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Learn Swahili Free

11 SECTIONS · 104 RESOURCES · STATUS: [ ALL LINKS FREE ]
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Learn Swahili Free
SWAHILI GRATIS GLOBAL ARCHIVE
► INSIDE THIS GUIDE 11 SECTIONS
01

Free Learning/Studying Apps

3 RESOURCES
Duolingo duolingo.com

Duolingo has become a leader in the language learning world and for good reason. It’s fast, fun, well designed, suitable for all ages, and turns learning a foreign language into a challenging and pretty addictive game.

Memrise memrise.com

Memrise is a really fast, fun, and free language learning app/website that is sure to get you hooked. There is a visual flashcard component that also incorporates audio from a community of native speakers. Memrise uses spaced repetition and is really effective at drilling vocabulary and phrases into your memory.

Internet Polyglot internetpolyglot.com

This free app uses lessons, games, and pictures to teach foreign languages to beginners. Although Internet Polyglot is far from a standalone language learning tool, it is a useful supplement to help you to learn and retain vocabulary.

02

Free Swahili Dictionary/Translation Apps

1 RESOURCES

Google Translate, iTunes, Google Play, Google Translate offers online text translation between 103 languages by typing, offline translation for 59 languages, camera translation for 38 languages, image translation for 37 languages, conversation translation in 32 languages, and translation of handwritten characters in 93 languages. The app also has a phrasebook that allows you to save translated words and phrases for future reference in all languages.

Kamusi Gold Swahili English Dictionary kamusi.org

This app provides offline access to the English, Swahili and Swahili, English dictionary at Kamusi.org. The app has 32, 000 translation pairs and boasts features like a favorites list, search history, and text to speech functionality.

03

Free Swahili Video Lessons

18 RESOURCES
Learn Swahili with SwahiliPod101.com youtube.com

This is a fun and helpful set of videos to add to your regular Swahili language learning regimen.

Easy Swahili youtube.com

These YouTube videos are the work of a non, profit project which uses lighthearted street interviews as a method to teach languages. Videos typically have a topic and the host asks questions to native speakers on the street based on the theme. Each video contains subtitles in both Swahili and English.

LangMedia langmedia.fivecolleges.edu

LangMedia provides language learning resources, including videos, audio, study guides, etc. LangMedia is run by the Five College Center for the Study of World Languages and their mission is to share examples of linguistic and cultural diversity with language learners. In the “Language by Country” section of the LangMedia website they provide videos which focus on practical aspects of everyday life (For Ex, Basic Communication, Shopping, Transportation, Culture and Social Life). The conversations often include colloquial language and all videos are accompanied by translations and transcripts. LangMedia highlights and . The “CultureTalk” section of the LangMedia website features video interviews with people of different ages and backgrounds. The interviews are primarily conducted by students and translations and transcripts are provided. There is one Swahili CultureTalk Unit, .

grammar lessons langmedia.fivecolleges.edu

LangMedia provides language learning resources, including videos, audio, study guides, etc. LangMedia is run by the Five College Center for the Study of World Languages and their mission is to share examples of linguistic and cultural diversity with language learners. In the “Language by Country” section of the LangMedia website they provide videos which focus on practical aspects of everyday life (For Ex, Basic Communication, Shopping, Transportation, Culture and Social Life). The conversations often include colloquial language and all videos are accompanied by translations and transcripts. LangMedia highlights and . The “CultureTalk” section of the LangMedia website features video interviews with people of different ages and backgrounds. The interviews are primarily conducted by students and translations and transcripts are provided. There is one Swahili CultureTalk Unit, .

Swahili in Kenya langmedia.fivecolleges.edu

LangMedia provides language learning resources, including videos, audio, study guides, etc. LangMedia is run by the Five College Center for the Study of World Languages and their mission is to share examples of linguistic and cultural diversity with language learners. In the “Language by Country” section of the LangMedia website they provide videos which focus on practical aspects of everyday life (For Ex, Basic Communication, Shopping, Transportation, Culture and Social Life). The conversations often include colloquial language and all videos are accompanied by translations and transcripts. LangMedia highlights and . The “CultureTalk” section of the LangMedia website features video interviews with people of different ages and backgrounds. The interviews are primarily conducted by students and translations and transcripts are provided. There is one Swahili CultureTalk Unit, .

