Beverly Hills Lingual Institute
Beverly Hills Lingual Institute
Beverly Hills Lingual Institute
Beverly Hills Lingual Institute

Learn Swahili Online

at the Beverly Hills Lingual Institute

Did you know?

Africa has more languages than any other continent.

Hujambo! The name 'Swahili' is derived from the Arabic word 'sawahel,' which means 'coasts.' Swahili, or Kiswahili, is the language of people of the coast of East Africa, and can also be found in Central Africa. The national language of Kenya and Tanzania, it is also spoken in Uganda, Burundi, the Central Africal Republic, the Democratic Republic of Congo, the Comoro Islands, Malawi, Mozambique, Rwanda, and Northern Zambia. Swahili counts some 150 million speakers, most of whom speak it as a second language. It is the seventh most widely spoken language in the world.

Swahili was originally written in Arabic script, although it has since adopted Roman letters. It has Arabic roots and uses many African loanwords. An estimated 20-30 percent of Swahili words—like darasa (class, or 'dars' in Arabic)—can be traced to Arabic, including the words for 'yes' (naam) and 'no' (la). There are also influences from English: the word for computer is kompyuta; radio is redio; television is televisheni; machine is mashine; bicycle is baisikeli; aeroplane is eropleni; police is polisi, and pencil is penseli.

Safari (journey) is a Swahili word, as is jenga (to build).

Swahili also counts Persian/ Farsi, Portuguese, German, and French influences. The word meza ('mesa,' in Portuguese) means 'table'; mvinyo ('wine') is borrowed from the Portuguese word 'vinyo,' and shule (from the German) means 'school.'

Hakuna Matata: 'No problems or worries.' Made famous by Disney's The Lion King (1994), it comes from two words: Hakuna (there is no) and Matata (worries or problems). Simba, the name of the main character, is simply the Swahili word for 'lion.' Among other names in the movie, Mufasa means 'king'; Taka, 'trash' or 'garbage'; Nala, 'beloved' or 'gift'; Sarabi, 'mirage'; Rafiki, 'friend'; Pumbaa or Pumbavu, 'foolish, stupid, or weak-minded,' and Shenzi, 'savage' or 'foolish.'

How many words and phrases do you
already know?

common
greetings
Common
Yes.
No.
Thank you.
Thank you. (to one person)
Thank you very much.
You're welcome.
How do you say… in Kiswahili?
Please help me with…
How will I get to ...?
How much is the fare?
Where are you from?
What did she say?

Ndiyo/ Naam.

Your best choice to learn Swahili online is the Beverly Hills Lingual Institute. Our faculty and courses are proven, effective, and extremely popular with residents of the Los Angeles area.

Learn [LANGUAGE] in Los Angeles

The Beverly Hills Lingual Institute is the premier Swahili language school in Los Angeles, fostering a dedicated student body and a rich, supportive atmosphere for learning Swahili.

We offer Swahili classes for all levels of students, with highly educated, native-speaking Swahili teachers and university texts.

Swahili language tutors are also available for private instruction and corporate programs.

Schedule

Swahili Language Classes

We offer a comprehensive schedule of online Swahili language classes. The courses scheduled reflect our current students' needs and the anticipated requirements of new students.

Mon 03 Mar  -  Sat 26 Apr

All regularly scheduled group courses run online for one term (eight weeks), one day (80 minutes) per week.

Each group course is limited to 8 students.

If your level and preferred time is not shown, please call us at (323) 651-5000 or write us. We often add classes after the schedule is published in order to accommodate demand.

Private Swahili Classes

We offer semi-private Swahili classes or private Swahili lessons for any level of Swahili.

Some students prefer private lessons instead of a scheduled class, or occasionally take private classes to augment their existing, scheduled group course.

Private classes are more flexible than Group classes. They are tailored to specific learning and scheduling needs. They can be useful if a student's language knowledge is uneven, if a more intensified study program is needed, or if privacy is a concern.

With our large staff of native speakers, we can schedule private lessons in most languages.

Private lessons are available in packages of:

  • 4 classes (80-minutes each)

  • 8 classes (80-minutes each)

  • 12 classes (80-minutes each)

Or, if you are enrolled in a group class, your private lesson can be scheduled individually.

Please write us or call (323) 651-5000 to schedule your private class.

Mon 28 Apr  -  Mon 23 Jun

All regularly scheduled group courses run online for one term (eight weeks), one day (80 minutes) per week.

Each group course is limited to 8 students.

If your level and preferred time is not shown, please call us at (323) 651-5000 or write us. We often add classes after the schedule is published in order to accommodate demand.

Private Swahili Classes

We offer semi-private Swahili classes or private Swahili lessons for any level of Swahili.

Some students prefer private lessons instead of a scheduled class, or occasionally take private classes to augment their existing, scheduled group course.

Private classes are more flexible than Group classes. They are tailored to specific learning and scheduling needs. They can be useful if a student's language knowledge is uneven, if a more intensified study program is needed, or if privacy is a concern.

With our large staff of native speakers, we can schedule private lessons in most languages.

Private lessons are available in packages of:

  • 4 classes (80-minutes each)

  • 8 classes (80-minutes each)

  • 12 classes (80-minutes each)

Or, if you are enrolled in a group class, your private lesson can be scheduled individually.

Please write us or call (323) 651-5000 to schedule your private class.

Why Learn Swahili?

Learn [LANGUAGE] in Los Angeles

In the nineteenth century, Bishop Steere of Zanzibar regarded Swahili as the key to understanding the culture of East Africa. By learning Swahili, one also learns the cultural values of the Swahili-speaking people.

Swahili is the lingua franca of East Africa, a region of the world with a growing economy and an important trading route connection. The ports of Mombasa (Kenya) and Dar Es Salaam (Tanzania) are strategically situated as the entry point to the otherwise landlocked East and Central Africa. Knowledge of Swahili improves your chances of developing a rapport with customers, and opens up investment opportunities in rapidly expanding startups in mining, petroleum, and touring.

Mastering a new language can change your life.

Spending time studying an unfamiliar alphabet, practicing different sounds, and generally striving to master a foreign language like Swahili has been proven to have a positive effect on the learner's mind. Studies show that adults learning new languages stimualte similar brain parts as children learning you speak. You'll find it easier to learn and remember new things, and you'll likely enjoy the ability to hold more things in short-term memory.

Bilingual individuals often demonstrate increased open-mindedness, creativity, and approachability compared to those who speak only one language. Learning a new language extends beyond acquiring linguistic skills; it cultivates new sensibilities and a broadened perspective on the world. Consequently, multilingualism promotes a deeper understanding of diverse cultures and customs, fostering greater acceptance of new ideas.

The Beverly Hills Lingual Institute invites you to learn Swahili at our award-winning school, where we are proud to offer Swahili and more than 35 other languages.

Our language school hires and retains exceptional Swahili teachers, eager to share their knowledge and love for their native land and the Swahili language.

Our attractive location, on-site parking and schedule all combine to facilitate your Swahili courses.

Read what our students say about us—and come experience the Swahili language best Swahili courses in Los Angeles.

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More About Swahili

Swahili belongs to a group of languages called 'Bantu' (of which Kiganda, Kikamba, Kikuyu, Kinyanja, Kichaga, Kiluba, Kishona, Kizulu, Kikongo, and Kiduala are also a part). One of the characteristics of the Bantu languages is lack of articles and gender (masculine, feminine, neuter). The nouns in these tongues are grouped into 'classes' that include animate and inanimate. Swahili regularly uses eight noun classes.

All Swahili words end in a vowel.