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Shule ya Lugha Makoko

The Makoko Language School is an institute owned and operated by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Musoma. The School was first opened in 1964 under the auspices of the Catholic Foreign Mission Society of America (Maryknoll Fathers and Brothers). At that time the School utilized a few buildings at the nearby Saint Pius X Minor Seminary. The present two-story structure was opened in 1967. To date, well over 2000 missionary men and women have completed courses at the School. These students have come to us from Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia and both North and South America. In January 2001, the ownership and direction of the Makoko Language School passed from Maryknoll to the Diocese of Musoma. The same quality language courses of the past nearly forty years will continue to be offered by the Makoko Language School.

1. LOCATION AND TRAVEL:

The Makoko Language School is situated in the Village of Makoko, which is located on Lake Victoria, about three miles from Musoma Town.
By Road:

• From Kenya one crosses the Isebania/Sirari Border either by private car or bus and continue on to Musoma. The distance from the Border to Musoma is a little over 90 kilometers on an excellent tarmac road.
• From Mwanza, which is about 245 kilometers from Musoma, one can easily come to Musoma by car or bus.
• From Arusha/Kilimanjaro there are also buses available, which cross the Serengeti to Musoma/Mwanza or which pass through Nairobi, Kenya and continue on to Musoma and Mwanza. Upon arrival in Musoma on public transport, there is taxi service available to Makoko.

(Students driving to Musoma from Kenya and planning on keeping their Kenya registered vehicles with them at the Language School are required to complete, prior to arriving at the Tanzania border, the appropriate documentation in Kenya for temporarily exporting their vehicles from Kenya. Then at the Tanzania border a "temporary road license" for Tanzania must be purchased.)

By Air:
There are no longer any commercial flights to Musoma. Air Tanzania does have frequent flights from both Dar es Salaam and Kilimanjaro/Arusha to Mwanza.

From Nairobi, the Mission Airline Service (AIM AIR) flies to Mwanza each weekday. If arrangements are made early, they will consider stopping in Musoma on Tuesdays and Fridays. (Call Nairobi: 260-7051(-52, -53).)

NOTE: The Makoko Language School and/or the Diocese of Musoma are unable take responsibility for any student's individual transport needs in either arriving at or leaving the Language School.

2. IMMIGRATION CONCERNS:

All expatriate missionaries intending to reside and work in either Tanzania or Kenya are required to have a valid Residence/Work Permit prior to actually beginning their missionary work in that country. The individual student's Congregation, religious denomination, or sponsoring group should secure this Residence Permit for him/her prior to arrival in the country in which he/she will eventually be residing and working (Tanzania/Kenya). If the students will be living/working in KENYA following Language School, they or their sponsoring group, must request from the Director of the Language School a temporary "Tanzania Student Residence Permit-Class C" for the time that they will spend at the Language School in Musoma.

If the students will be stationed in Tanzania following Language School, and their Residence Permits have been granted before their arrival at the Language School, they must send a photocopy of the Permit to the Language School Director prior to the beginning of the course. If, however, the Permit has not been granted prior to the student's arrival at the Language School, then the individual or sponsoring group must request the Language School Director to apply for a temporary "Tanzania Student Resident Permit-Class C" which will be valid only for the time that the student will be studying at the Makoko Language School.

We ask that all students needing this "Student Permit" request from the Director of the Language School the necessary application form for this Student Permit and that they complete it and return it as soon as possible along with $120 in U.S. currency and 5 passport-size pictures. We should be able to obtain this Permit within a very few days and, students enter the country on the tourist visa and after arriving at the Language School the "Students Resident" permit will be stump in the passport.

3. REGISTRATION PROCESS:

Basic Kiswahili Course: Once a person has written to the School's Director and has been accepted for a particular Basic Kiswahili Course as a Resident Student at the School, that person is asked to assure his/her place in that Course with a $300 down-payment in a U.S. Dollar check or its equivalent in a Tanzanian Shilling check made payable to Makoko Language School. This deposit is non-refundable but will be deducted from the total tuition/ room & board fees for the student. For students intending to reside off-campus, this down payment is $100. The down payment should ordinarily reach the Language School no later than 3 months prior to the beginning of the Course for which the student is registering in order to procure a definite placement. The remainder of the Course fees should be sent to the Language School no later than one month prior to the beginning of the Course. Should the student need to withdraw from the Course for any reason prior to the beginning of the Course, he/she will receive a refund of all fees paid minus the deposit. We ask that all fees be completely paid prior to the student's arrival for the Course.

Kiswahili Refresher Course: All Kiswahili Refresher Courses are five weeks in length and are offered on a "tutorial" basis. Once a person has requested a reservation for a particular Kiswahili Refresher Course and will be residing at the School, that person is asked to assure a place in that Course with a $100 down payment. This payment is non-refundable but will be deducted from the total tuition/ room & board fees for that student. For students residing off-campus for the Refresher Course, this down payment is $50.

Kisukuma Basic/Refresher Courses: The registration process and the Course fees are same as those listed for the Kiswahili Courses. Please consult with the Language School Director to arrange dates for the particular Course desired.

