SWAH 25200 Elementary Swahili 1

Swahili I, II, III; Autumn, Winter, Spring
SWAH 25200-25300-25400 / 35200-35300-35400.
Tu/Th: 10:30 - 11:50; Office hours: Tuesday 1:00 - 2:00, RO-201C
Instructor: Fidèle Mpiranya ([email protected]).
Teaching Assistant: Innocent Basso ([email protected])
TA hours: Wednesday 3:00-4:20
SYLLABUS
Rationale and Course Objectives
Swahili is the most popular language of Africa, spoken in most countries of Eastern and Central
Africa by more than 50 million people. Swahili is characterized by the typical complex Bantu
structure. However, it is particularly easy to pronounce and fast learned.
This course is designed to help students acquire communicative competence in Swahili and a
basic understanding of its structures. The course presents basic phonological, grammatical, and
syntactic patterns of Kiswahili. Through a variety of exercises, students develop communicative
functionality in listening, speaking, reading and writing. Emphasis is put on dialogues and roleplays, individual and group presentations, and the use of audiovisual and web-based resources.
Swahili culture and African culture in general are an important component of the course.
At the end of the elementary course series, the students are able to communicate efficiently in
everyday life situations, write and present short descriptive notes about elementary pieces of
verbal creation (documentaries and descriptive audio-texts in Swahili).
This course uses Living Swahili, a textbook with audio 6 CDs by Khalfan Mohamed &
Abdulwahid Mazrui. This textbook is supplemented with various grammatical notes and a
variety of authentic materials, in both written and audio-visual forms.
Required material:
(1) Mohamed, Khalfan & Abdulwahid Mazrui. 2007. Living Swahili: A Complete Course for
Beginners. New York: Living Language. (Book + 6 CDs). ISBN: 978-1-40-002346-2.
(2) Mpiranya, Fidèle. 2014. Swahili Grammar and Workbook. London/New-York: Routledge.
ISBN: 978-1-13-880826-3.
(3) Awde, Nicholas. 2000. Swahili-English, English-Swahili Practical Dictionary. New York:
Hippocrene Books. ISBN: 978-0-78-180480-6 (cf. Seminary Co-op Bookstore).
Other resources:
(4) Dictionary: http://goswahili.org/dictionary/; http://africanlanguages.com/swahili/?l=sw
Grade Distribution:
Homework assignments, class preparation / participation: 10%
Written and oral quizzes: 10%
Mid-term written exams: 30 %
Quarter written exams: 40%
Quarter oral exams: 10%
Grading Scales: 100-90 (A); 89-80 (B); 79-70 (C); 69-60 (D); < 60 (F).
1
Autumn Quarter 2014
1.
Tuesday,
Sept.30
- Course objectives; course outline.
- Language Note 1: Swahili key elements (Situation in East Africa; basic patterns).
- Language Note 2: Using basic vocabulary and markers.
+ Homework: Exercises from Language Note 1 & 2.
Note: Assignments are submitted by email, by Wednesday and Saturday, 6pm
(except when otherwise indicated).
2. Thursday,
Oct.02
- Dialogue #1:1-3 (expressive reading; translation; replaying dialogue).
- Grammar topics 1F.
+ Homework: (1) Dialogue practice #1:1-3: listen & repeat; expressive reading.
(2) Exercises #1 (from the textbook) & Correction of homework 1 [to be done each
time in the future].
(3) Video 1.1: write 1 paragraph of comment in English (e.g. what the video about;
what you have learnt from the video / something original you have noticed; your
general impression; Swahili words heard or seen, with English translation).
3. Tuesday,
Oct.7
- Dialogue practice (replay dialogue 1.1-3)
- Reading #1G (expressive reading, translation: Sw > Eng).
- Dialogue 2B (idem).
+ Homework: (1) Video 1.2 & video 1.3b-c: watch & write 1 paragraph of comment
in English. (2) Fill in vocabulary list #1, all books closed (no need to email). (3)
Dialogue practice #2: listen & repeat; expressive reading [+for all dialogues in the
future].
4. Thursday,
Oct.9
- Language Note 3: Personal pronouns. / - Reading 2G.
+ Homework: Exercises from Language Note 3.
5. Tuesday,
Oct.14
- Grammar topic 2F. / - Q &A about grammar.
- Vocabulary / Key phrases / Cultural note in #2.
+ Homework: (1) Exercises in #2.
