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SWAH 1010 (UGA)
Elementary Swahili (4 semester hours)
Web Course Format: ALISSA

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Prerequisite: none

Fundamentals of the Swahili language and culture. Emphasis on grammar, pronunciation, reading, writing, and conversational skills.

Requirements: Twenty-one lessons, two examinations.

Instructor: Lioba Moshi, Ph.D., Professor, UGA.

Texts: McGrath and Marten, Colloquial Swahili, Routledge, 2003 (ISBN 0-415-22163-3); Awde, Swahili-English/English-Swahili Dictionary, Hippocrene, 2000.



SWAH 1010 - Elementary Swahili
Course Overview

Why study Kiswahili?

Kiswahili, also known as Swahili, is one of the major languages spoken in Africa. It is the lingua franca of eastern and central Africa and is also used in other parts of the world. It is spoken on radio broadcasts by British Broadcasting Service, Voice of America, Deutsche Welle, and many others and heard in the songs of such famous singers as Miriam Makeba, Michael Jackson, and Lionel Ritchie.

Kiswahili words are also used in films. Expressions like hakuna matata ("no problems") and asante sana ("many thanks") from the movie The Lion King are familiar to many non-Kiswahili speakers. African Americans refer to their annual cultural festival as Kwanzaa, a word coined from Kiswahili kwanza, meaning "first." Principles and symbols of this festival are expressed with Kiswahili words, such as umoja ("unity") and mkeka ("mat.") The festival’s preferred greeting is Habari gani? ("What news?"). The Kwanzaa principles are modeled after similar principles set for Tanzania’s Arusha Declaration conceived by the late Mwalimu Julius K. Nyerere (1967), the first president of the Republic of Tanzania.

Kiswahili is taught in academic institutions from Japan in the east to Mexico in the west. It can be used to fulfill language requirements and to prepare researchers for field work in eastern Africa. Kiswahili and its many varieties are of interest to linguistic researchers, as it raises interesting issues with regard to language policies and language planning. The region’s many ethnic groups are subjects of anthropological research. The Olduvai Gorge is important to archeologists who are investigating human origins. Because the region has the highest mountain (Mt. Kilimanjaro) and the largest and deepest lakes (Lake Victoria and Lake Tanganyika respectively) in Africa, it is also of interest to geologists. The source of the longest river in Africa (the Nile) is also in this region.

Knowledge of Kiswahili is essential to all of these research fields, as it serves as a good introduction to general African culture, has an exciting and remarkable history and a long written tradition, and enhances a researcher's credibility on East African issues.

Introduction to SWAH 1010

This introductory course is designed to introduce the Swahili language to beginners. The major goals are:

  1. to enable students to develop communicative skills in Swahili through listening, speaking, reading, and writing
  2. to give insights into aspects of the language, culture, traditions, and customs of the speakers of Swahili

These goals will be realized through the implementation of the following course content:

  1. introductory information about the history, culture, and geographical location of the Swahili peoples
  2. presentation of the alphabet and sound patterns
  3. basic conversation structures: greetings, introducing oneself, how to start a conversation, cultural information, and social codes in conversations
  4. basic parts of speech: noun, pronoun, verb, adverb, adjective, preposition, conjunction, etc.
  5. sentence structure (focusing on grammar to build simple and complex sentences)
  6. voice: active and passive, causative, reflexives (these will be introduced with reference to verbs, without changing the basic meaning of the sentence)

To succeed in this course, you need to be motivated to learn. Be sure to spend at least one hour per lesson, read all the relevant grammar and cultural notes for that lesson, do the required exercised, and look over any assigned supplemental material. You need to develop an understanding of the structure of the language from the outset. If you have questions or problems, e-mail your instructor or set up a phone consultation.

Grading & Examinations

Grades will be assigned as follows:

  1. Completion of each unit, including self tests, written assignments, diagnostic tests, and assigned exercises from the textbook: 40%
  2. Midterm: 30%
  3. Final Exam: 30%

Please note that IDL policy requires that you pass the final in order to pass the course, regardless of grades earned on lessons. You are responsible for knowing and abiding by IDL policies and procedures. See your Student Handbook for detailed information.