International Mother Language Day Celebration

 The National Day Of Languages has been celebrated in Botswana in 2008 after the United Nations declared it as the National Year of Languages. Since then, Botswana has hosted national celebrations yearly on the 21 February to commemorate this day.

This was a step in the right direction for our country because one can only understand him/her self better when he communicates with mother tongue language. One's mother tongue language is the one that orient him to a lot of things such as ones culture and moral issues. This is because the one's mother tongue language is the one that is mostly used during the first six years before starting primary schooling. It is used to introduces children to the cultural beliefs and general behaviours that are instilled in the early years of life. I was listening to Radio Botswana in the morning, a presenter of the morning show was saying that,  she  learnt and spoke  Setswana  and English language when starting her primary school. She further said that during the first six years of her younger years, family members were communicating in their tribal language. 

This was a general trend that happened to children in most families in the the past up the late 1980's. However, the introduction of "modern way of life" has resulted in some families preferring English as a language of communication to their children right from birth.  Mastering the English language is good, but children and young teenagers should also be able to speak their language and also learn their cultures. This should be instilled in their younger years so that it is not foreign to them when they go to tertiary education.

The late Sir Seretse Khama once said "chaba e e senang ngwao ke mo kang e suleng". He was trying to alert the nation that without culture one is lost. I don't think that any of us want to be lost or consumed by other peoples way of life. We should embrace  our unique Botswana,our culture,  the different tribes and cultural beliefs, traditional food, Attires, and cultural songs.  Celebrating and understanding all this makes us to be Truly Batswana - Batswana Tota!!!

A RE IPELENG,  RE IPELE KA BOTSWANA WA RONA - KA DITEME TSA RONA  -  PULA!!!