ABSTRACT

Colloquial Swahili: The Complete Course for Beginners has been carefully developed by an experienced teacher to provide a step-by-step course to Swahili as it is written and spoken today.

Combining a clear, practical and accessible style with a methodical and thorough treatment of the language, it equips learners with the essential skills needed to communicate confidently and effectively in Swahili in a broad range of situations. No prior knowledge of the language is required.

Colloquial Swahili is exceptional; each unit presents a wealth of grammatical points that are reinforced with a wide range of exercises for regular practice. A full answer key, a grammar summary, bilingual glossaries and English translations of dialogues can be found at the back as well as useful vocabulary lists throughout.

Key features include:

A clear, user-friendly format designed to help learners progressively build up their speaking, listening, reading and writing skills

Jargon-free, succinct and clearly structured explanations of grammar

An extensive range of focused and dynamic supportive exercises

Realistic and entertaining dialogues covering a broad variety of narrative situations

Helpful cultural points explaining the customs and features of life in Swahili-speaking countries.

An overview of the sounds of Swahili

Balanced, comprehensive and rewarding, Colloquial Swahili is an indispensable resource both for independent learners and students taking courses in Swahili.

Audio material to accompany the course is available to download free in MP3 format from www.routledge.com/cw/colloquials. Recorded by native speakers, the audio material features the dialogues and texts from the book and will help develop your listening and pronunciation skills.

chapter |8 pages

Introduction

chapter Unit One|18 pages

Karibu!

Welcome!

chapter Unit Two|20 pages

Unatoka wapi?

Where do you come from?

chapter Unit Three|18 pages

Familia

The family

chapter Unit Four|20 pages

Kusafiri

Travelling

chapter Unit Five|19 pages

Safarini

On the move

chapter Unit Six|19 pages

Shambani

In the countryside

chapter Unit Seven|19 pages

Ugonjwa na matibabu

Sickness and medical treatment

chapter Unit Eight|19 pages

Kutembelea

Visiting

chapter Unit Nine|14 pages

Kufanya utafiti wa jamii

chapter Unit Ten|17 pages

Sherehe ya arusi

A wedding celebration

chapter Unit Eleven|15 pages

Taabu za nyumbani

Trouble at home

chapter Unit Twelve|16 pages

Hadithi na magazeti

Stories and newspapers

chapter Unit Thirteen|15 pages

Mawasiliano

Communications

chapter Unit Fourteen|10 pages

Muziki wa aina mbalimbali

Various kinds of music