Hausa Course Information

The courses

MSU has taught Hausa continuously at least for the last 20 years or so. The main MSU library has one of the richest collections of Hausa materials, particularly in folk literature, linguistic studies, poetry, religion, as well as modern fiction and political works. The Department of Linguistics and Germanic, Slavic, Asian, and African Languages, Michigan State University and the African Studies Center offer three levels of Hausa.

Course Name Semester Course Credits
Beginning Hausa Fall AFR 101B 4
Spring AFR 102B 4
Intermediate Hausa Fall AFR 201B 4
Spring AFR 202B 4
Advanced Hausa Fall AFR 450B 1-5
Spring AFR 450B 1-5
  • First Year Hausa (AFR 101B-102B) provides students with basic communicative skills to function in a Hausa speaking community. The emphasis is on conversation skills as well as reading and writing. The instructors introduce the students to various aspects of Hausa culture through written (authentic) texts, video and audiotapes, and slide pictures. Students learn and discuss cultural similarities and differences between the US and Hausa speaking areas. Grammatical structures are learned as needed.
    Goal: ACTFL Intermediate Low level of proficiency - making requests, giving and taking directions, bargaining, simple interaction at store, bus station, etc. Students write simple compositions describing themselves, events, etc.
  • Second Year Hausa (AFR 201B-202B) broadens speaking, reading and writing skills as students engage in discussions and writing on more complex topics. (Authentic) videos, audio tapes, newspapers, magazines and the internet provide resources for the content of materials of the students' interests as well as exposure to more advanced language. They are encouraged to discuss culture as well as news from West Africa. Students begin to read short literary passages and novels, plays, poetry, and essays.
    Goal: ACTFL Intermediate high -
  • Advanced Hausa (AFR 450B) focuses on advanced speaking, reading and writing skills with longer essays and advanced reading texts. Students are assigned advanced readings selected according to their interests and future research projects.
    Goal: ACTFL Advanced

Instructor

  • Ibro Chekaraou, Ph.D. - Assistant Professor & Coordinator of African Languages

For more course information, please go to Description of courses for list of courses, including course descriptions and prerequisites, and go to Schedule of courses for course scheduling information for each semester, including class times and locations.