Category: Free Inquiry

Jambo again!  Unfortunately this inquiry project has come to a disappointing end.  Due to the covid-19 virus and its impact around the world, my international practicum in Tanzania has been cancelled.  Though I understand the decision made by UVic, it is still heartbreaking to know that I will not have this experience.  However, I have really enjoyed learning some Swahili words and phrases, as well as some of the history of the language.  Here is a quick summary of the biggest things I learned through this process:

• Swahili originated from a mix of local Bantu languages and Arabic
• It is a fairly easy language to learn as it is mostly spoken as it reads
• Hello!Jambo is a helpful app to learn some of the basic words and phrases, but it is very limited if you are looking to go beyond the basics
• There are about 15 Swahili dialects, but kiUnguja is the most common
• Creating a travel booklet for some of the most helpful words and phrases is a good idea.  It is difficult to have all of the words and phrases memorized, so having a little notebook handy that you can refer to would be helpful.

Though I am incredibly sad that I won’t get to use the Swahili I have learned right now, I am staying hopeful and determined that I will get the chance to use it down the road.  Maybe an opportunity will arise for next years’ practicum, or maybe it is a goal I will have to set and work towards to travel to Africa on my own when I am done school.  Either way, if you have the opportunity to learn a bit of another language, take it! Swahili has been fun to learn, and I plan to keep up on the words I now know, so that they will still be in my memory down the road when I need them.  Once again, Kwaheri for now.

This week I have found a list of new phrases and words that I think will be helpful for my trip to Tanzania. I know I won’t have all of these memorized for before I go, but I am building a little booklet to bring with me where I will have helpful words and phrases handy to reference if needed.

I need your help : Ninaomba msaada

I’m lost : Nimepotea

Can I use your phone? : Ninaomba kutumia simu yako?

Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash

Help : Msaada

Leave me alone : Uniache

I need a doctor : Ninahitaji daktari

Take me to ______ please : Nipeleke _______ tafadhali

A table for one person/two people please : Meza kwa mtu moja/watu wawili, tafadhali

It was delicious! : Chakula ni kitamu

Can I look at the menu please? : Ninaweza Kuangalia menu tafadhali?

What time is it? : Saa ngapi?

Morning : Ashubuhi

Afternoon : Mchana

Evening : Jioni

Night: Usiku

How do I get to  ______? : Je, ninakwenda?

Embassy : Ubalozi

the airport : Uwanjawa ndegi

As I do more preparation for my trip, I find that I keep thinking about other words or phrases that I will need to know to make communication easier in Tanzania.  I know many people speak some English over there, but I also believe that when traveling to a new country it is important to try and speak in the local language as much as possible.  As a part of this inquiry I plan to put together a booklet that I can keep with me on my travels to help me communicate in Swahili a little better as I know I won’t be able to know all the phrases by heart.

As I mentioned in my last blog post, I am also trying to learn more about proper enunciation when speaking Swahili but I am finding it difficult to find resources to help me with that.  I have learned how to pronounce each letter in the alphabet, but haven’t found more information on rules around word enunciation so I will continue to investigate this in the upcoming weeks.

Photo by Andreas Dress on Unsplash

This week I focused more on proper pronunciation in Swahili.  I was finding that when I try to learn a word by reading it,  my pronunciation was not sounding the same as when I listened to the word back using the app.  A lot of Swahili is spoken as it reads, but there are some differences in the way vowels are pronounced, as well as different letter combinations.  I have been saying the vowels as they sound in English, but I found this explanation of their proper sounds in Swahili from https://www.swahilipod101.com/swahili-pronunciation/ which has been helpful:

• -A: The Swahili letter –a is pronounced like the [a] in “car.” The word for “earth” is ardhi, and the word for “spoil” is aribu.
• -E: The Swahili letter –e is pronounced like the [e] in “eight.” The word for “carry” is beba, and the word for “say” is sema.
• -I: The Swahili letter –i is pronounced like the [i] in “ski.” The word for “bless” is bariki, and the word for “life” is maisha.
• -O: The Swahili letter –o is pronounced similar to the [oo] in the bird “owl.” The word for “fear” is ogopa and the word for “schedule” is orodha.
• -U: The Swahili letter –u is pronounced similar to the [uu] in the pronoun “you.” The word for “sickness” is ugonjwa, and the word for “inheritance” is uridhi.

I also learned that while Swahili uses the same alphabet as we do in English, it does not have the letter x or q, and the letter c is always paired with another letter and is never just on its own.

