Teach Yourself Swahili Complete Course Package (Book + 2 CDs)

by Joan Russell

Bestselling language courses now with audio CDs! From Danish to Spanish, Swahili to Brazilian Portuguese, the languages of the world are brought within the reach of any beginning student. Learners can use the Teach Yourself Language Courses at their own pace or as a supplement to formal courses. These complete courses are based on the very latest learning methods and designed to be enjoyable and user-friendly. Prepared by experts in the language, each course begins with the basics and gradually promotes the student to a level of smooth and confident communication,

Genres: Language, Reference, Africa, Nonfiction

352 pages, Paperback

First published May 1, 1997

Reviews

[Camille · Rating 2 out of 5]

I bought this right before moving to Kenya as a quick introductory course to Swahili. I've heard friends say that they found this helpful, but for someone who learns better when understanding the grammatical framework of a language, I found the rote memorization unhelpful. The dialogue CDs are useful for becoming attuned to proper pronunciation, but for the most part Swahili is straightforward in its transliteration in English. This may be a better resource for tourists heading some place where the locals speak "kiSwahili sanifu" ("proper" Swahili), like in Tanzania and the Kenyan coast. Otherwise the phrases and norms emphasized in this guide don't match up to the appropriate vocabulary and social mores of the broader Swahili-speaking community in East Africa.

[Moh Jebeh-f · Rating 4 out of 5]

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[Anna · Rating 2 out of 5]

The glossary was the most useful part of the book. While this particular Swahili book was recommended to me by a trusted person. I found it absolutely maddening in its organization of information. I want to learn a language by moving through the framework of it. This book was set up with a sample conversation beginning each section, a list of vocab words in the conversation, and an offhand remark about, say, a noun class used in the dialogue without actually giving a full explanation of how the class works. It seems like this book couldn't decide if it wanted to be a full course to teach people the language, or guide with basics for travelers passing through East Africa. I had the chance to look through "Simplified Swahili" by Peter Wilson, and I MUCH prefer the organization and style of that book to this one.

[H M Reynolds · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book deserves credit for being one of the few cds available for learning Swahili.

Was interested when planning a return trip to Kenya and used this alongside a set of evening classes.
Am planning to use it to brush up on the elementals when I go to Tanzania in two or three years' time.

I find listening to a language is the only way to pick it up and books on languages can often be quite dry, so this was a good find.

The only disadvantage of learning Swahili, is that it is restricted to a relatively small number of countries - mainly Kenya and Tanzania.
If you want a language which can be used in many parts of the world, you would be better off with French or Spanish.

[Jaylene · Rating 3 out of 5]

Jambo, jambo bwana, mzeri sana, habari gani!