Swahili in Tanzania langmedia.fivecolleges.edu

LangMedia provides language learning resources, including videos, audio, study guides, etc. LangMedia is run by the Five College Center for the Study of World Languages and their mission is to share examples of linguistic and cultural diversity with language learners. In the “Language by Country” section of the LangMedia website they provide videos which focus on practical aspects of everyday life (For Ex, Basic Communication, Shopping, Transportation, Culture and Social Life). The conversations often include colloquial language and all videos are accompanied by translations and transcripts. LangMedia highlights and . The “CultureTalk” section of the LangMedia website features video interviews with people of different ages and backgrounds. The interviews are primarily conducted by students and translations and transcripts are provided. There is one Swahili CultureTalk Unit, .

CultureTalk Kenya langmedia.fivecolleges.edu

LangMedia provides language learning resources, including videos, audio, study guides, etc. LangMedia is run by the Five College Center for the Study of World Languages and their mission is to share examples of linguistic and cultural diversity with language learners. In the “Language by Country” section of the LangMedia website they provide videos which focus on practical aspects of everyday life (For Ex, Basic Communication, Shopping, Transportation, Culture and Social Life). The conversations often include colloquial language and all videos are accompanied by translations and transcripts. LangMedia highlights and . The “CultureTalk” section of the LangMedia website features video interviews with people of different ages and backgrounds. The interviews are primarily conducted by students and translations and transcripts are provided. There is one Swahili CultureTalk Unit, .

Education World Swahili Lessons youtube.com

Education World Swahili Lessons, The Education World YouTube channel offers lengthy video covering lots of beginner vocabulary.

Akili and Me akiliandme.com

This is an educational children’s program created Ubongo Media which teaches both English and Swahili to kids. Check out the . There is also a which is entirely in Swahili where you can find a lot of great playlists like which is a read, along program.

Akili and Me youtube.com

This is an educational children’s program created Ubongo Media which teaches both English and Swahili to kids. Check out the . There is also a which is entirely in Swahili where you can find a lot of great playlists like which is a read, along program.

Learn Swahili, African Language for Kids playlist youtube.com

This is an educational children’s program created Ubongo Media which teaches both English and Swahili to kids. Check out the . There is also a which is entirely in Swahili where you can find a lot of great playlists like which is a read, along program.

YouTube channel youtube.com

This is an educational children’s program created Ubongo Media which teaches both English and Swahili to kids. Check out the . There is also a which is entirely in Swahili where you can find a lot of great playlists like which is a read, along program.

Tusome Pamoja, Vitabu vya Akili and Me youtube.com

This is an educational children’s program created Ubongo Media which teaches both English and Swahili to kids. Check out the . There is also a which is entirely in Swahili where you can find a lot of great playlists like which is a read, along program.

Swahili Dar Language School youtube.com

Swahili Dar Language School, This channel is run by a language school and it offers a handful of good introductory Swahili videos.

Swahili 101 youtube.com

Swahili 101, Learners will find lots of great that teach beginners the basics of Swahili.

playlists youtube.com

Swahili 101, Learners will find lots of great that teach beginners the basics of Swahili.

Zipporah Mesesi’s Introduction to Everyday Swahili youtube.com

Zipporah Mesesi’s Introduction to Everyday Swahili, This 30, minute video provides a basic overview of Swahili.

Learn Swahili Easily youtube.com

Learn Swahili Easily, This playlist consists of 27 briefs videos which will cover basic vocabulary words and phrases.

04

Free Swahili Audio Lessons

8 RESOURCES
Learn Swahili with SwahiliPod101.com swahilipod101.com

This is a fun and informative podcast to add to your regular Swahili language learning regimen. Every lesson is free for a period of time, each new audio and video lesson (3, 5 lessons are published per week) is free to access for 3 weeks before being locked into their library, which can be accessed only with paid membership.