As I have been practicing the basic words and phrases from my first post, there were a few sounds that I wasn’t quite getting right.  I found this link for a website that explains the pronunciation of all the letters of the alphabet, and also has a video of a man saying many of the greetings I have been working on.  Being able to watch him say the words has been very helpful, as I can see how his mouth is forming the sounds rather than just trying to figure it out by ear.

This next week I plan to look a little bit more into the pronunciation as well as how you know which syllable to enunciate more.  Kwaheri for now!

A few things I am discovering as I dip my toes into learning Swahili: it is a really fun language to speak, the words are pronounced as they are written which helps make it a bit easier, and I am good at speaking it when I can look at the words, but I am not so good at remembering the words if I’m not looking at them.  The Hello!Jambo app is proving to be helpful for learning some of the basic words and phrases that will come in handy for my trip.  These are the words and phrases I am focusing on to begin with:

Good morning – Jambo au Habari za asubuhi

Photo by redcharlie on Unsplash

How are you? – Hujambo Hamjambo

Thank you – ahsante

Goodbye – Kwaheri

Please – tafadhali

I am looking for – ninatafuts

My name is – Jina langu ni

Goodnight – Ulalesalama

Hello – Jambo

I have also learned a few interesting facts about Swahili as well.  It is mostly spoken by the people of eastern and central Africa.  It is also known as Kiswahili, which means ‘language of the Swahili people.’ Swahili has been strongly influenced by Arabic, which can be seen in the many Arabic loanwords found throughout the language. Though there are about 15 Swahili dialects, the main one that is used is kiUnguja.  The Swahili language originated as a result of trade that took place between Bantu tribes and traders from Arabia, Persia, and Southeast Asia.

My goal for the next couple weeks is to become comfortable with the words and phrases I have listed above. From there I will try to learn some words that are a bit more specific to school such as subject names, days of the week, counting to ten etc.  As I will be working with primary grades, these words may come in handy if I run into language barriers with the students.  Kwaheri for now!

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Well, just as I had settled on preparing for a half marathon as my free inquiry topic, I have decided to change topics and go in an entirely different direction.  What prompted this change?  Let me fill you in: I am extremely lucky to have the opportunity this spring to travel to Tanzania to do my three week practicum and teach at a school in Dar es Salaam.  This is a once in a lifetime opportunity for me, and a big bucket list item! As the time is drawing nearer to when I will be leaving, I am in preparation mode trying to get myself organized.  One thing I hadn’t really put much thought into yet, was learning some of the local language: Swahili.  Though I will be teaching in English, and have been told that the students should be able to speak enough English for us to understand each other, language will be a barrier at times.  I would like to learn even a few helpful words and phrases that might come in handy.  And so, my new inquiry project will be to learn some Swahili!  I will be coming up with a list of words and phrases that I think will be most helpful to be able to speak, and it will be my goal to know them before I fly to Dar es Salaam on April 16.  I found an app called “hello! jambo” which I will use as a tool to learn some words, and will be also looking up additional resources that will help me learn.

I would also like to learn a little bit about the area in Tanzania that I will be staying so I have a little context when I get there.  I am very excited about my upcoming trip, and am happy to be able to learn some of the language before getting there!

Here is a link to a few interesting fun facts about the Swahili language!

11 Fascinating Facts About the Swahili Language

Photo by Bruno Nascimento on Unsplash

For my tech class, we have been assigned to do a free inquiry project about something that we are passionate about or interested in.  After considering a few ideas, I have decided to do my inquiry about how to prepare for a half marathon.  Running is something I really enjoy.  I find that when I run regularly, not only do I feel better physically, but my mental health also improves.  I used to run frequently, and completed a half marathon 5 years ago, but I didn’t train properly for that,  and just decided last minute to register.  Over the last couple years with being in school, working, and the busyness of being a mom, I haven’t had the same amount of time to run as I used to.  I am out of shape and miss the positive effects running had on me.  So this inquiry project provides the perfect opportunity to get back into something I love, and learn more about how to properly prepare for a half marathon so my body is really ready for it.  I think my biggest challenge will be finding the time to run multiple times a week to train, but with good time management and determination I think it will be possible!  The Oak Bay half marathon takes place on May 24th this year, so my goal through this inquiry project is to be ready physically and mentally for this race.  I will research what training schedule will work best for me, what diet best supports getting your body ready for long distance running, along with what positive effects running can have for both your body and brain.  Though this feel a little daunting right now,  I am very excited to get back to running and learn more about how I can prepare the half marathon, one step at a time!