Possible Interference of Urban Contact Varieties in Speaking and Writing Setswana of Grade 10 Learners: A Study at Winterveldt

This study aimed to describe the type and the extent of interference of urban contact varieties (UCVs) in speaking and writing Setswana of Grade 10 learners and how to improve the performance of Setswana Home Language learners. The study was conducted at two high schools where 30 participants were selected from Grade 10 and two Setswana educators from each school. The study employed a qualitative method, two focus groups consisting of ten learners each from each school and four Setswana educators were interviewed. Similarly, class observations and text analysis were also used to collect the data. It was found that most learners do not pass Setswana. This poor scholastic result can be attributed and ascribed to UCVs, especially Sepitori. It is evident that UCVs pose a serious threat to language, Setswana in particular because they interfere with the standard language. The study findings provided insights to the Department of Education about the challenges that Setswana L1 learners encountered that prevented them from excelling in Setswana HL at high schools due to the possible interference of UCVs. Based on the findings the following recommendations can be made. The media must increase programmes promoting the importance of Setswana so that people can be encouraged to use Setswana in public and school without feeling illiterate and must be taught the importance of language maintenance and UCV words should be adopted into Setswana so that learner’s performance in class can improve. Keywords: Language, Standard Language, Home Language, Urban Contact Varieties (UCVs)