News from the Year 7 Kiswahili Classroom
7th March 2026
Habari Gani!
This term has been productive for our Year 7 linguists as they focused on building a strong foundation for constructing sentences. Before we could write stories, we needed to understand the "bricks" that make them up. The students have been mastering the parts of speech (sehemu za lugha) and learning how nouns, verbs and adjectives interact in unique ways compared to English.
We have moved beyond simple vocabulary lists to focus on phrases and clauses, enabling us to create correct Swahili sentences. The progress has been fantastic, and it is wonderful to see the students evolve from basic "Jambo" greetings to constructing complex thoughts of their own.
In addition to grammar, we have also explored the world of Methali (Swahili proverbs). In African culture, a proverb is more than just a sentence; it is a piece of art that advises, warns or encourages.
The class has been challenged to examine these proverbs from two perspectives: the literal meaning and the connotative meaning. For example, when we analyze "Haba na haba hujaza kibaba" (Little by little fills the container), students learn that, while it literally describes filling a jug, it also conveys the value of persistence and patience.
Bi Simon
Kiswahili Teacher
