maswabik

Picture
no image
Title
Dr.
Firstname
Keneilwe
Lastname
Matlhaku
Position
Lecturer
Office
247/451
Phone
3554107
Professional Qualifications

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

Brief Biography

I am a lecturer of Language & Linguistics in the School of Languages, Linguistics & LIterary Studies in the Faculty of Humanities, Education & Social Sciences 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, and a PhD from Memorial University, Canada. I specialize in teaching Theoretical Linguistics courses (mainly Bantu & English), and Applied Linguistics (First language acquisition, including speech delays and disorders, second language learning and pedagody, mainly Setswana as a foreign and second language. 

Teaching Areas
  • Theoretical linguistics courses (phonetics, phonology, morphology (and their interfaces) & semantics) 
  • Applied linguistics (Psycholinguistics, mainly language acquisition, language learning & pedagogy; neurodiversity); 
  • Language proficiency (Setswana as a 2nd and foreign language)   
Research Areas
  • 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); ]
  • Speech-language delay and disorders
  • Neurodiversity (intellectual disabilities (dyslexia 
Postgraduate Supervision Areas
  • Phonetics & Phonology,
  • Speech Phonetics
  • Language acquisition
  • Speech-language disorders

 

Selected Publications

Matlhaku, K., & Rose, Y. (2026). Phonetic Factors Affecting the Early Acquisition of Fricative and Affricate Consonants in Setswana. First Language, https://doi.org/10.1177/01427237251404297

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. doi: https://www.mun.ca/linguistics/more/mlwpl/5_Matlhaku_MUNOPL_v3.pdf        

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. Letsholo, R., & Matlhaku, K. (2017). Attitudes of University of Botswana Faculty of Humanities students towards minority languages. Southern African Linguistics and Applied Language Studies35(3), 245–257. https://doi.org/10.2989/16073614.2017.1373367

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, CASAS

In pursuit of academic excellence