Ga Kibuye Setswana

After only being here for a week, the one thing I wish most is that I spoke Setswana. When people asked me before I left what language they spoke in Botswana I said English, which is technically true. Botswana was formerly the British colony of Bechuanaland. Thus, the language that was imposed on the population was English. Its technically the official language, along with the native language of Setswana. It’s taught in all the schools, all the university classes are taught in it, most signs are in it, and all government business is done in it.

Regardless of that, almost none of the Batswana speak it to each other or unless they have to. They would much rather speak in Setswana, which is completely understandable because its their language. All the people at work, even in the government, speak Setswana to each other, and tend to be much more soft spoken when they have to speak in English. When Dr. Moffatt’s secretary was taking us around to meet all the support staff, she said it’ll be easier if I do the introductions in my own language. Its what they grow up hearing and I think its also a point of cultural pride. Like a wise random cab driver in Philly once told me, language is culture. It makes sense that in Africa you would speak African language. It makes me feel bad that the world system is such that everyone has to speak English for education and commerce, even though that’s just the hard truth. I feel like there’s a perception of American arrogance that we can’t speak the Setswana language even though we’re in Botswana, as if we don’t respect their culture and we expect them to change to accommodate us.

That being said, Setswana is an extremely beautiful but difficult language to try to learn. There are sounds in it that I have never had to attempt to pronounce before and its quite challenging. The grammar is also very hard to. For example they use a lot of prefixes. Like bo- means “land of”, mo is a singular person, and ba- is people. So Botswana is “Land of the Tswana people”, a Motswana is a singular person from Botswana, and Batswana would be the equivalent of saying the collective word Americans.

I’m going to get Carol to teach me more Setswana so I can get better at it!