KELanguages · Kiswahili

Learn Kiswahili
in Diani.

Learn Swahili where it lives. Taught by local coast teachers at IJLAPS, Diani. Beginners welcome. Group and individual classes available.

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Kiswahili class, student and teacher, 600×500

Why learn Kiswahili

Kiswahili is the language of the East African coast. It is spoken daily in homes, markets, and communities across Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, and beyond, and it is the language that connects you to life on the coast in a way no other can. Learning Swahili in Diani is different from learning it elsewhere. IJLAPS teachers are local to the coast. They teach the language as it is actually spoken here, in the market at Ukunda, at the beach, in the community. Not just textbook Swahili.

For non-Kenyans living in or visiting Diani, speaking Swahili changes everything:

  • Deeper connection to the local community
  • Easier daily life: shopping, navigating, building relationships
  • Respect and warmth from Kenyan neighbours and colleagues
  • A skill that carries across Kenya, Tanzania, and the wider region
Detail photo, book/notes, 480×400

What you will learn

01Greetings and everyday conversation (the foundation of coastal life)
02Numbers, directions, shopping, and market language
03Grammar: noun classes, verb conjugation, tense
04Reading and writing in Swahili
05Cultural context: proverbs, coastal customs, community language
CEFR Levels

Levels available.

All language courses at IJLAPS follow the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR). We offer all six levels, from total beginner to full mastery.

A1BeginnerBasic UserBasic User
Understand and use familiar everyday expressions and very basic phrases. Introduce yourself, ask and answer simple questions about personal details, and interact in a simple way provided the other person speaks slowly and clearly.
A2ElementaryBasic UserBasic User
Understand sentences and frequently used phrases on everyday topics like shopping, family, work and the local area. Communicate in simple, routine tasks and describe your background and immediate environment in plain terms.
B1IntermediateIndependent UserIndependent User
Handle most situations likely to arise while travelling in an area where the language is spoken. Produce simple, connected text on familiar topics, describe experiences and events, and briefly give reasons and explanations for opinions and plans.
B2Upper IntermediateIndependent UserIndependent User
Interact with a degree of fluency and spontaneity that makes regular conversation with native speakers possible. Understand the main ideas of complex texts and write clear, detailed text on a wide range of subjects.
C1AdvancedProficient UserProficient User
Express ideas fluently and spontaneously without obvious effort searching for words. Use the language flexibly and effectively for social, academic and professional purposes, and produce clear, well-structured, detailed text on complex subjects.
C2MasteryProficient UserProficient User
Understand with ease virtually everything heard or read. Summarise information from different sources into a coherent presentation, and express yourself spontaneously, very fluently and precisely, even in the most demanding situations.

WhatsApp us to confirm which levels are currently running for Kiswahili.

Who it’s for

Who this course is for.

Profile 01Expats and long-term residents in Diani wanting to connect with local life
Profile 02Tourists and visitors on extended stays
Profile 03Professionals working with Kenyan communities
Profile 04Kenyan students building formal Swahili qualification
Enrol

Start learning Kiswahili.

Certificate of completion issued by IJLAPS on finishing the course. WhatsApp us to confirm class availability, start dates, and fees.

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