Complete Swahili Course by Language Transfer languagetransfer.org

This free Swahili audio class uses an unconventional approach called language transfer, which they refer to as “the thinking method”. Rather than focusing heavily on grammar, vocabulary, and memorization, this course teaches the structure of the Swahili in an exploratory, interactive and conscious way.

Complete Swahili Course by Language Transfer youtube.com

This free Swahili audio class uses an unconventional approach called language transfer, which they refer to as “the thinking method”. Rather than focusing heavily on grammar, vocabulary, and memorization, this course teaches the structure of the Swahili in an exploratory, interactive and conscious way.

Spotify open.spotify.com

Vocabulearn Swahili, This free program on Spotify is approximately three hours long and teaches more than 2500 vocabulary words and useful phrases.

Learn Swahili with Spotify open.spotify.com

This is a nice, comprehensive and free playlist of lessons put together by Spotify which teaches Swahili to beginners.

Spotify open.spotify.com

Learn Swahili by Complete Language Lessons, 12 free Swahili lessons on Spotify.

Colloquial Swahili, The Complete Course for Beginners Book routledgetextbooks.com

This collection of audio files, each a few minutes in length, provides concise and clear Swahili language instruction for beginners. These free audio lessons were made to accompany the Colloquial Swahili, The Complete Course for Beginners textbook, which is aimed at teaching Swahili to beginners in a practical way to prepare them to effectively communicate with confidence in everyday situations.

Spotify open.spotify.com

Learn to Speak Swahili, English Swahili Phrasebook, Learn lots of useful Swahili vocabulary words and phrases with this audio program.

05

Free Online Swahili Courses

5 RESOURCES
Foreign Service Institute (FSI) Swahili Basic Course livelingua.com

The Foreign Service Institute (U.S. Department of State) originally created this and many other language learning courses to train government employees and members of the foreign service in preparation for a post abroad. This course was designed to train participants to speak Swahili naturally with native speakers while exuding confidence and using an accurate accent. 150 units are encompassed in this course which includes an e, textbook in PDF format with 586 pages and audio lessons as MP3s with 132 audio files and a running time of 14 hours and 6 minutes.

Foreign Service Institute (FSI) Swahili An Introduction to General Conversation Course livelingua.com

The Foreign Service Institute (U.S. Department of State) originally created this and many other language learning courses to train government employees and members of the foreign service in preparation for a post abroad. This conversation course focuses on teaching general conversation skills which are highly useful in social situations. Students will learn the basics of Swahili grammar as well as high, frequency language patterns and cliches. This course is accompanied by an e, textbook in PDF format with 165 pages in total and 7 audio files in MP3 format with a running time of 1 hour and 30 minutes.

KIKO Swahili Course africa.uga.edu

KIKO is a fantastic and in, depth multimedia Swahili course, featuring video, audio, and text which is offered at three levels, elementary, intermediate, and advanced. Each course level consists of 6 units, which are broken down into lessons with exercises, grammar tips, and cultural notes. The course was created by a team of scholars from the University of Pennsylvania, University of Georgia and Indiana University.

Introductory Swahili Course samesamelanguage.com

Perfect for students preparing for a trip to East Africa, or for beginner Swahili students. this course consists of 2 levels and teaches words and phrases with audio, accompanied by supplemental .

exercises samesamelanguage.com

Perfect for students preparing for a trip to East Africa, or for beginner Swahili students. this course consists of 2 levels and teaches words and phrases with audio, accompanied by supplemental .

06

Other Free Swahili Resources and Services

35 RESOURCES
Mwana Simba Swahili for Beginners web.archive.org

This website features lessons for Swahili language learners and a detailed which is also available in .

Grammar Guide web.archive.org

This website features lessons for Swahili language learners and a detailed which is also available in .

PDF format swahiliguru.files.wordpress.com

This website features lessons for Swahili language learners and a detailed which is also available in .

