Botswana English: implications for English language teaching and assessment

Abstract

Concerted efforts to characterise Botswana English (BE), though still referred to as 'a variety in development', have validated its existence. However, the teaching and assessment of English in the high schools do not seem to have responded to the development of this variety. This paper discusses the viability of using Standard British English as the model for teaching and assessing students' proficiency in high schools in Botswana. It examines the country's education focusing on language policy, the teaching methodology advocated in schools and teachers' preparedness and how these factors affect English language teaching and assessment. It also highlights areas of contradiction in policy documents regarding the teaching methodology and the model/variety taught and examined. The paper then proposes the recognition of BE as an appropriate model/variety for instruction in schools in Botswana, noting that this will not only eliminate the contradictions in the current English language teaching and assessment syllabi, but also reflect some of the ways by which English mirrors the linguistic ecology of the country.

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