Navigating Local and Global Voices via Translanguaging in Climate Change Mitigation Talks in Kenya

In many parts of the world, people who speak more than one language do not keep their languages in separate boxes. Instead, they weave them together in a single, fluid stream of communication to make sense of their world. This natural blending is known as translanguaging. It is not simply switching back and forth between two distinct codes, but rather drawing from a single, rich toolkit of words, sounds, and cultural ideas to express complex thoughts. When people face a crisis that involves both ancient traditions and modern global science, this blending becomes a powerful way to navigate the collision of different worldviews. Climate change is one such crisis. It brings global scientific data about rising temperatures and carbon emissions into direct contact with local beliefs about the land, spirits, and the responsibilities of elders. Understanding how communities make sense of these two vastly different perspectives is crucial, because solving the climate crisis requires not just technology, but a change in human behavior that respects local realities.

A recent study conducted in the West Pokot region of Kenya explores exactly how this happens. The researchers focused on a group of community elders who gather to discuss how to protect their environment from the worsening effects of climate change. This area, located in the Rift Valley, is home to the Pokot people, whose lives depend heavily on rainfall for their livestock and crops. In recent years, the region has suffered from severe droughts, floods, and landslides, leading to a loss of resources and even conflict between neighboring communities. To address these threats, global organizations have promoted tree planting and forest conservation to reduce carbon emissions. However, the Pokot people have their own deep-seated traditions regarding the protection of specific trees and sacred lands, often rooted in their religious beliefs. The study asked: when these elders talk about saving their environment, how do they use their mixed languages to bring together the global idea of climate change and their local spiritual traditions?

The researchers recorded and analyzed three discussion sessions held in Makutano town in 2024. They listened closely to how the elders spoke, noting that the participants did not stick to just one language. Instead, they moved fluidly between Pokot, the local language; Kiswahili, the national language of Kenya; English, the language of global science and government; and Sheng, a slang dialect often used by young people. The study found that this mixing of languages was not accidental. It served a specific purpose: to bridge the gap between the local and the global. When an elder spoke in Pokot, they were often invoking specific place names, tree species, and ancestral stories that carried the weight of local history. When they switched to English or Kiswahili, they were often referencing broader concepts like "climate change," "carbon," or "landslides," connecting their local struggle to the wider world.

One of the most striking findings was how the elders used this linguistic flexibility to assert authority and warn against destruction. In one recorded conversation, an elder described a large, sacred tree known locally as simwoton. He explained that no one is allowed to touch it, warning that if someone encroaches on the space, the tree itself will "repulse" them. He told the story in a mix of languages, using the local name for the tree to ground the story in Pokot reality, but then switching to English to describe the concept of "empowerment" through culture. This allowed him to frame a local religious prohibition as a universal rule that anyone, regardless of their background, should respect. In another instance, an elder recounted a story of a European sponsor who tried to tap water from a sacred site called Kailat. Despite the elders' warnings, the sponsor cut down trees and took photographs. The elder used the English word "sponsor" to identify the outsider, but the local name Kailat to define the sacred nature of the land. He concluded that the sponsor was punished by a landslide, a term he used in English to link the local event to the global discourse on climate disasters. By weaving these languages together, the elders showed that the consequences of ignoring the land apply to everyone, from local youth to foreign visitors.

The study also revealed how the elders used language to include or exclude different groups within the community. When discussing the consequences of breaking these rules, the elders often switched to Sheng, a slang associated with the youth. This was not just to sound cool; it was a way of signaling that the younger generation, who might be more influenced by modern ideas or less respectful of tradition, were the ones being warned. At the same time, the elders used English terms like "sacred place" or "peace talks" to show that their local beliefs were not just old superstitions, but valid contributions to the global conversation on conservation. They demonstrated that the fight against climate change is not a battle between tradition and modernity, but a shared effort where both perspectives are necessary. The elders made it clear that the protection of the forest is a responsibility for all members of the community, and that the spiritual power of the land is real, regardless of who is standing on it.

Ultimately, the research shows that translanguaging is a vital tool for communities trying to survive in a changing world. It allows the Pokot elders to take their ancient beliefs and place them side-by-side with modern scientific concepts without losing the power of either. They do not have to choose between being traditional or being modern; they can be both at the same time. By speaking in a way that blends their languages, they create a space where the local and the global can meet, argue, and eventually agree on how to protect their future. The study suggests that for climate change mitigation to succeed in places like West Pokot, it must acknowledge and respect these complex, multilingual ways of thinking. The solution to the climate crisis may not just be found in new technologies, but in the ability of people to speak to one another in a way that honors both their history and their reality.