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Chichewa Language

Chichewa CD-ROM
RRP: £24.95
Our Price: £19.99
with FREE P&P

Where does Chichewa come from?
Chichewa is spoken in Malawi where, from 1968 until recently, it has served as the national language. Chicewa is of the Bantu language family.

How many people speak Chichewa?
In Malawi, out of a population of about 10 million, upwards of 65% have functoinal literacy and active command of Chichewa. In Mozambique, the language goes by the name of Chinyanja and is native to approximately 3.3% of 11.5 million inhabitants. In Zambia 16% of a 9.1 million population use Chinyanja as their first langauge. World-wide, figures show that upwards of 6 million speakers have fluent command of Chichewa/Chinyanja

In how many countries?
Chichewa is spoken primarily in Malawi, however, it is also spoken in areas of Mozambique, Zambia as well as Zimbabwe.

Chichewa Culture

A spot of Culture

The History of Chichewa
The speakers of Chichewa trace their origins to a group of people known as the Maravi, who migrated from the lower basin of the Congo in Central Africa and eventually settled in the land mass now covered by Malawi, Zambia and Zimbabwe. They were the first group of Bantu peoples to move and settle in present day Malawi in the 16th century, other Bantu groups followed long after.

The label, Chewa was, according to some accounts, one the Maravi aquired during a sojourn in Zambia before they pressed on and made ther way into Malawi. Chewa derives from the word Cheva, Sheva or Seva which was applied to them as a migrating group and had the meaning of "foreigner". The name was apparently adopted and subsequent phological changes resulted in the world Chewa, with the language becoming Chichewa.

Chichewa Music and Dance
Traditional miusic and dance are deeply rooted in social functions in Malawi, most tribes have their own tunes and dances. Instruments used include drums such as the hand-held 'ulimba' made from gourd, and ceremonial giants carved from tree-trunks; and the 'mambilira' which is similar to a xylophone. Various rattles and shakers called 'maseche' are tied to dancers's legs and arms. The most widely recognised traditional dance in Malawi is the Chewa tribe's 'Gule Wamkulu', which reflects indigenous beliefs in spirits and is connected to the activities of secret societies.

Chichewa Food and Drink
The local food includes boiled meat or freshwater fish, yams, seasonal fruit in abundance and local vegetables. A corneal porridge called 'nsima' is the staple food for most Malawians and is served with almost everything.

Chichewa Attractions
Malawi is a landlocked, long and narrow country covering more than 1000km from North to South. Malawi is dominated by the tranquil waters of Lake Malawi, which is nearly 600km long and up to 80km wide. The Lake, with it's golden beaches and stunning natural surroundings is Malawi's greatest attraction, however, there are also eleven national parks and game reserves protecting everying from the largest of beasts, rare birds to endangered plant species!

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Anyone over 10 years of age will find the disc indispensable for improving listening, understanding and spoken language skills. There are nine topics: first words, food, colours, phrases, parts of the body, numbers, time, shopping and countries.

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