Abstract:
The study explores the design of a negotiated conversational Setswana syllabus for English speakers. It begins by investigating the target group's needs. The group comprises speakers of English around the Mafikeng/ Mmabatho area. It (the study) points out that the English speakers in the study are motivated mainly by the new South African democratic government's move to promote multilingualism and the need to interact with Setswana speakers, especially those who cannot speak English well. Needs analysis includes learner profile, feedback from the learners, the researcher's observations, a questionnaire and assessment. <br><br> The results obtained from needs analysis are supplemented by literature review, which explores the characteristics of adult language learners, the learning of conversations where the target language is foreign, and syllabus design. The insights gained from literature review and the results obtained from needs analysis are then synthesized to create a theoretical framework for a negotiated conversational syllabus. On the basis of this framework, a syllabus is proposed and guidelines for implementation are suggested.
