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Research Areas

Phonological structure of Bantu languages particularly tone,

Profile

Al Mtenje was born in a family of 7 in 1953 in Ntcheu District in Central Malawi. He did his secondary school education at Ntcheu secondary school and was selected to Soche Hill College of the University of Malawi in 1972 to pursue a Diploma in Education which he passed with a Distinction in 1975. Two years later he obtained a Bachelor of Education degree from the same university with Distinction majoring in Linguistics and History. He was employed as a Staff Associate in the University of Malawi's Department of Chichewa immediately after graduation. From 1978-1980 he pursued a Master of Arts Degree in Linguistics at Southern Illinois University at Carbondale, USA. He went to the do a PhD in Linguistics at University College London in 1983 and graduated in 1986. His thesis, which was supervised by Prof Neil Smith, was titled "Issues in the Non-linear Phonology of Chichewa". Since then Al Mtenje has specialized in prosodic aspects of Bantu phonology and morphology especially tone. He has published numerous papers in reputable international journals, book chapters, book reviews, and a book which he co-authored in 2017 with Laura Downing titled " The Phonology of Chichewa". He has also served as external examiner in many African universities and has also presented numerous talks as an invited professor in many countries across the globe. Al Mtenje has also been involved in university management. From 2013-2017 he served as the Pro-Vice Chancellor of the University of Malawi and he also acted as the Vice Chancellor of the University from 2020-2022.