EAST AFRICAN COMMUNITY

NYERERE CENTRE FOR PEACE RESEARCH

Elementary Kiswahili
Instructor: Mr Hemedi ALMASI
History of Kiswahili (the Swahili Language)
Swahili is a language spoken in Southeast Africa. It is the primary language of over half
the East African coast. This would include the southern tip of Somalia in the north to the
southern tip of Mozambique in the south. There are also islands off the shores of East
Africa that include Pemba, Zanzibar, Mafia, Lamu, and the Comoro Islands that are
located in the Indian Ocean, where Swahili is a primary language. Swahili speakers
inland extend as far away as Zaire (Congo) down to Zambia and Malawi.
Swahili is the seventh most commonly spoken language in the world with a conservative
estimate of 45 million speakers as a first or second language. It is the first language of
the coastal people of East Africa from Southern Somalia to Northern Mozambique.
Swahili is a Bantu language. Other examples of Bantu languages are Kikuyu in Kenya and
Kongo in Zaire.
Like most languages, Swahili has borrowed heavily from other languages such as Arabic,
Portuguese, Spanish and English.
Among Swahili words borrowed from English are:
baiskeli
bicycle
benki
bank
chaki
chalk
daktari
doctor
dereva
driver
hoteli
hotel
hospitali
hospital
jela
jail
kamera
camera
kampuni
company
mashine
machine
petroli
petrol
redio
radio
sigara
cigarette
sinema
cinema
soksi
socks
tai

tie, etc.
Swahili has also borrowed heavily from Arabic especially words concerning religion,
trade, commerce, sailing and others.
For example:
Biashara
business
Hesabu
accounts
Kitabu
book
Lakini
but
mtakatifu
holy person
Nabii
prophet
Tafadhali
please, etc.
From the Portuguese Swahili borrowed such words as:
Bendera
flag
Mpira
Mvinyo
wine, etc.
From Spanish Swahili borrowed:
Meza
table
Pesa
Use of the language
Pronunciation:

ball

money, etc.

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The easiest aspect of the Kiswahili language is that each letter of the alphabet always
represents the same sound; with the exception of where two letters occur together to
represent one specific sound. Words are pronounced following the vowels used in them.
Kiswahili language uses all the letters of the alphabet, except Q and X.
Vowels
A
as in English
E
as in English
I
as in English
O
as in English
U
as in English

far
bed
flee
off
moon

Consonants
There are two groups of Kiswahili consonants. In the first group, each sound is
represented by one letter.
b
as in bed e.g. baba (father)
c
only found with h as ch, as in each e.g. chungwa (an orange)
d
as in did e.g. dada (sister)
f
as in fun e.g. fua (wash clothes)
g
as in gun e.g. goma (go on strike)
h
as in hat e.g. habari (news)
j
as in job e.g. joto (heat)
k
as in kick e.g. kimbia (run)
l
as in long e.g. leo (today)
m
as in man e.g. maji (water)
n
as in nut e.g. na (and)
p
as in put e.g. papa (shark)
r
as in rat e.g. raha (comfort)
s
as in sink e.g. sasa (now)
t
as in tick e.g. bata (duck)
v
as in voice e.g. vunja (break sth.)
w
as in warn e.g. watu (people)
y
as in yet e.g. yeyuka(melt/dissolve)
z
as in zoo e.g. zama (sink)
Combinations
The second group is combinations. In this group of consonants each sound is
represented by two letters.
ch
as in each e.g. chungwa (an orange)
dh
as th in this e.g. dhahabu (gold)
gh
as sound ch in Scots loch e.g. ghali (expensive)
ng'
as in song e.g. ng'ombe (a cow)
ny
as in new e.g. nyama (meat)
sh
as in ship e.g. shida (a problem)
th
as in thing e.g. themanini (eighty)
Double vowels
aa
ee

ii

oo

uu

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kaa
mzee
saa
pekee
aa as in car; ee as in great;

mtalii
hii
ii as in see;

choo
kuu
ndoo
mguu
oo as in toe; uu as in blue.

Stress
A stress on a Kiswahili word is always found on the penultimate syllable of such a word.
For example, we may break any Kiswahili word into its syllables, thus:
nya-ma stressing the nya- thus nyama
cha-ku-la stressing the ku- thus chakula
cho-o stressing cho- thus choo ka-zi stressing the ka- thus kazi m-tu - the syllable here
is a consonant, but this does not alter the position of the stress m thus m-, tu.
Objectives
By the end of the course the participants will be able to communicate simple messages,
using basic vocabulary and a first knowledge of the structure of the language. They will
also have gained a foundation on which to build more effective communication.
Course requirements
Students are required to attend all class sessions, unless they fully provide justification
for absence. However, tolerated absence would not exceed 2 sessions in the course of
the semester.
During class, students are required to actively participate in all activities; which include,
conversation, discussions, assignments, writing mid- term and final examinations.
Methods of instruction
(1)
Class conversation, dialogues and language games: Students practice the
introduced topic through conversation, dialogues and language games.
(2)
Excursions: Students make group excursions and be assigned to different tasks in
small groups during the excursion, the present the excursion findings in class.
(3)
Audio-visual: Students be exposed to simple listening texts and pictures to
describe.
Assignments
Students group excursions to various places such as markets or shops; then present the
excursion findings in class then the teacher asses the quality of the presentation.
Grading
1)
Attendance and active class participation
2)
Individual assignments
3)
Group assignments
4)
Mid-term examination
5)
Final examination
Course schedule
Week 1

Greetings and introducing oneself:

10%
25%
15%
20%
30%

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Start with introducing the topic; followed by students practicing in small groups. The
topic is then reviewed followed by role plays.

