Swahili is an Arabic word meaning "of the coast" or people of the coast." It is one of 80 Bantu (African) languages, and is the national language of Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda, and is spoken in Burundi, Rwanda and Zaire, and other parts of central and eastern Africa. Objectives of the class: 1. Students will gain an appreciation for Swahili as a language spoken in many parts of Africa. 2. Students will share and illustrate words from their own culture using English and Swahili and others to create a word quilt.