Abstract:
Objective: Exchange programme and those students who have difficulty in their
communicating in Kiswahili in the clinical areas
Here is a beginning list of words you might find helpful as you work. Kiswahili is
NOT a language that one can begin to speak readily since nouns are divided into
eight classes, which do not always make sense to the English speaker. Prepositions,
verbs, adjectives, etc. must agree with the class of the noun being modified – AND it
gets worse before things fall into place (IF they ever do!).
Much more than language is involved: as examples - the honing of the power of
observation, the sniffing out of the unusual, and the overriding of pattern recognition
by the worry that the information from the patient does not all fit the initial
hypothesis generated. SHENG acronym for Kiswahili English has several genre, but
is spoken mainly by the youth. As much as possible SHENG have been avoided
here but do not be surprised if you come across it, learn some bit of it.
If you ask a question to a patient, you may find it difficult to understand his or her
answer. Still, knowing a few words may help you to understand the jist of the
conversation occurring at bedside. Generally, if a patient or Kenyan counterpart is
referring to a certain person within the hospital, the following holds true
