Swahili is the national language of multiple East African countries, including Tanzania, Kenya, and Uganda, as well as being a lingua franca for the East African region. It is spoken by roughly 150 million people, making it the most widely spoken of African-origin languages. Additionally, Swahili is one of the fastest-growing languages in one of the fastest-growing regions in the world, both in terms of population as well as economic growth and foreign investment. These factors have made Swahili a priority language for the U.S. government, with the State Department adding it to its list of “Critical Languages”, indicating the level of demand in the U.S. for speakers of Swahili.
Our Swahili Language and Cultural Institute places students in stunning Zanzibar, off the coast of East Africa, known as the birthplace of the Swahili language and, for thousands of years, as a crossroads and base of commerce between major civilizations. From the Phoenicians to Indians, Arabs, Persians and more recent European civilizations, Zanzibar has a rich, multicultural history and personality. Participants will spend a summer based in the historic center of the island (Stone Town), fully immersing in Zanzibari culture and the Swahili language while taking intensive courses at the top university in the country.