Tusikilize Kiswahili ccat.sas.upenn.edu

This project is was created for intermediate level Swahili students by the University of Pennsylvania with funding from the Yale Consortium for Language Teaching and Learning. Students will acquire new vocabulary while reinforcing existing vocabulary skills and build listening and comprehension skills. The program consists of ten lessons, centered around a topic pertinent to East African life. Lessons include interactive exercises, audio, video, text, images, and games.

UPenn African Studies Center Swahili Exercise For Listening And Reading ccat.sas.upenn.edu

This project was created by the Language Resource and Research Center at the University of Pennsylvania to help elementary level students to improve Swahili listening and reading skills.

Tusome Kiswahili ccat.sas.upenn.edu

This is another University of Pennsylvania project which aims to teach reading, writing, listening and vocabulary skills through exercises based on the novel, Kuli, by Shafi Adam Shafi. The exercises contain excerpts from the novel accompanied by a glossary and exercises.

BBC Languages, Swahili bbc.co.uk

The BBC Swahili Language website is a treasure trove of wonderful resources and information. Swahili language facts in both and, and offer a nice language overview. All BBC language learning pages were “archived” a few years back due to cost, cutting measures, which means they are no longer adding new information or updating the pages. However, you should have no problem accessing the existing information.

English bbc.co.uk

The BBC Swahili Language website is a treasure trove of wonderful resources and information. Swahili language facts in both and, and offer a nice language overview. All BBC language learning pages were “archived” a few years back due to cost, cutting measures, which means they are no longer adding new information or updating the pages. However, you should have no problem accessing the existing information.

Swahili bbc.co.uk

The BBC Swahili Language website is a treasure trove of wonderful resources and information. Swahili language facts in both and, and offer a nice language overview. All BBC language learning pages were “archived” a few years back due to cost, cutting measures, which means they are no longer adding new information or updating the pages. However, you should have no problem accessing the existing information.

alphabet lessons bbc.co.uk

The BBC Swahili Language website is a treasure trove of wonderful resources and information. Swahili language facts in both and, and offer a nice language overview. All BBC language learning pages were “archived” a few years back due to cost, cutting measures, which means they are no longer adding new information or updating the pages. However, you should have no problem accessing the existing information.

phrases with accompanying audio bbc.co.uk

The BBC Swahili Language website is a treasure trove of wonderful resources and information. Swahili language facts in both and, and offer a nice language overview. All BBC language learning pages were “archived” a few years back due to cost, cutting measures, which means they are no longer adding new information or updating the pages. However, you should have no problem accessing the existing information.

200 Swahili Words by Boston University African Studies Center bu.edu

Boston University’s 200, word project teaches top vocabulary words applicable to professional fields like business and medicine, using words, pictures, and video clips, featuring native speakers.

Swahili Classes for Foreigners Blog swahiliclasses.wordpress.com

Secilia Njau, a linguist and Swahili language teacher, provides Swahili lessons for foreigners using images, exercises, and quizzes via her website.

Polymath Swahili Lessons polymath.org

This website features basic Swahili, and, all in text form without audio.

vocabulary polymath.org

This website features basic Swahili, and, all in text form without audio.

phrases polymath.org

This website features basic Swahili, and, all in text form without audio.

grammar polymath.org

This website features basic Swahili, and, all in text form without audio.

lessons polymath.org

This website features basic Swahili, and, all in text form without audio.

Learn to Speak Swahili by PBS pbs.org

This handy phrasebook with audio was created as part of the Wonders of the African World Cultural Close, up series and teaches beginner Swahili vocabulary.

Swahili Language and Culture Phrasebook glcom.com

This website provides useful Swahili words and phrases with audio.

Learn101 learn101.org

This website features free beginner lessons to guide you through learning Swahili, step by step, starting with the Alphabet, moving on to grammar, vocabulary, and phrases, and finally offering simple quizzes to test your progress. These lessons are a basic introduction to the language and have images, text, and audio.

Ilanguages ilanguages.org

This site is designed to teach Swahili with free vocabulary, phrases, grammar, and flashcards while focusing on highly used words and phrases necessary for everyday living.

