Greater Swahili – Swahili Varieties in L2+ Swahili Teaching

In this paper, I focus on what we could call the ‘myth of Standard Swahili’ and its consequences for language teaching. Instead of distinguishing between ‘standard’ and ‘deviant’ varieties of Swahili, I suggest the term Greater Swahili to designate the whole of the varieties spoken in Africa and the African diaspora. Starting with some remarks on the ‘ideal’ Swahili speaker and the standardization of Swahili (a thoroughly political decision), this paper focuses on the challenge of using a Standard for teaching while language learners will meet mostly speakers of Greater Swahili. The diversity in the ways of speaking is not only a challenge for language teachers and learners, but also for speakers of the so-called core area. I will then discuss some examples to illustrate acceptance and comprehension of Greater Swahili by L2+ Swahili students. May aim is to underline the importance of Greater Swahili varieties for Swahili Studies