4. PAYMENT/FEES

The cost of the Basic Kiswahili Course is $3000 ($2000 for Room & Board, and $1000 for tuition. The cost of the Kiswahili Refresher Course is $1000. ($700 for R&B and $300 for tuition.) For students who will live outside the School and will only be attending classes at the School, the cost of the Basic Course will be $1000 and the cost of the Refresher Course will be $300. U.S. Dollar checks or Tanzania Shilling checks for all fees should be made payable to Makoko Language School and sent to:

Fr. Edward Gorczaty
The Director
Makoko Language School
P.O. Box 298
Musoma, TANZANIA
East Africa

Please indicate with the payment the name of the Student for whom this payment is made as well as the dates of his/her particular Course.

All Students should bring with them enough money to cover any incidental expenses (personal needs, medical, etc.) which they may incur during their time at the Language School. Foreign currency exchange is available in Musoma Town through the local banks and also at the Bureau de Change.

5. HOUSING: The Language School does not have adequate facilities to accommodate families with children. A limited number of couples without children can be accommodated here if they so desire. Couples with or without accompanying children can usually rent furnished/unfurnished housing in Musoma Town or rent from available housing in Makoko Village while commuting to classes at the School. Students living off Campus can make arrangements to take some of their meals at the School. The fees will be adjusted accordingly.

6. MID-COURSE BREAK: There will be a mid-Course break after the first 8 weeks of each Basic Kiswahili Course. All Language Students are expected to take advantage of this break away from the School. The most important reason for this break is to provide the Students with an opportunity to get away from the physical setting of the School itself and to rest from the intense language-acquisition and acculturation processes. At the same time the Administration of the School can take advantage of the break for needed repairs, cleaning, etc., as well as to provide some of our staff members with rest and/or leave time. We encourage all Students to anticipate as early as possible this mid-Course break by planning accordingly with their sponsoring groups. The Makoko Language School is unable to provide transport for students for their mid-Course break; nor is the School able to provide definite destinations for the students. We are prepared to assist students in making personal travel and destination plans, should that help be requested.

7. COURSE METHODOLOGY:

Five 40-minute class periods per day have been scheduled in the mornings and attendance at these is not considered 'optional'. Unless the Student is ill he/she is expected to attend all classes as well as the 45-minute Language Laboratory periods daily. In class, the Students will be asked to listen to the Teacher and to repeat portions of each lesson, generally without using the textbooks. This approach is designed to help Students to attune their ears to the Kiswahili
language. Students will begin to become accustomed to Kiswahili pronunciation through listening rather than through reading from a book. Some Students find this approach difficult. We ask that they please be patient and trust our Staff. This methodology has been tried here, an improved upon, for many years and continues to be very effective for learning Kiswahili.

8: Class and Daily Schedule:

9. Health-Related Concerns:

Upon arrival, all Language Students will be asked to read, understand, and sign individual Health Care Agreements which specify the respective responsibility of the School and the Student and his/her sponsoring group for each Student's health care and maintenance while at the School. All expenses incurred are the responsibility of the Students together with their sponsoring groups. It is highly recommended that each student arrive here with sufficient instruction and medication for Malaria prophylaxis for the duration of the Course. All students are expected to arrive here with sufficient funds, or funds readily available to
them, for covering the cost of any medical expenses or needs during their stay here. The School does not have the resources for advancing such payment to the Students.

10. Concluding Remarks:

It is advisable for Students to arrive in Tanzania or Kenya a few weeks prior to the beginning of classes at the Language School. Those who fly into East Africa at the last moment before the opening of the School often experience some "jet lag" and tiredness. They may also become ill or experience some early "culture shock". In such cases Students begin their studies at a great disadvantage. Students are both permitted and encouraged, to arrive at the School one or two days prior to the scheduled beginning of the Initial Orientation Program. All are asked to inform the Director in advance of their planned date and time of arrival.

Regular "summer" clothing is sufficient here in Musoma at all times. However, a sweater or light jacket is also recommended. The individual bedrooms have all the basic furnishings necessary. It would be helpful for the Students to bring a small radio/cassette player with them. The Recorders in the Language Laboratory are for language study only and may not be removed from the Lab.

Telephone: To reach the Makoko Language School from outside East Africa, one can dial directly by first accessing the International Connection from their country of origin and then dialing 255-28-264-2518. Direct-dial service is now available when calling from Musoma to anywhere else in the world.

It is our hope and expectation that all Students coming to our Language School for study are doing so of their own free will and are not being compelled or forced to do so in any way by their Religious Superiors, sponsoring group or any other individual. It has been our experience here over many years that, to the extent that a student comes here freely and willingly, it is to that extent that he/she will also succeed in language study.

TO ARRANGE FOR REFRESHER COURSES, CONTACT THE LANGUAGE SCHOOL DIRECTOR

BASIC KISWAHILI COURSE SCHEDULE FOR 2007.

I: JANUARY 12th, 2007 to May 11th, 2007

(MID TERM BREAK March 10TH TO 18TH)

II: AUGUST 10TH, 2007 TO DECEMBER 7TH, 2007.

(MID TERM BREAK October 6th to 14th)

BASIC KISWAHILI COURSE SCHEDULE FOR 2008.

I: JANUARY 11th, 2008 to May 9th, 2008
(MID TERM BREAK March 8TH TO 16TH)

II: AUGUST 8TH, 2008 TO DECEMBER 5TH, 2008. (MID TERM BREAK October 3rd to 12th)


TO ARRANGE FOR REFRESHER COURSES, CONTACT THE LANGUAGE SCHOOL DIRECTOR