Penn Language Center

This course taught in Swahili will focus on reading/writing skills and speaking/listening skills as well as structural and cultural information. The course will be structured around three thematic units: History, Politics, and Education. The course will provide background on the Swahili-speaking world: Who were the first Swahili speakers and what varieties of the language did they speak? How did Swahili spread from the coast to other Swahili-speaking areas as far inland as Uganda, Rwanda, and Congo? Swahili is a lingua franca and has importance in the spread of religion and trade movements. Influences of other languages on Swahili and influences of Swahili on local languages will be discussed. Political and educational systems will be discussed as well.