This resource contains a dialogue which takes place at the post office. It involves a woman customer who wishes to send a registered letter. The dialogue is pitched at level 3 (B1/2 accroding to the CEFR) and some exercises follow.

This brief report summarises the experiences and outcomes of the tutors from the School of Oriental and African Studies, who took part in the FAVOR project. This project was funded by JISC to explore open practice with part-time language tutors.

This is a list of Swahili-English translations which match the images included on LanguageBox.

Kangas with messages giving general advice on day to day life (and death). A document giving translations is also available alongside the images.

This Tigrinya poem is based on an English poem, whose author is not known.

Information on who a refugee is in legal terms

Amharic is one of the few African languages that has its own indigenous script called Fidal. Teaching and learning the Fidal can be as daunting as it can be boring. In this article traditional and innovative ways of teaching the Fidal is considered.

One can learn the formal and informal greetings and also few personal pronouns for Amharic on this page.

Paraphrasing, reading between the lines and objectivity

Politicians often seek popularity using this type of kanga; making special prints to give away during election campaigns. However, in rare cases, popular leaders might have no choice in this, and people make kangas on their behalf to celebrate their success. For example, this is demonstrated by the kanga labeled 'Obama' that expresses sentiments of most Africans in last US presidential elections; and thus the map of Africa in its main design. It was believed that Obama's paternal origins in Kenya were of great spiritual significance, and thus the religious message 'Love and Peace God has Granted Us.' As is evident, this particular kanga was produced in 2008, when president Barack Obama (the 44th president of the USA) won the presidential elections and came to power as the first ever black president of the United States of America.

These kangas are ideal for either dropping romantic hints or stating such feelings directly.A document with translations is included.

This kanga displays the Girl Guides motto 'Be Prepared.' It also shows the three finger salute. It also has a the clover logo.

These could be used in a variety of ways. The kanga without a message is for aesthetics purposes only.

These kangas express gratitude. A document including translations is also included.

These could be used in a variety of ways, for example as wall hangings or table-cloths or throws. There is a document of translations included.

These kangas are also called visutu (plural)or kisutu (plural) and those I have found on Lamu island shops in Kenya are typically with no messages and have a unique design as demonstrated here. They are often worn for ceremonies to do with marriage, and sometimes used for spiritual events. It is interesting to note that while the original colours were black red and white,touristic demands have changed this; while the design remains the same. The light blue/white kanga shown here sends a message wishing for a happy wedding, but it is not a kisutu. A translation document is included.

Idioms such as the four items, which are underlined, are so linked with the tradition, it is essential for those born in the Diaspora to learn and appreciate their denotative and conotative meanings.

This image shows the way Ethiopian food is presented. Most of the time the food is placed on a colourful circular tray. The small rolled pittas(look alike) around the plate are Ethiopian bread named Injera. Again, Injera itself is made like a very thin bread in a cirle form. Once the Injera is placed on the tray then different sauses are added around. This can be only vegetarian,vegan, meat or a mixture of all.

These kangas carry messages that drop hints about social relationships. They also aim criticisms at particular individuals. A translation document is also included.

This is a grammar exercise. It is for building meaningful sentences by using subject, possesive pronouns, mood classifier and adjectives with verb to be.

This is a Reading comprehension exercise. Students are asked to fill in gaps with the appropriate words. Each word has got 3 diffent forms, e.g infinitive form, negative form and positive verb form but one form is suitable in the gap.

It is a Somali short quiz which can be used for class warm up.

This activity practises possessive pronouns, adjectives + verb to be ‘yahay’for Somali.

Chart of Amharic Fidels. In Amharic Fidels there are 33 consonants and 6 vowels. For people who sees them for the first time it might look complicated. It is real fun and it does makes sense once student are explained how it works. If you see how the first consonant is written the rest that follows horizontally are just extentions.

The kanga is a piece of cotton fabric worn around the waist shoulders and head. It has been around for about 200 years. Originally, the kanga used to be worn only by women, along the East African coast in Kenya and Tanzania. However, Madagascar has a similar fabric, known as the lamba hoany or lamba wani. My research shows that as time has changed, men are now beginning to wear the kanga too. The origin of the name kanga is disputed. On the one hand, it is thought that the fabric is named after the spotted guinea fowl, symbolized by spots on the fabric. On the other hand, it is thought that it is just by coincidence that the fabric has to have spots and that it bears the same name as the guinea fowl in Swahili. The author observes that in 1980s in Mwembe Tayari market in Mombasa Kenya there was a stall specializing in selling only second-hand kanga fabrics that its owner referred to as leso. This is particularly interesting because the only difference seemed to be that the leso was a kanga that had already been used. When the owner was asked the reason for this, she replied that the leso for her meant second-hand. More intriguingly for the author, these older items cost three times more than the brand new ones found in Mombasa sigh street shops. Besides, while such shops commonly sold unused kanga fabrics only in uncut fabric pairs, the second-hand stall that sold leso sold them in cut single pieces. The kanga’s main cultural significance, apart from being an item of clothing, is to spread messages. Originally, the written messages used to be in Swahili but in Arabic scrip, but my research shows that the fashion has recently included not only Swahili as the main language, but European languages, too. Without exception, these messages depict (day-to-day) life situations: polite or impolite; real or imagined; happy or sad; religious or political; celebratory or general; celebratory or general; romantic or spiteful and clever or witty. Additionally, a kanga may portray a message within the overall visual design. For example, the main visual design might be the map of Africa and the written message might be something like “Africa is a beautiful continent”. The kanga is rectangular in shape, with an area of about sixty by forty inches. It often has multiple borders framing an interior rectangle bearing simple or intricate designs within the overall design. These will usually be supported by a written message. However, there is a type of kanga whose aesthetic message is sufficient enough to make the point. This kanga is known as kanga bubu or “speechless kanga”. In spite of the fact that, originally, only women used it, current usage of the kanga is diverse. For example, tailoring for general family wear, tapestry, furniture covering, wall hanging, making hand-bags, wrapping by the Maasai men, and specialized tailoring for the Barotse men of Zambia, who prefer the softness of the kanga for making the liziba suits usually won during the Kwomboka ceremony. In both cases above, the Maasai and Barotse do not necessarily pay attention to the written messages on the kanga fabric. Their interest is mainly in the color design and the feel of the fabric. The kanga is softer and easier to manage for the requirements of the Barotse. The author’s attempt to classify the kanga’s written messages according to relevant topics can be viewed in this link: http://languagebox.ac.uk/view/languages/Swahili.html Nevertheless, it is virtually impossible to give just one meaning to each saying on a kanga; it is also difficult to place sayings under strict topics. This is because kanga messages are not direct and straightforward. For example, a kanga with a message that says “Leo ni leo” or literally “Today is today” could be a warning for an impending political conflict, like an election. Contrary to this, it could be announcing an exciting event, for example a wedding. Professor Zawawi notes: Although a woman is primarily trying to project a message to those with whom she is most in contact…when she goes…to buy a pair of kanga…she is attracted first by color and design. The message only comes later to enforce her choice…[but italics mine]...if the message does not please her, she casts aside the kanga...she does not want to buy unpopular messages.(2005:25). Zawawi, S M, 2005, Kanga: The Cloth That Speaks, Azaniya Hill Press, New York The kanga is a fabric that was created and used sorely by women of the East African coast around Kenya and Tanzania. However, its uses have now expanded beyond this original domain in terms of geographical area and usage. Yet, the kanga still mainly depicts Swahili culture and gives its social critiques through designed and written messages. In fact, deciphering such messages ought not to be restricted to one meaning and more importantly, should be understood within the Swahili people’s social context.