Staff Profiles

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Linguistics (Language Acquisition): Memorial University, Canada

Master of Arts (MA) in Linguistics: California State University, Northridge, USA

Post Graduate Diploma in Education (PGDE): University of Botswana

B.A Humanities: University of Botswana

I am a lecturer of Bantu Linguistics in the Department of African Languages and Literature at the University of Botswana. I obtained my BA degree in Humanities from the University of Botswana and a Post Graduate Diploma in Education (PGDE) from the same University. I have a Master's degree in Linguistics from California State University Northridge, USA as well as a PhD from Memorial University, Canada. I specialize in teaching General Linguistics courses and Applied Linguistics (First language acquisition and second language learning and teaching). I also teach Setswana as a foreign and second language.

• General linguistics courses (phonetics, phonology, morphology & semantics) 
• Applied linguistics (Psycholinguistics mainly language acquisition & language learning & pedagogy;Sociolinguistics); 
• Language proficiency (Setswana as a 2nd and foreign language)   

• Articulatory phonetics (the physiology of human speech sounds, how they are produced in the vocal tract) 
• Phonology (how speech sounds categorically pattern in a language & the mind)
• Language acquisition & disorders in children (how children come to acquire their competence in their first language through storing, retrieving & organizing the sound systems of their language(s); 
• Loanword phonology and speech perception 

• Phonology,
• Speech Phonetics
• Language acquisition
• Phonological speech disorders

Matlhaku, Keneilwe 2020. Setswana Nasal Consonant Sequences, In: S. Abdelhady, A Cucinelli & T. Fatema (eds). Memorial University Occasional Papers in Linguistics 3: 1-20. Memorial University, Canada.

Matlhaku, Keneilwe and Batibo, H. M. 2017. The nature and origin of acronyms in Kiswahili and Setswana. JULACE: 2(2)

Letsholo, R. & Matlhaku, Keneilwe. 2017. Attitudes of University of Botswana’Undergraduate Students Towards Minority Languages in Botswana. SALAS 35 (3). 245 – 257

Matlhaku, Keneilwe. 2016. Phonological & Sociolinguistic factors in Setswana loanwords, In: Monwabisi Ralarala, Ken Barris, Eunice Ivala & Sibawu Siyepi (eds). African Languages & Language Practice Research in the 21st Century: Interdisciplinary Themes & Perspectives. Cape Town: CASAS 122:139-160

Wakumelo-Nkolola, M, Rantso, L, Matlhaku, Keneilwe. 2013. Syllabification of Consonants in Sesotho & Setswana, In: Hugues Steve Ndinga-Koumba-Binza & Sonja Bosch (Eds), Language Science and Language Technology