Swahili Stories by BookBox youtube.com

Cartoons have always been a wonderful asset to language learning, particularity for children. These animated children’s stories are great because the viewer can read along with the narration, which is shown on, screen as “Same Language Subtitles (SLS).” Each word is highlighted in time with the audio, which helps with comprehension and retention.

Omniglot omniglot.com

This site specializes in providing information about languages and their alphabets and writing systems.

Verbix verbix.com

Online Swahili verb conjugator.

Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center Swahili Tutorial fieldsupport.dliflc.edu

This Language Survival Kit Module for Swahili contains basic vocabulary with audio. Both the audio files and the PDF text can be downloaded.

I Love Languages Swahili Lessons ilovelanguages.org

This site provides 17 beginner Swahili lessons designed to help you improve your speaking, reading, and writing skills. Supplementary resources include, and .

vocabulary ilovelanguages.org

This site provides 17 beginner Swahili lessons designed to help you improve your speaking, reading, and writing skills. Supplementary resources include, and .

grammar tips ilovelanguages.org

This site provides 17 beginner Swahili lessons designed to help you improve your speaking, reading, and writing skills. Supplementary resources include, and .

phrases ilovelanguages.org

This site provides 17 beginner Swahili lessons designed to help you improve your speaking, reading, and writing skills. Supplementary resources include, and .

Digital Dialects digitaldialects.com

This website makes learning vocabulary fun with interactive games.

Study Stack Flashcards studystack.com

This website hosts plenty of flashcard sets for studying Swahili.

Surface Languages surfacelanguages.com

This website helps you to learn words, phrases, and expressions in many different languages using audio, flashcards, language learning games, and mini, courses.

Swahili Text Tutorial web.archive.org

This is a simple Swahili tutorial, which is quite extensive in its coverage of introductory vocabulary, but unfortunately does feature any audio, video or pictures.

Noun Classification in Swahili www2.iath.virginia.edu

This website features the work of Dr. Ellen Contini, Morava, an anthropological linguist and professor at the University of Virginia.

07

Practice Swahili with Native Speakers

5 RESOURCES
Lang, 8 lang-8.com

This free network is a nice tool to support your language learning. Native speakers are available to make corrections to your text and provide feedback. In return, you provide help to others.

HiNative hinative.com

HiNative is an app brought to you by the creators of Lang, 8 that allows you to ask questions to native speakers from around the world using your smartphone. HiNative was created to be used alongside Lang, 8, and is different from Lang, 8 in that it focuses on a Q&A type of learning while Lang, 8 is a journal writing experience.

RhinoSpike rhinospike.com

RhinoSpike is an interesting website that connects language learners from all over the world allowing them to exchange audio files to help improve pronunciation skills. It allows you to submit text that you would like to hear read aloud by a native speaker, and in turn, you receive the audio file. In exchange, and to speed up the process you can, in turn, provide audio files in your native language for other learners.

MyLanguageExchange.com mylanguageexchange.com

This online language learning community connects you with other learners so that you can practice speaking in your second language with a native speaker and vice, versa.

Italki italki.com

A community of over 2 million language learners that facilitates free language practice with native speakers. You simply exchange time teaching your native language for time learning a foreign language, making it mutually beneficial and free.

08

Swahili Language News and Media

11 RESOURCES
BBC News bbc.com

This is the Swahili language service of the UK based BBC.

United Nations news.un.org

Live and On Demand news and media in Swahili from the United Nations.

Deutsche Welle dw.com

German broadcasting company DW provides news in Swahili.

SBS Radio Swahili Program sbs.com.au

SBS is an Australian broadcasting company that targets non, native English speakers and creates programming in many languages. This podcast allows you to listen to interviews, features and community stories from the SBS Radio Swahili program, including Australian and world news.

Spotify open.spotify.com

SBS is an Australian broadcasting company that targets non, native English speakers and creates programming in many languages. This podcast allows you to listen to interviews, features and community stories from the SBS Radio Swahili program, including Australian and world news.

