Hamjambo!!!

It surely has been a while...

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Landing in Arusha

I'm currently in Tanzania doing my CLS program, and let me tell you, it has been a lot already (the good kind of a lot). I landed in Arusha and went straight into orientation, where we covered all the logistics: safety, what the program actually consists of, and getting to meet our whole cohort for the first time. We also got on campus and met our host families, which honestly felt like the moment this whole thing became real.

During orientation came the placement test. I've been taking Swahili for two years now, so I went in feeling fairly confident, but placement tests have a way of humbling you. I ended up in the intermediate class. For context, the program has three beginner classes, one intermediate, and one advanced, so landing in intermediate felt like a solid spot to be in.

Landing in Arusha

The First Day and the Adjustment

Last Monday was our first official day of classes, and that's also when the language policy kicked in. From that point on, it's Swahili only at school, at home, and with our cohort. No slipping back into English.

First day of class photo with the other Intermediate students

This is where things got humbling fast. The Swahili I've been learning is rooted in a Kenyan dialect, and here I'm learning proper Tanzanian Swahili, which has been a real adjustment. Same language, but the vocabulary, the rhythm, the way things are said, it's different enough that I've had to recalibrate. On top of that, I had to relearn how to use normal, everyday conversational vocabulary, because what I'd built up at school back home was a lot more advanced and academic. So in a weird way, I had to go back to basics to actually function day to day.

One thing I really want to highlight, and what I think CLS does so well, is that they teach you to master the material, not just know it. In high school and college, the model is usually: throw information at you, test you on it, and keep moving forward whether you've actually retained it or not. CLS doesn't work that way. They will not move forward until you've genuinely mastered what's in front of you. I love this approach because it means I'm actually retaining the language instead of just memorizing it for a test. Mastering versus knowing are two completely different things, and CLS understands that difference in a way most classrooms don't.

Wrapping Up Week One

This first week has been a lot. I'm exhausted, and I know this is genuinely just the beginning. But even with the tiredness, I'm truly excited. Excited to keep exploring Tanzanian culture, excited to keep being challenged by the language policy, and excited to see how much my Swahili grows by the time this program is over. Im so grateful for this amazing cohort and the CLS staff. This has been an amazing experience and its only been 12 days! Zaidi inakuja. 🇹🇿

'm currently in Tanzania doing my CLS program, and let me tell you, it has been a lot already (the good kind of a lot). I landed in Arusha and we

nt straight into orientation, where we covered all the logistics: safety, what the program actually consists of, and getting to meet our whole cohort for the first time. We also got on campus and met our host families, which honestly felt like the moment this whole thing became real.

After orientation came the placement test. I've been taking Swahili for two years now, so I went in feeling fairly confident, but placement tests have a way of humbling you. I ended up in the intermediate class. For context, the program has three beginner classes, one intermediate, and one advanced, so landing in intermediate felt like a solid spot to be in.