Simplified Swahili

Rating:
Summary: None Better
Review: I arrived in Nairobi in 1981 for a two year stint with a multinational. When I voiced a desire to learn Swahili, my boss' wife recommended this book.

In one month I was speaking Swahili well enough to deal with any situation that could possibly arise. This would not have been possible without this book. Other sources, such as "Teach Yourself Swahili" aren't anywhere near as good. This book was originally written for the settler, missionary or expatriate who came out mainly from the UK, had to learn Swahili fairly well and fairly fast in order to cope in the area, and didn't have the time, money or inclination to sit in a classroom or hire a tutor. As such it is not written for the academic, traveler or dilettante, but is still designed to be thorough and move along at a reasonable pace. On completion of this book you will be able to deal with street situations, read the local newspaper and understand the radio, and yet also have a sufficient grasp of the structure of the language to move into more esoteric things, such as medieval Swahili poetry.

The copy I have was printed in Kenya, and I don't know whether or not it is being printed anywhere else. Anybody interested in learning Swahili should try to get a hold of this book, and I hope that Amazon will manage to track down a source, if possible. My copy's not for sale!

Rating:
Summary: An Excellent Book!
Review: This book makes Kiswahili rahisi sana kufahamu. The lessons are very well organized and it's extremely easy to use. I stayed in Kenya for three months and with the help of this book (and a lot of babbling) I was able to communicate quite well.

Rating:
Summary: Best for people really interested in Kiswahili. No tourists.
Review: This is the best book I ever used to study Kiswahili. And I've tried a couple... It is not apt for tourists who just want a quick insight into the Swahili language, but it is perfect for people interested in staying in an East African country. It contains good explanations on grammar, lots of vocabulary and lots of exercises. It teaches you, how to read, write and speak the language in correct grammar using the right words. In short: thumbs up and very recommendable!