VOA News voaswahili.com

Voice of America is an American broadcasting company that creates radio and television news in Swahili.

Podcast voaswahili.com

Voice of America is an American broadcasting company that creates radio and television news in Swahili.

NHK World News Japan www3.nhk.or.jp

Japanese public broadcaster NHK provides news in Swahili via this podcast.

Radio France Internationale sw.rfi.fr

RFI offers a broadcast in Swahili.

The Guardian ippmedia.com

This online newspaper also has an .

English version ippmedia.com

This online newspaper also has an .

09

Swahili Dictionaries and Pronunciation Guides

6 RESOURCES
Oxford Swahili Dictionary sw.oxforddictionaries.com

This online dictionary is brought to you by Oxford University Press.

Online Swahili English Dictionary africanlanguages.com

This bilingual dictionary contains over 16, 000 entries and over 36, 000 translation equivalents, with over 20, 000 English words and phrases.

Bad.La en.bab.la

This “language portal” boasts 44 dictionaries for 28 languages, as well as a wealth of other language learning resources, such as helpful articles, games and quizzes, verb conjugations and phrase books.

Forvo forvo.com

This crowd, sourced site is a great tool to help with pronunciation as it allows you to listen to words and phrases spoken by native speakers.

Tatoeba tatoeba.org

Tatoeba is a large, crowdsourced database of sentences and translations. This free resource allows you to search for a word and get results showing that word in sentences with translations.

Talkify talkify.net

This free, multilingual website is a very interesting and valuable resource that allows you to listen to text in foreign languages. Simply insert a URL into the search field on Talkify and it will automatically detect the language and read the text of that website aloud in a natural sounding voice.

10

Free Swahili Language Textbooks

11 RESOURCES
Teach Yourself Swahili Course Book glcom.com

This e, textbook by Hassan O. Ali & Ali M. Mazrui features an introductory Swahili course for beginners. More information and tons of audio clips can be found on the .

Teach Yourself Swahili Course Book, This e, textbook by Hassan O. Ali & Ali M. Mazrui features an introductory Swahili course for beginners. More information and tons of audio clips can be found on the glcom.com

This e, textbook by Hassan O. Ali & Ali M. Mazrui features an introductory Swahili course for beginners. More information and tons of audio clips can be found on the .

Swahili An Active Introduction General Conversation archive.org

This book was used by the Peace Corps to introduce beginners to Swahili Grammar and language basics.

Swahili Language Handbook archive.org

This handbook is not so much an instructional manual on how to speak Swahili, but rather a study of linguistics.

Swahili Learner’s Reference Grammar archive.org

This grammar book is divided into 55 chapters, which fall under the following sections, nouns, pronouns, adjectives, verbs, adverbs, conjunctions, prepositions, sentences and miscellaneous.

Kiswahili Competency Based Manual archive.org

This book contains 24 lessons providing readers with a basic working knowledge of Swahili.

Swahili 12 Week Course Vocabulary List archive.org

This vocabulary list accompanies the Defense Language Institute’s 12, weeks course in Swahili.

Swahili Grammar and Vocabulary archive.org

This book written in 1910 by Mrs. F. Burt aimed to adapt the Berlitz method to provide learners with a working knowledge of Swahili.

Swahili Exercises archive.org

This book by Edward Steere was published in 1918 and serves as a practical guide to speaking Swahili.

Mwana Simba Grammar Guide swahiliguru.files.wordpress.com

This 236, page Grammar Guide is in PDF format and consists of 55 chapters. It reflects the material found online .

Mwana Simba Grammar Guide, This 236, page Grammar Guide is in PDF format and consists of 55 chapters. It reflects the material found online web.archive.org

This 236, page Grammar Guide is in PDF format and consists of 55 chapters. It reflects the material found online .

11

Free Swahili Language Tests

1 RESOURCES
17 Minute Languages 17-minute-languages.com

At only three minutes in length, this Swahili language level test is very brief but will determine your CEFR level (A1, C2).