(2) Based on Vocabulary #1;2 & Language Notes 1;3: write 6 sentences of at least 4
words each & translate them into English.
(3) Fill in vocabulary list #2, all books closed (no need to email)
6. Thursday,
Oct.16
- Language Note 4: Swahili noun class system.
+ Homework: (1) Exercises from Language Note 4.
7. Tuesday,
Oct.21
- Using essential vocabulary #1&2 (sentence writing).
- Dialogue practice: introducing friends or family; asking about someone’s ID.
+ Homework: (1) Independent challenge #2 (p.25) [±40 words]. (2) Using the
vocabulary seen so far, write a short text introducing yourself [±40 words].
8. Thursday, - Quiz (Dialogues/Key phrases/Exercices in #1-2; exercises from Language Notes 1-4)
Oct.23
- Self-introduction (2 to 3 minutes).
+ Homework: Video 1.3a, 1.4a & 1.7a: watch & write down Swahili words you hear &
their translation. Write a short comment.
2
9. Tuesday,
Oct.28
- Quiz correction. // - Grammar topic 3F; Vocabulary; Key phrases.
- Vocabulary / Key phrases / Cultural note in #2.
+ Homework: (1) Exercises in #3. (2) Quiz and homework correction.
10. Thursday,
Oct.30
- Dialogue 3A (idem).
- Instructions: Maswali ya ufahamu: Dialogue 3A.
+ Homework: (1) Independent challenge #3 (p.41). (2) Maswali ya ufahamu: Dialogue 3
11. Tuesday,
Nov.4
- Reading 5G. / - Maswali ya ufahamu: Dialogue 3. / - Instructions: Dialogue summary
- Appendix B: Class agreements with all types of adjectives and pronouns.
+ Homework: (1) Make a summary of Dialogue 3: maneno ±80-160 (you may include a
few sentences of comment). (2) Based on Vocabulary #1-3 & Lg Notes 1-4: write 6
sentences of at least 6 words each & convert in negative & translate into English.
12. Thursday, - MID-TERM EXAM (Dialogues / Key phrases/Exercises in #1-3; Readings 1-2;5;
Nov.6
Exercises from Language Notes 1-4).
- Grammar topic 4F.
+ Homework: (1) Exercises in #4. (2) Independent challenge #4 (textbook, p.55: write
a text of 50+ words). (3) Habari za wiki au za wikendi (50+ words; Monday 6pm).
13. Tuesday,
Nov.11
- Feed-back on mid-term exam.
- Language Note 5: Noun / adjective and pronoun agreement.
+ Kazi ya nyumbani: Mazoezi kutoka Language Note 5.
14. Thursday,
Nov.13
- Dialogue 4B. (idem).
+ Homework: (1) Make a summary of Dialogue 4 (maneno ±80-160).
(2) Video 1.5: Listen & write sentences/phrases from the video: 40+ words.
(3) Habari za wiki au za wikendi (50+ words; Monday 6pm).
15. Tuesday,
Nov.18
- Grammar topic 5F.
+ Homework: (1) Exercises in #5. (2) Video 1.6: Listen & write sentences/phrases
from the video: 40+ words; write a short comment on videos 1.5 & 1.6.
16. Thursday, - Quiz (Language Notes 1-5; dialogues #3-4; Textbook grammar #4-5). / Dialogue 5B.
Nov.20
+ Homework: (1) Maswali ya ufahamu & Muhtasari wa mazungumzo ya 5 (maneno
±80-160). (2) Independent challenge #5 (p.71). (3) Habari za wiki au za wikendi
(50+ words; Monday 6pm).
17. Tuesday,
Nov.25
- Language Note 6: Indicative mood.
+ Homework: (1) Mazoezi kutoka “Language Note 6”. (2) Prepare for selfpresentation: Wewe ni nani / Maisha / Masomo (1- [Jina lako ni nani? / Unatoka
wapi? / Familia [ndugu/wazazi] / Unapenda nini? / Hupendi nini 2- Unasoma nini
& Kwa nini // 3- Unafanya nini shuleni: kila siku, kila wiki).
Thu-Fri, Nov 27-28: Thanksgiving.
18. Tuesday,
Dec.2
- Practice: Self-presentation:. / - Remaking dialogues #3-#5.
Thu, Dec 04: Reading period
Written final: Th, Dec.11, 10:30-12:30 (C-202) -- Oral final: Th, Dec.11; We, Dec.12 (RO-201C)
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