| Languages of Botswana | |
|---|---|
 Sign in English and Setswana at the National Botanical Garden of Botswana | |
| Official | English |
| National | Setswana |
| Recognised | Kalanga, Kgalagadi, Shona, Mbukushu, Ndebele, Tshwa, !Xóõ |
| Foreign | Portuguese, Danish, Swahili, German, Afrikaans, French, Arabic |
| Signed | American Sign Language Danish Sign Language German Sign Language[1][2] |
| Keyboard layout | |
| Part of a series on the |
| Culture of Botswana |
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The official language of Botswana is English, while Setswana is considered to be a national language.[3] English, which was inherited from colonial rule, is the language of official business and most written communication. Most of the population speak Setswana, but over 20 smaller languages are also spoken. Some of the country's languages are in danger of becoming extinct.
- ^ Lucas, Ceil; Schembri, Adam C. (February 12, 2015). Sociolinguistics and Deaf Communities. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 9781107051942 – via Google Books.
- ^ Monaghan, Leila Frances; Nakamura, Karen; Schmaling, Constanze; Turner, Graham H. (August 16, 2003). Many Ways to be Deaf: International Variation in Deaf Communities. Gallaudet University Press. ISBN 9781563681356 – via Google Books.
- ^ "About Our Country". Gov.bw. Retrieved 2022-04-17.
Botswana has a number of tribes across the country, collectively known as Batswana. The official language is English and Setswana is the national language, although there are other spoken languages.