In addition to the information supplied through the contact facility, this lesson will provide an opportunity to get definite assessment of the learner in order to work out together with him/her the best way to  approach the coming lessons.
However, the learner will be given the opportunity to learn a few basic things by the end of the session.

🎯 Objective:
By the end of the session, the student will:

Understand what Swahili is and where it is spoken

Be able to greet someone, introduce themselves, and say how they are

Gain awareness of basic Swahili structure and pronunciation

✅ Lesson Breakdown:
1. Warm Welcome & Introduction (3 minutes)
Greet the student with Karibu! (Welcome!)

Briefly introduce yourself in Swahili, then translate

Ask the student about their reason for learning Swahili

Brief cultural context: “Swahili is spoken in Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, DRC, and beyond. It's a beautiful language built on Bantu roots and enriched by Arabic influences.”

2. Swahili Sounds & Greetings (7 minutes)
Quick pronunciation tips (Swahili is phonetic, vowels like in Spanish/Italian)

Basic greetings:

Habari? – How are you?
Nzuri. – I’m fine.
Shikamoo. – Greeting for elders
Marahaba. – Response to Shikamoo

Practice repetition and simple role-play

3. Introductions (7 minutes)
Useful phrases:

Jina langu ni… – My name is…
Unaitwa nani? – What’s your name?
Ninatoka… – I come from…
Ninaishi… – I live in…

Use their name and origin to make it personalized

Encourage them to say a simple introduction

4. Mini Grammar Moment (5 minutes)
Explain basic sentence structure (Subject–Verb–Object)

Show how verbs are conjugated with subject prefixes:

Nina = I am/have/do
Una = You are/have/do
Example: Ninasoma Kiswahili. – I am studying Swahili.

5. Practice & Q&A (6 minutes)
Short dialogue combining greeting + intro

Ask student to repeat and respond

Correct gently and encourage!

Open the floor for any questions

6. Wrap-up & Feedback (2 minutes)
Give encouraging feedback

Suggest possible topics for next lessons (family, numbers, travel basics)

Share a few words of encouragement in Swahili: Hongera! Umefanya vizuri! (Congratulations! You did well!)

✨ Materials to Share (optional):
A simple PDF or message with vocabulary and key phrases from the lesson
Link to a Swahili song or greeting video for extra listening.

Swahili for Beginners – Your First Steps

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