EarthDiverse > LANGUAGE & LINGUISTICS COURSES > Swahili courses

SWAHILI LANGUAGE COURSES:

Swahili, also known by its native name Kiswahili, is a Bantu language of the Waswahili people of East Africa. It is spoken in the African Great Lakes region and other parts of East and Southern Africa, including Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, South Sudan, some parts of Malawi, Somalia, Zambia, Mozambique, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). The exact number of Swahili speakers varies widely, but recent estimates range mention approximately 150 million speakers.

“If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head. If you talk to a man in his own language, that goes to his heart” —Nelson Mandela

Study Swahili with EarthDiverse!

SWAHILI CLASSES BEGIN IN TERM 3 on Tuesday 2 August 2022, 7:00-8:30pm.

One of our newest language programmes, our Introductory Swahili 101 course begins with basic introductory grammar, vocabulary and conversation. Basic everyday vocabulary and expressions will be taught, always with a view to empowering learners so that they feel encouraged to build their own sentences and be able to make some simple conversation during our first Term. Distinctive aspects of Swahili language and culture will also be addressed.

The Swahili language is spoken by millions and is prevalent throughout much of Africa. It is one the easiest languages for English speakers to learn, and makes good use of English load words. Swahili has straight-forward grammar, and logical spelling and pronunciation patterns. Approximately 150 million people speak Swahili, and 16 countries in Africa have made Swahili its formal language. Swahili is also popular globally due to its use in music, news, radio and movies. Social media sites and streaming services like Twitter and Netflix also recognise Swahili. Disney has even borrowed Swahili words like Simba and Hakuna Matata to mention just a few.  Many New Zealanders are now visiting Africa as tourists, skilled workers or volunteers. I have had the privilege to be a home tutor for a New Zealand doctor who was visiting Tanzania for her work experience.

EarthDiverse currently offers the following Swahili language classes on a rotating and evolving basis, with new intakes of students in Swahili 101 beginning twice a year, in Term 1 (February) and again in Term 3 (July-August). 101 & 103 courses are offered in Terms 1 & 3 each year, and 102 & 104 courses are offered in Terms 2 & 4 each year. If you have some elementary understanding, you may consider starting in a 102 or 103 course as well. When completing one 8-week course, each cohort can begin advancing to the next course in the series.

 

LOCATION: EarthDiverse Centre, 401 Anglesea Street, Hamilton Central, Hamilton, on-line via Zoom, or through video recordings of our live-streamed sessions posted 1-2 days after each class.

DISTANCE-LEARNING OPTIONS: Our Swahili courses offer distance learning options for those unable to attend classes in-person. Live-streamed classes are available via free Zoom software, or those unable to attend the date and time of the actual class sessions can watch the live-recorded video sessions on their computers, laptops, tablets or mobile devices and study at their own pace. These recorded sessions will be available soon after each class finishes so that you may watch the recorded video via any web-browser at your leisure. Your instructor will provide details on how to access your classes before your course begins.

COST PER PERSON PER TERM (8 classes):

  • Waged: NZ$150.00 per person per term (includes GST + online registration fee)
  • Unwaged (unemployed, students, seniors): NZ$125.00 per person per term (includes GST + online registration fee)

EarthDiverse offers the following Swahili language classes on a rotating basis:

SWAHILI COURSES CURRENTLY OFFERED FOR 2022 TERM 3 (Aug-Sep) ARE:

SWAHILI COURSES OFFERED IN 2022 TERM 4 (Oct-Dec) ARE:

FOR DETAILED INFORMATION ON EACH COURSE, PLEASE CLICK ON THE APPROPRIATE TILE BELOW: