Global Arc

An introduction to Kiswahili language and culture. Focuses on the development of the communication skills students need to interact with Swahili speakers. Instruction emphasizes cultural themes and experiential activities that enhance the four components of speaking, writing, listening, and reading. Students will also gain some insight into the cultures of East Africa. Four classes. No credit is given for SWA 101 unless followed by SWA 102.

An intensive four-week course offered at the University of Dar es Salaam that covers similar content to SWA 101 offered on campus in the fall term. Content focuses on introduction to Kiswahili language and culture for beginning level learners. Taught in Kiswahili the course aims at acquiring novice-level skills and basic communication functions in the culture of Swahili speakers. Classroom instruction on language grammar is combined with out-of-class small group conversation sessions. Emphasizes cultural content on Tanzania and east Africa and involves day-to-day interactions with locals.

Continuation of SWA 101. Emphasis is on increasing proficiency in reading and listening comprehension, speaking, and writing. Cultural contexts of the East African societies where Swahili is spoken are incorporated in classroom activities in order to enhance communication and cultural proficiency. Prerequisite: SWA 101. Four classes.

This is a continuation of Swahili 101T and enhances communicative skills acquired in Elementary Swahili I, with an emphasis on writing, reading, comprehension, and conversation. Classroom and small group activities enhance already introduced skills in speaking, writing, listening, and reading; all geared to take advantage of day-to-day, out-of-class interactions with locals in Dar es Salaam. Learners are expected to perform basic interactions with locals, to comprehend basic spoken and written texts, and to write a 1-page essay in Kiswahili on activities and experiences in Tanzania.

Intensive Beginning Swahili is a 6-week summer abroad course for students who have no prior proficiency in Swahili language. The course is taught in Kiswahili and focuses on acquiring novice-level skills to perform basic communication functions in the culture of Swahili speakers. Instruction is through in-class and experiential activities that enhance the skills of observing, listening, reading, writing, and speaking about what learners encounter on a day-to-day basis. Students who complete SWA 103 in Kenya will be able to test out of SWA 101 and SWA 102 and eligible to enroll in SWA 105 when they return to campus in the fall.

This second-year Swahili course focuses on enhancing the communicative skills acquired in the first year. Instruction emphasizes reading, writing, speaking, and listening. The course infuses cultural and sociopolitical aspects of life in East Africa with more complex grammatical concepts such as the subjunctive, grammar infixes, and relative clauses. Prerequisites: SWA 101 and 102, or instructor's permission. Four classes.

The course is a continuation of content covered in Beginning Swahili 1&2 as taught in Princeton. Being on-site in a Swahili speaking environment, special emphasis is placed on immersion into the culture so that students can practice speaking and performing cultural functions that they learned in beginning level Swahili. Students who complete SWA 105K in Kenya will be eligible to enroll in SWA 107 when they return to campus in the fall.

Emphasizes conversational fluency and increased facility in reading and writing skills while introducing students to Swahili literature. This literature forms the basis for a survey of cultural issues and more advanced grammar. Students will be able to understand and analyze the main ideas and significant details of materials in Swahili such as media articles, short stories, poetry, short novels, films, and plays. Covers advanced-level Swahili grammar, as well as the development of expository writing skills. Prerequisite: SWA 105, or instructor's permission. Four classes.

This course is an introduction to the basics of literature and their application to literature in Kiswahili. Content will focus on understanding the basic vocabulary and concepts used in describing literary theory and criticism in Kiswahili language. Students will read selected materials on literary theory and criticism written in Kiswahili as well as sample Swahili texts from the various genres (novel, drama, and poetry) to gain understanding of the nature of literature written in Kiswahili.

This course examines the genre of drama & performance in the literary tradition of the Swahili speaking communities of east Africa. It will focus on the origins of African drama in the epic & ritual traditions, to contemporary playwrights, as well as the sociopolitical & theoretical realities that have informed the current face of dramatic texts in Kiswahili. Readings will include writings on the pre-colonial performance traditions of the East African peoples, the role of the colonial experience & the politics of the post-colony in contemporary plays, & the effect of general theoretical trends on writing and performing drama in Kiswahili.