PAST206

Introduces students to a long history of trade relations in East Africa. Provides students with a rudimentary knowledge of the Swahili language as it is spoken today in the region. This lingua franca, which for centuries facilitated trade and contact in the region, is a first language for over 50 million people and a second language for even more in half a dozen countries. The discussion of this language is part of a broader discussion of the current language situation in sub-Saharan Africa that gives further evidence of trade and contact. Students have the opportunity to develop a first understanding of business and trade in East Africa and have a basic knowledge of the Swahili language.