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Summer Institute Description

The University of Florida's Center for African Studies is excited to teach high schools students all about Africa. This amazing two-week program introduces a select group of high school students to African culture and to contemporary Africa.

Here are just a few of the things that you can experience in the program.

• learn an African language - usually Swahili
• participate in African dances and skits
• listen to and play African music
• meet University of Florida professors and hear them lecture

You'll be astounded at all of the things you'll learn about Africa at the Summer Institute! In the mornings, the students are engaged in watching videos, listening to popular African music, and reading African poetry and skits. During the afternoons, they actively participate in discussions concerning modern Africa and listen to UFL professors lecture.

Jambo!

Did you know that Jambo means hello in Swahili? The African Language Summer Institute introduces students to the fundamentals of Swahili. Swahili is the most widely spoken African language in eastern and central Africa. Students learn basic structural competence (i.e. pronunciation, vocabulary, and simple sentence structure) by reading, oral exercises, writing, watching videos, singing, storytelling, and listening to music.

By the end of the program, students are able to do the following:

• make and respond to basic greetings and introdutions
• use a few basic everyday words and expressions
• identify and list words in context
• give and respond to basic commands
• use numbers to ask or describe quantities
• ask for and tell the time
• listen, read, and comprehend simple phrases and sentences

The University of Florida Experience

The African Language Summer Institute is held on the campus of the University of Florida located in Gainesville, FL. Campus Map The institute is part of the Center for African Studies at UFL. The Center directs, develops and coordinates interdisciplinary instruction, research and outreach on Africa. By attending the African Language Summer Institute, high school students will be able to get a feel for college life by interacting with professors and the campus.