West Gurage language varieties Cheha Ezha or Gumer can best serve as a lingua franca in the Gurage Zone. The methodology and models developed in this book can help in developing a theory of iner-group communication.