Last week, Kiswahili Unit under the Department of Languages and Literature had a brief ceremony of awarding certificates to students who attended and completed the short course. The Kiswahili Unit offers a short-course on teaching Kiswahili as a foreign language once in each semester.

There is no doubt that Kiswahili is the fastest and rapid growing language in Africa and the World at large. Henceforth, teaching Kiswahili through these short courses would likely attract people from every corner of the World to learn basic skills of the language.

The general objectives of the short course is to enable student-teachers acquire basic skills and methods of teaching Kiswahili as a foreign language within and outside the country. Moreover, it helps to teach Kiswahili to foreigners destined to work in Tanzania and other countries where Kiswahili is used.

During the closing ceremony, the Associate Dean of the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, Dr. Julius Mungumi encouraged students interested to teach Kiswahili language to foreigners to visit DUCE for the mentioned training.

The course is graced with a slogan ‘KISWAHILI NI BIDHAA NA AJIRA, JIFUNZE UNUFAIKE.’ The Course is facilitated by dedicated lecturers who have adequate knowledge and skills on the language and its culture. During the training, student-teachers had an opportunity to share their various skills and methods of teaching.  

The Course facilitator, Dr. Luinasia Kombe said that the course offers another window for employment to students who might wish to pursue language teaching business.

On the other hand, the Course coordinator, Dr. Lameck Mpalanzi, noted that such programme functions as a foundation course, consequently, the graduates have to keep on finding more skills and practices on the same field.

A total of 41 students received certificates after acquiring necessary skills of teaching Kiswahili to foreigners.