Kiswahili basic tenses:

Introducing the four basic Kiswahili affirmative tenses [-NA-, -ME-, -LI-, -TA-] one by
one, then followed students written exercises, oral practice and role plays.

Question words:
Introducing the question words (wapi, gani, nini, nani, lini, kwa nini, je, ... je) and
let the students practice using them in a dialogue.
Week 2

The verb to be(ni) affirmative and (si) negative present, and (kuwa for the past
and future):
Introduction of the topic.
Let the students drill and after that tell who or what themselves are and, or their
relatives profession / occupation.

Imperatives:Affirmative and Negative (singular and plural):

Introduce the topic and let the students practice in both speaking and writing. Let them
make an outside class activity and experience some imperatives used in the
environment. Let the participants make a role play.
Week 3

Counting:
Topic introduction; followed by students practice. Let them visit a nearby market or
shop and observe prices. Let students make a market or shop role play on buying and
selling goods.

Days of the week:

Introduction of the topic; followed by students practicing through various questions and
answers.

Telling the time:

Introduction of the topic; followed by students practicing; then tell about their daily
activities (where they stay in Arusha or where they live in their countries).
Week 4

-ka- tense as in narration:

The teacher introduces the topic; followed by the students find the sound in use in
relation to the -li- past tense in telling about past events; and let them discover that the ka- sound represents the -li- tense.

Negative tenses:
The teacher introduces the topic and let the students practice by writing, speaking and
making language games.

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Week 5

The verb have(-NA) (affirm. and neg.) present; and to have (kuwa na); past
and future:
Introduction of the topic followed by students practicing and making a role play.
Students make an excursion to the market or go to shops and apply the grammar in
asking prices and bargaining. Let them buy some items and present in class.

There is/ are (kuna) and there isnt/ arent (hakuna):

The teacher introduces the topic and students observe the use of the grammar in
relation to the way it had been used in the previous topic.
Week 6

Locatives: -ko (being in a place); affirmative and negative use: Start with the
introduction of the topic; followed by students practicing with different sitting or staying
positions and situations in class. Explain about the frequent use of -ko, compared to the
remaining two locative markers, -po, and -mo. Let students play language games.
Week 7

Preposition kwa ( in, on, at, to, for, by, per, with, from, of):
The teacher introduces the topic and gives various examples on the various uses of the
preposition; followed by students practicing the preposition.

M- Wa- noun class (animates group nouns. Begin with m- in singular and wa- in
plural) and its agreements, e.g verb constructions, of form (wa), possessive adjectives
(wangu, wako, wake, wetu, wenu, wao), demonstratives: singular and plural. (huyu,
yule,/ hawa, wale), adjectives, relative pronouns and expressing which one(s) (yupi/
wepi)/ gani: Start with introducing the topic; followed by students practicing and
preparing language games and role plays.
Week 8

Ki-/Ch- - Vi-/Vy- noun class (nouns which begin with ki- or ch- in singular and
vi- or vy-) and its agreements:- verb construction, of form (cha/ vya), possessive
adjectives (ch-vy- possessive sound prefixes) (ch/ vyangu, ch/ vyako, ch/ vyake,
ch/vyetu, ch/ vyenu, ch/ vyao), demonstratives: singular. and plural.(hiki, kile,/ hivi,
vile), adjectives, relative pronouns and expressing which one(s) (kipi/ vipi)/ gani:
Start with introducing the topic; followed by students practicing and preparing language
games and role plays.

Object Infixes
After introducing the topic, the students will practice and prepare a dialogue.
Mid-Term Examination
Week 9 Mid-Term Break
Week 10

The use of -po- (when) relative of time, -ki- (if) simple conditional; and
sipo- (if/ when not) (If dont/ doesnt):
Introduction of the topic, followed by students practicing the grammar.

Passive verbs (-w- inserted between last two letters of a verb):

Introduction of the topic, followed by students practicing the grammar.

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Week 11

Reciprocal verbs (-na added at the end of a verb) = each other/ one another:
Introduction of the topic, followed by students practicing the grammar.

Course Review
Week 12

Subjunctives (-e replacing a; at the end of a verb construction) which means: let,
may, should?:
Introduction of the topic; followed by students practicing the grammar.

Course review
Final Examination

Recommended Course Books

Teach Yourself Swahili, by Hassan O. Ali & Ali M. Mazrui, 2004 (online:
http://www.glcom.com/hassan/lessons/teach_yourself_swahili_cd_content.pdf).

Simplified Swahili, by Peter M. Wilson. Available at Kase bookshop (Arusha).

Modern Swahili Modern English Dictionary, by Baba Malaika; at Kase bookshop

(Arusha).

English Swahili Dictionary, by TUKI, at Kase Bookshop (Arusha).

Pocket phrase book English Swahili Useful phrases, at Kase Bookshop (Arusha).

Teach Yourself Swahili [complete courses package], by Joan Russell. Available on

Amazon (www.amazon.com) and at Kase Bookshop (Arusha).