The official languages of the Kingdom of Lesotho are
Sesotho,
English,
isiXhosa, and
SiPhuthi. Sesotho was recognized as the national language by the National and Official Languages Bill, ratified by the
National Assembly of Lesotho on 12 September 1966, which also established Sesotho and English as the country's then two
official languages, amended on 12 August 2022 to add the further two official languages, IsiXhosa and SiPhuthi. The country's
language policy before the amendment promoted
bilingualism. Sesotho is the
first language of more than 90 percent of the population and is "used widely as a medium of communication" in day-to-day speech. English is reserved for official interactions, Before the official language amendment,
primary education of children would take place in Sesotho for the first three years, with English becoming the
medium of instruction in the fourth year of
primary school. Competence in English is "particularly important ... for educational, political, social and economic transactions in the subcontinent" and facilitates obtaining employment within Lesotho and abroad. == Minority and immigrant languages ==