ABSTRACT
This chapter compares the linguistic situation and issues of language planning in five countries across the continent. Algeria in the north, South Africa and Botswana in the south, Tanzania in the east, and Nigeria in the west, illustrates a wide range of linguistic realities and government language policies. The chapter considers how the linguistic situation in each country affects communication; it is worth noting that no direct correlation is implied between number of languages and either local or global communication issues. The Botswana government has continued with its policy of assimilation, while retaining a role for English. Deborah Adeyemi reports that currently Setswana is the medium of instruction for the first two years, with English as the medium of instruction from then on. Algeria has pursued the policy of "Arabization" following the fall of the French, a policy whose relative success has spurred political and social unrest.
