ABSTRACT
A number of developing nations in Africa have started to use one or several of their vernaculars as the official language (s) of their societies and as a medium of instruction in the schools, at least in the elementary grades. Ethiopia is one of these countries, and its official vernacular ( = OV) is Amharic; all subjects in the public elementary schools are taught in Amharic. Ethiopia, along with those African countries that use OV in schools, hopes to use only OV for teaching all subjects in the secondary schools in the not too far distant future, and eventually in universities.
