State University of Zanzibar (SUZA)

A view of Zanzibar

It’s fascinating to me how our minds work and how each person has their own learning style that works best for them. For example: Flash cards are really good for me (Kristina Meeks), Caleb on the other hand, can do flash cards, but there is not enough difference between flashcards to create a memory with the words so they don’t stick as well for him. We’re all different. Therefore, this February, there were two of us families on the team who felt that taking a crash course at a school would really benefit our language because of our learning styles. So the Meeks and the Trulls went off to Zanzibar for a three-week course at the State University of Zanzibar.

I think all of us had a similar experience in those three weeks, but I will just represent my own experience for this blog’s sake. One of the reasons Caleb and I really wanted to go to this course was to not only for the idea of a refresher course, but also because we know we have this baby coming in June and knowing what it is like with one child, I could imagine how full my hands will be with two. We wanted me to have somewhat of a boost before baby #2 arrives. I have always appreciated the structure of a classroom and have been frustrated in my own studies as I try to create my own plan, but life happens and plans change. However, in this particular situation we were blessed to be living with a Tanzanian family. Meaning: all of our meals we taken care of, I didn’t have to worry about cleaning my home, and on top of all that, we constantly had opportunity for Swahili conversation. Our host mother, in particular, had been a Swahili language teacher for about 35 years and so she was ready for teaching and conversation. We spent many a night staying up late listening to her tell funny and moving stories of her life in Swahili.

Class time

Overall, our day consisted of the Trulls and I going to class Monday through Friday from 8am to 12pm. We had a class for just the three of us. Caleb would stay at the house with Aletheia (we knew there was no way I would be able to focus on a teacher if I was watching her) and he had a personal teacher come to the house for a couple of hours of teaching and constant one-on-one conversation. Mondays and Fridays he would watch Aletheia and be “in session” and then the other days he would meet in the afternoon so I would be there to watch her while Caleb met with his teacher. In the afternoons we were free to do whatever. During the week we filled this time mostly with studying, running errands, and a little bit of resting (Zanzibar is particularly hot this time of year and I knew I needed to be careful with the pregnancy). We found some breezey spots to sit and study and maybe find a yummy treat.

Aletheia enjoying a yummy treat.

Our teacher was quite the character and he did his job well. He covered some grammar and many different sayings or proverbs. We would always start off our day with our “Habari moto moto” meaning, any new happenings that were going on. It was a great way for us to talk. Class was taught in Swahili using English only for complicated explanations. He emphasized an important part of language to be conversation so he would instigate some talk by asking us simple questions like: Why are there poor people? and Who is to blame for the drug/alcohol problems in Tanzania? Suffice it to say, the questions themselves often challenged us as much as the Swahili. Of course, our teacher was one to go off on his own tangents, but this allowed us a lot of exposure and listening time and we could always stop him if we didn’t understand something or if we had a question.

Travis, Lauren, Kristina, & Mwalimu Farouq

There were many other international students there as well. In fact, we were lumped into a group with other American students to go on a couple of field trips. For one trip we went to a museum to learn about some history from Zanzibar to the Jumba la Ajabu (House of Wonder). The name was a little misleading, but we saw some neat history artifacts and tried focusing on reading the Swahili translations of the displays. Another day we went to one of the only forests in the world that houses the Red Colobus Monkey. We got little Swahili practice that morning, but Aletheia sure enjoyed looking at the monkeys.

A Red Colobus Monkey

We reached the end of our three weeks with a feeling of satisfaction. I felt like I had been able to review some grammar concepts that were helpful to hear from a teacher and I also received plenty more vocabulary to work on. I was thankful for the patience and the willingness of all of the teachers of the school in their encouraging correction when I was speaking. It is most likely culturally usually inappropriate to correct someone, but it makes sense for teachers. Now I need to find someone in Mtwara who will be willing to do that for me so that I can improve even more.

Caleb studying with his teacher

I must admit that I am a little nervous how my language level will be affected once Baby Meeks #2 comes around. However, I have been given opportunities and Caleb and I have a renewed motivation for the next couple of months to get in as much language as I can. With anthropological research questions to ask and knowing how flexible Aletheia is at her age, we are looking forward to the long conversations and village visits we will have with old friends and new ones. We were thankful for this opportunity of school and now we are ready to jump back into the swing of things at home.

The Meeks Family

Thank you God for providing these opportunities and for providing supporters who financially make these opportunities possible.

Makonde Team Quarterly Report

 To read a quick update on what we have been up to the last few months, click here: Makonde Team Quarterly Report.