Swahili Language & Culture

“Think like a wise man but communicate in the language of the people.” ~ William Butler Yeats

International travelers know what a formidable barrier a new language can be. Speaking the language of a country that you are touring for the first time always enriches the experience.

Swahili is one of the easiest languages to learn. Today it is the native language of approximately 50 million people. The official language of both Kenya and Tanzania, Swahili is also spoken in the Congo, Burundi, Rwanda, Uganda, and Zaire.

Swahili language and culture classes in Madison
Instructor for Swahili classes

Conversational Swahili classes in Madison

Swahili for Travelers
Swahili is the official language of Tanzania and Kenya; in the Congo it often acts as a lingua franca. This class gives you the resources you need to make the most of your trip to East Africa. Learn to order in a bar or restaurant, book a hotel room, greet people, ask for directions, and much more.

Browse upcoming Swahili classes in the Continuing Education Catalog online.

Textbooks for language classes are available for preview and purchase on campus in the University Book Store's lower level, in the outreach section. The University Book Store is located at 711 State St., Madison (at Lake St., on the Library Mall). See campus map.

Your instructor

David Wambua Kyeu The current chairperson of Egerton University Graduate Students Swahili council, David has a B Ed and an MA in Swahili Linguistics and Literature from Egerton University, Kenya. He taught Swahili at Brown University as a Fulbright Foreign Language Teaching Assistant. A former exchange student at Karlstads University-Sweden, David also doubles as a Kiswahili, Gikuyu, and Kamba languages translator with JTG Inc. based in Virginia. He is currently a graduate student and a TA of First-Year Swahili in the UW-Madison Dept. of African Languages and Literature. His research interests are African children's literature and African language pedagogy.

How to register

Call 608-262-2451, 7:00 am-4:00 pm, M-F. Specific program numbers and links to the mail-in registration form or to register online can be found in the continuing education catalog.

Contact us

• Madison area registration questions: 608-262-2451.
• UW-Madison Continuing Studies in Swahili programs coordinator Antonio Noguera: anoguera@dcs.wisc.edu or 608-262-5929.
• Join the mailing list for Swahili or other language programs.
• Review frequently asked questions about language programs.

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