Because of increased demand, the Summer Language Institute will begin offering Swahili as part of its intensive nine-week language program this summer.
There is "a lot of interest during the academic year, but we don't offer enough classes to fulfill the language requirement," Assoc. Anthropology Prof. Ellen Contini-Morava said. Contini-Morava will work as the faculty liaison for the program this summer.
The nine-week program includes six hours of instruction every day as well as evening activities and allows students to fulfill the language requirement in one summer, Institute Director Dudley Doane said.
University students are not the only participants in the program because it is the only program in the country that offers 12 credits in one summer, Doane said.
"Just over 50 percent are non-University students, ranging from high school students to senior citizens," he said.
Contini-Morava said Swahili is in high demand because of its versatility. "Swahili is one of the most widely-spoken indigenous languages in Eastern and Central Africa. It can be very useful for those who want to travel there ... especially graduate students planning to go to Africa for field work," she said.
There is also interest from students of African descent because "it is the most well-known African language," she said.
Students who wish to participate in the summer language program must go through a separate application process from regular summer enrollment because of the intensity of the program. Applicants must supply a statement of purpose, educational background and a written recommendation, Doane said.
The idea behind the program is that "you eat, sleep and dream the language and [you get] as much of the experience with the language without going to the place where it is spoken," Contini-Morava said.
To encourage further practice, students stay in the language houses so they can speak the language in the evening as well, Doane said.
Swahili now is offered on only two levels at the University.
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