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Language, History and Social Change in Botswana
Lars-Gunnar Andersson and Tore Janson, Languages in Botswana: Language Ecology in Southern Africa (Longman Botswana, Gaborone, 1997), 204 pp.
Botswana is one of the countries in Africa that has been characterized by peace and a long-standing tradition of democracy. As a result it has over different periods in history been home or many immigrants and refuge seekers. Different groups brought in with them their languages, thus increasing the country's linguistic diversity. Four groups brought in Bantu languages to Botswana: the Eastern group with Ikalanga; the Western group brought Otjiherero; the Southern group brought Setswana and Sekgalagadi; and the central group brought Sesubiya. Despite their Bantu origin, and having some similar features, the languages have developed differently, to a stage where they are not mutually intelligible. Other language groups are not Bantu in origin at all. Andersson and Janson's overview of these languages provides an introduction to the historical origin of the languages, reasons for growth in the number of speakers, migration and settlement patterns, and areas of language use, both in the country and outside. It discusses issues of language history, language policy in education, language to language interaction and the role of language to achieve unity and national identity.
Languages in Botswana reveals that there are about twenty languages spoken in Botswana despite its small population of about 1.3 million. For the population size, the number of languages is quite considerable. A situation unique to Botswana is having one dominant language, Setswana, being used by as high a majority of nationals as around 80 per cent. For some, Setswana is...