Undergraduate Course: Swahili A (Edinburgh) Summer School (AFRI08005)
Course Outline
| School | School of Social and Political Science |
College | College of Humanities and Social Science |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 8 (Year 1 Undergraduate) |
Availability | Available to all students |
| SCQF Credits | 20 |
ECTS Credits | 10 |
| Summary | This is a summer school course.
Swahili A and Swahili B are interconnected courses that provide a contemporary, exciting, immersive and intensive introduction to the Swahili language ¿ the most international and widely spoken of the indigenous languages on the African continent, and to various aspects of modern and traditional East African culture. Swahili A provides a detailed five-week introduction to the key elements of the language at the University of Edinburgh, while Swahili B sees students further developing their knowledge during four weeks in Tanzania |
| Course description |
Swahili A provides a strong and effective five-week grounding in the crucial concepts of Swahili grammar and 500 widely used items of vocabulary for learners with little or no prior experience in the language. It also presents an introductory insight into both traditional and contemporary elements of East African culture and society and aims to be challenging, stimulating and interactive, providing students with ample opportunity for practice in speaking, reading, writing and listening. This course is designed to prepare students for complete immersion during the Swahili B course, which follows directly afterwards.
Swahili A is based on a newly-designed curriculum and an innovative approach to learning that seeks to integrate an intensive and effective acquisition of the Swahili language with an understanding of the social and cultural conditions that continue to shape its development to this day. The knowledge developed through the course will not only benefit learners in everyday interactions, but also in integrating into East African culture and life and viewing their own relationship to the region from differing perspectives.
By the end of the course, students will be comfortable interacting in Swahili in everyday situations and will have a solid understanding of basic vocabulary, the key tenses and majority of the noun class system. They will also have been introduced to several elements of Swahili culture and will have discussed the lives of several important individuals in East African history
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Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
| Pre-requisites |
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Co-requisites | |
| Prohibited Combinations | |
Other requirements | None |
Information for Visiting Students
| Pre-requisites | None |
Course Delivery Information
| Not being delivered |
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- Understanding of over 500 items of Swahili vocabulary, including important verbs, adjectives and nouns in both singular and plural forms.
- Ability to use and understand four key tenses in both the affirmative and the negative and the first ten Swahili noun classes.
- Awareness of some key figures in East African society (e.g., Wangari Maathai, Bi Kidude, Julius Nyerere).
- Working knowledge of both traditional and contemporary cultural norms in the East Africa region
- Confidence in communicating in a range of situations and on a variety of themes relevant to everyday life in East Africa.
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Additional Information
| Graduate Attributes and Skills |
Completion of this course would equip graduates of any degree programme throughout the world with a basic working knowledge of oral and written Swahili language and culture that will aid travel, research and especially work in the greater East Africa region. The knowledge of such a widely-spoken indigenous African language should help all those interested in careers in government, international organisations, diplomacy, non-governmental organisations, policy-making and think-tanks, universities, industry and the private sector to stand out in an increasingly competitive job market. |
| Special Arrangements |
University of Edinburgh students will not receive credit for this course |
| Keywords | Swahili Kiswahili Language Culture Africa Kenya Tanzania Uganda Nyerere Maathai Kidude |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Dr Thomas Molony
Tel: (0131 6)50 6976
Email: |
Course secretary | |
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