An investigation into attitudes and motivation of Botswana secondary school students towards English, Setswana and indigenous languages

Abstract

This study explores attitudes of Botswana students towards the functions of English and Setswana and to find out whether the students are instrumentally or integratively motivated to learn these languages. It also explores whether indigenous languages should be taught in schools. Data was collected using a questionnaire adapted from Gardner’s (1985) Attitude and Motivation Test Battery (AMTB). The results of this study show that Botswana students have a positive attitude towards English and Setswana. Despite Botswana students’ loyalty to Setswana, they think that Setswana should not become the medium of instruction, but it should continue to be taught as a subject. Botswana students seem to favour bilingualism or multilingualism because they suggest that indigenous languages should also be taught in schools.

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