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The Functional Distribution of Setswana and English in Botswana

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New Language Bearings in Africa
This chapter is in the book New Language Bearings in Africa
The Functional Distribution of Setswanaand English in BotswanaMompoloki M. BagwasiEnglish Department, University of Botswana, P/Bag 00703, Gaborone,BotswanaIn multilingual societies such as Botswana, language use is an extremely complexmatter, further compounded by the fact that the languages involved are themselvesdynamic phenomena that often elude the planned outcomes of policies which tryto shape and constrain them. The paper describes the functional distribution of thenational language Setswana, spoken as a mother tongue by 80% of the population,and English, the official language in Botswana. The role of the two languages isoutlined, with particular regard to cultural identity, on the one hand, and social andeconomic status on the other.Botswana, like many African countries is a multilingual country. However,unlike most of them, it has an indigenous lingua franca, Setswana, which isspoken by about 80% of the population as a mother tongue. The 80% is rep-resented by eight ethnic groupings who speak different but mutually intelli-gible dialects of Setswana. Besides these eight Setswana groupings, there areother indigenous minority language groups such as: Bakalaka, Basarwa, Bayei,Bambukushu, Babirwa and Bakgalagadi which make up 15% of the population(Janson & Tsonope, 1991). In addition, there is a small percentage (about 5%)of people of Asian or European origin.Diglossia in BotswanaAccording to Fishman (1972: 92) diglossia refers to the functional distri-bution of more than one language to serve different communication tasks ina society. Diglossia exists in multilingual societies which officially recogniseseveral languages and utilise vernaculars as well as those that employ separatedialects, registers or functionally differentiated language varieties of whateverkind. The language that is used for formal functions such as education,government administration, law and business is referred to as the high (H)language and the language that is reserved for less formal and more personalfunctions such as family use and personal communication is referred to as thelow (L) language.In Botswana, English is restricted to the educated population. Estimates ofthe proportion of Batswana (natives of Botswana) who have knowledge ofEnglish range from 35 to 40%. This estimate includes those speakers who arecompletely fluent and those who have a basic knowledge of English. Thosewho are not educated use their local languages even at official and formallevels. Despite this low percentage of Batswana who are competent in thelanguage, English is the official language that is used in government adminis-tration and records, law and courts, business and education. It is also theofficial medium of instruction from the third year of elementary school touniversity. The restricted use of English in Botswana gives one the impression116
©Channel View Publications Ltd, Bristol/Blue Ridge Summit

The Functional Distribution of Setswanaand English in BotswanaMompoloki M. BagwasiEnglish Department, University of Botswana, P/Bag 00703, Gaborone,BotswanaIn multilingual societies such as Botswana, language use is an extremely complexmatter, further compounded by the fact that the languages involved are themselvesdynamic phenomena that often elude the planned outcomes of policies which tryto shape and constrain them. The paper describes the functional distribution of thenational language Setswana, spoken as a mother tongue by 80% of the population,and English, the official language in Botswana. The role of the two languages isoutlined, with particular regard to cultural identity, on the one hand, and social andeconomic status on the other.Botswana, like many African countries is a multilingual country. However,unlike most of them, it has an indigenous lingua franca, Setswana, which isspoken by about 80% of the population as a mother tongue. The 80% is rep-resented by eight ethnic groupings who speak different but mutually intelli-gible dialects of Setswana. Besides these eight Setswana groupings, there areother indigenous minority language groups such as: Bakalaka, Basarwa, Bayei,Bambukushu, Babirwa and Bakgalagadi which make up 15% of the population(Janson & Tsonope, 1991). In addition, there is a small percentage (about 5%)of people of Asian or European origin.Diglossia in BotswanaAccording to Fishman (1972: 92) diglossia refers to the functional distri-bution of more than one language to serve different communication tasks ina society. Diglossia exists in multilingual societies which officially recogniseseveral languages and utilise vernaculars as well as those that employ separatedialects, registers or functionally differentiated language varieties of whateverkind. The language that is used for formal functions such as education,government administration, law and business is referred to as the high (H)language and the language that is reserved for less formal and more personalfunctions such as family use and personal communication is referred to as thelow (L) language.In Botswana, English is restricted to the educated population. Estimates ofthe proportion of Batswana (natives of Botswana) who have knowledge ofEnglish range from 35 to 40%. This estimate includes those speakers who arecompletely fluent and those who have a basic knowledge of English. Thosewho are not educated use their local languages even at official and formallevels. Despite this low percentage of Batswana who are competent in thelanguage, English is the official language that is used in government adminis-tration and records, law and courts, business and education. It is also theofficial medium of instruction from the third year of elementary school touniversity. The restricted use of English in Botswana gives one the impression116
©Channel View Publications Ltd, Bristol/Blue Ridge Summit

Chapters in this book

  1. Frontmatter i
  2. Contents v
  3. Editorial: A Fresh Quest for New Language Bearings in Africa 1
  4. A Survey of Literacy Practices in Black and Coloured Communities in South Africa: Towards a Pedagogy of Multiliteracies 10
  5. English Variety for the Public Domain in Kenya: Speakers’ Attitudes and Views 34
  6. The Globalisation of Communication and the African Foreign Language User 50
  7. Linguistic Human Rights in Africa: Challenges and Prospects for Indigenous Languages in Kenya 59
  8. ‘What turns you on!’: An Exploration of Urban South African Xhosa and Zulu Youth Texts 69
  9. Challenges of Using English as a Medium of Instruction in Multilingual Contexts: A View from Ugandan Classrooms 77
  10. Enlightenment and Attitudes of the Nigerian Elite on the Roles of Languages in Nigeria 89
  11. Establishing a National Standard and English Language Curriculum Change in Kenya 101
  12. The Functional Distribution of Setswana and English in Botswana 116
  13. Kiswahili as Vehicle of Unity and Development in the Great Lakes Region 122
  14. Developing and Promoting Multilingualism in Public Life and Society in Nigeria 135
  15. Course Design and Testing in an English Programme 148
Readers are also interested in:
https://doi.org/10.21832/9781853597282-010

Chapters in this book

  1. Frontmatter i
  2. Contents v
  3. Editorial: A Fresh Quest for New Language Bearings in Africa 1
  4. A Survey of Literacy Practices in Black and Coloured Communities in South Africa: Towards a Pedagogy of Multiliteracies 10
  5. English Variety for the Public Domain in Kenya: Speakers’ Attitudes and Views 34
  6. The Globalisation of Communication and the African Foreign Language User 50
  7. Linguistic Human Rights in Africa: Challenges and Prospects for Indigenous Languages in Kenya 59
  8. ‘What turns you on!’: An Exploration of Urban South African Xhosa and Zulu Youth Texts 69
  9. Challenges of Using English as a Medium of Instruction in Multilingual Contexts: A View from Ugandan Classrooms 77
  10. Enlightenment and Attitudes of the Nigerian Elite on the Roles of Languages in Nigeria 89
  11. Establishing a National Standard and English Language Curriculum Change in Kenya 101
  12. The Functional Distribution of Setswana and English in Botswana 116
  13. Kiswahili as Vehicle of Unity and Development in the Great Lakes Region 122
  14. Developing and Promoting Multilingualism in Public Life and Society in Nigeria 135
  15. Course Design and Testing in an English Programme 148
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