INTRODUCTION Swahili is spoken as the first language in a large area of the Indian Ocean coastline stretching from the southern Somalia to the northern Mozambique . A total of 10 million people speak Swahili as their native language. It is the national language of four nations and the only African language among the official languages of the African Union. The Swahili clock runs from dawn to dusk, rather than from mid night to mid day. It can be said that the Swahili language is a product of Arabic and Bantu languages, as 35% of the Swahili vocabulary has been derived from Arabic.
Advantages of Learning Swahili
Swahili is not one of the major languages of the world but don't forget that it has certainly gained popularity in Africa and also in some of the Arab regions. Due to considerable trade activities between the Swahili speaking people of countries such as Kenya , Somalia and Tanzania and the Arabs in Oman , Swahili has seen a great amount of regional prominence. So if you plan to participate in the Arab-African trade, speaking Swahili is always an advantage. There are some great employment opportunities in Swahili speaking countries like Tanzania , Uganda , Kenya and the West African countries. If you learn to speak Swahili, you can always avail these opportunities.
Various Methods and Ways to Learn Swahili
Swahili can be learned through many different ways and methods. A few of them have been discussed below:
You can learn Swahili using a more traditional method of learning a foreign language and that is by attending private classes or lectures from a native Swahili teacher.
You can also find a foreign language institution that offers courses in native Swahili language.
Internet is the easiest and cheapest way of learning the Swahili language. Just browse the internet and you will find a huge variety of online Swahili language courses, lectures, books and even Swahili language software. These language tools and resources are both paid and for free.
To make a native Swahili speaking friend is also a good option. You can learn to speak Swahili by interacting with him or her in Swahili.
You can learn Swahili to a great extent by listening audio speeches in Swahili and watching Swahili television programs.
Free Resources on the Web
As mentioned above, the internet is the best source for finding 'learning Swahili' resources. It is efficient and easy. If you log on to about.com and search for Swahili language resources, you will find some of the most valuable information. You can search for books, online lectures, software programs, articles, vocabulary, pronunciation, and much more on the Swahili language. At about.com you will also find links to other websites with valuable resources on Swahili language. Users of about.com have given excellent reviews regarding the useful information and resource that the website provides.
Books to learn Swahili Language at www.Amazon.com
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MP3 audio for your iPod or other mobile player. Printable flashcards.
More Softwares to Learn Swahili Language at www.Amazon.com
