Elementary Swahili I & II: AFST 185-680
Semester: Spring 2001
Mwalimu Alwiya Omar (asomar@ling.upenn.edu)
African Studies Center
Williams Hall 648
Tel: 898 4299
Office Hours: by appointment
Description: This an introductory course in
Kiswahili whose
goals
are:
1. To enable students to develop communicative skills in Kiswahili
through listening, speaking, reading, and writing.
2. To give insights into aspects of the language, culture,traditions,
and customs of the speakers of Kiswahili by using video
tapes, songs, and inviting guest speakers.
Textbook:
Hinnebusch, T & Mirza, S. (1997) Kiswahili: misingi ya kusoma, kusema
na
kuandika (Swahili, a foundation for speaking, reading, and writing).
University Press of America.
Additional texts will be made available during the course of the
lessons.
Developing listening skills: Audio tapes
that go with the Hinnebusch textbook are available at the David Ritten
House Language laboratory, and can be copied. Students are required to
listen to these tapes daily.
Videos: A number of videos will be shown
depicting different aspects of
life in East Africa and in Africa in general. Discussion of the tapes
will be done in class.
Computer resources:
Multi media Kiswahili exercises will be placed on
the web to be used during class time or for homework. For other Kiswahili
resources, check Kiswahili
web at Penn.
Word games:Re-enforcement of vocabulary will
be
done with the use of board games like Scrabbles, Pictionary, etc.
Evaluation
Tests: 20%
Homework assignments: 20%
(includes daily journal writing & computer exercises
Individual presentations & term essay: 10%
Cultural day presentations: 10%
Final Exam: 40%
Speaking, writing, and listening skills will be evaluated during tests
and exams.
1st week (Jan 17th, 19th):
Lessons 1 - 4: Greetings; introductions; weekend activities;
counting
Grammar: personal pronouns; present tense -na-
Insha (essay): Mimi mwenyewe
2nd week (Jan 22nd, 24th, 26th):
Lesson 5 - 6: giving information about other people
Grammar: past and future tenses; the infinitive form; more
counting
Insha: Rafiki yangu
Test 1
3rd week (Jan 29th, 31st, Feb 2nd):
Lesson 7: East African leaders
Grammar: The -a- present tense; noun classes and adjectives;
relative pronouns
Insha: Kiongozi maarufu
4th week (Feb 5th, 7th, 9th):
Lesson 8: Languages of east Africa
Grammar: negative of present tense; noun classes and
adjectives
Lesson 9: Traveling
Grammar: negative of future tense
Insha: Safari niipendayo
Test 2
5th week (Feb 12th, 14th, 16th):
Lesson 10: telling time
Grammar: Object pronouns; more noun class agreement
Insha: Mambo ninayofanya kila siku.
6th week (Feb 19th, 21st, 23rd):
Lesson 11: schools in Tanzania
Grammar: prepostional verbs
Insha: Shule yangu ya msingi
Test 3
7th week (Feb 26th, 28th, March 2nd):
Lesson 12: Self reliance in Tanzanian schools
Grammar: Reflexive pronoun
Insha: Shule ya sekondari.
8th week (March 5th, 6th, 8th):
Lesson 13: Markets in Tanzania; food; buying and selling
Grammar: Negative of past tense
Insha: Kwenda sokoni.
Test 4
9th week (March 12th, 14th, 16th): Spring
Break.
10th week (March 19th, 21st, 23th):
somo la 14
More on markets and shops. Selling and buying. Bargaining.
Sarufi: Noun class agreement (review)
Mchezo: Kupatana sokoni.
11th week (March 26th, 28th, 30th):
somo la 15: Vinywaji mbali mbali
Sarufi: more review of the noun class.
Insha: Kinywaji nikipendacho
Test 5
March 30th: African language festival, 5 to 7
pm.
12th week (April 2nd, 4th, 6th):
somo la 16: Vyakula vya Afrika ya Mashariki
(East African food)
Sarufi: Passive voice
Insha: Chakula nikipendacho
13th week (April 9th, 11th, 13th):
Somo la 17: Siku kuu za uhuru za Afrika ya
Mashariki (Independence holidays)
Sarufi: Perfect tense
Insha: Siku kuu ya uhuru ya Marekani
Test 6
14th week (April 16th, 18th, 20th):
Somo la 18: Lugha ya Kiswahili (Kiswahili
language)
Sarufi: More noun class agreement (adjectives and colors)
Insha: Lugha za Afrika ya Mashariki
15th week (April 23rd, 25th, 27th):
Somo la 19 na somo la 20: Utoaji wa hadithi (Story
telling)
Sarufi: demonstratives; habitual tense
Insha: Hadithi niipendayo; Mchezo kutokana na hadithi
Student presentations & general review
Reading Days: Monday April 30th to Wed May
2nd.
Final examination: Friday May 4th.
For more
information, please contact:
African
Studies
Center
648 Williams Hall
Unversity of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA 19104
Tel: 215 898 6971
Go back to
Kiswahili page
Last Modified: January 17th, 2001