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Kiswahili Languages Degree at Louisiana State University

Background Notes on Swahili

Swahili is one of the better-known languages of Africa, where it is spoken by over one hundred million people, located mainly in the eastern part of the continent. It is the national and official language in Tanzania and Kenya, and now Uganda too and as a “lingua franca” it is spoken/understood in Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Somalia, Rwanda, Burundi, Congo (former Zaire), Malawi, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Comoros and coastal Madagascar. Recently, Swahili has gotten public recognition in the United States due to its use in translating The Seven Principles of the annual Kwanzaa Festival, that is celebrated in many African-American communities, and its role as the African language spoken in such films as “The Ghost and the Darkness”, “Congo” and “The Lion King” featuring the hit song “Hakuna Matata” – No Problems! Swahili is the only African Language used in the daily translation of the AU.

Among African languages, Swahili belongs to the Bantu Group, which linguists have identified as covering much of Africa, South of the Sahara, thus providing Swahili speakers with a basic understanding of the structure and even some of the vocabulary of the other Bantu languages. Swahili however, does not have a tonal system (where changes in high, low, ascending and descending tones cause changes in the meaning of words) and therefore it is easier to learn for novice students studying their first African language. Swahili ranks seventh among the major world languages

Why take Swahili?

Swahili is a program developed to teach not only the language but also the culture of Swahili, which by extension brings insight into African culture in general. Students may therefore be interested in Swahili for several reasons, among which are:
Fulfill LSU foreign Language requirements
Fulfill some of LSU’s requirements for a major in African and African American Studies (AAAS) or a minor/major in International Studies (INTL)
Satisfy a personal desire to know Africa better through study of one of its principal languages and develop understanding of Africa’s cultural linkage to America
Prepare oneself for travel, study, business or a diplomatic career in Africa
Grow intellectually by learning an alternative way of looking at, speaking and understanding human existence

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