The Kituba Basic Course is divided into 35 units, many of which are composed
of dialogues, notes, and supplemental vocabulary. The course assumes the student has no prior
knowledge of Kituba and is fully self-instructional. This means that while an instructor/native
speaker would be helpful, it is not imperative to learn Kituba with this course. There are 15 CDs and a 500 page textbook or 1 DVD with all lessons on MP3 with the textbook
in a PDF file format.
Unit 1: Looking for work
Unit 2: Greetings and Salutations
Unit 3: Introducing Oneself
Unit 4: Family
Unit 5: Buying and Selling
Unit 6: A Call
Unit 7: Asking Directions
Unit 8: Help in the Home
Unit 9: A Week's Activity
Unit 10: A Fable
Unit 11: Visiting Friends and Relatives; A Family
Unit 12: A Wedding Invitation
Unit 13: A Visit to a Congolese Home
Unit 14: Talk About the House
Unit 15: To Buy or to Rent
Unit 16: In the Kitchen
Unit 17: Dinner is Served
Unit 18: Table Talk
Unit 19: The End of the Evening
Unit 20: Money, Counting and Bargaining. Buying Clothes
Unit 21: Getting Some Curios
Unit 22: Talking Shop
Unit 23: Getting About, Directions, Geography and Car Troubles.
Directions in Town
Unit 24: On the Train
Unit 25: Getting Set for a Car Trip
Unit 26: Advice for the Road
Unit 27: Home Management and Child Care. Looking for Servants
Unit 28: An Interview
Unit 29: All in the Day's Work
Unit 30: Child Care
Unit 31: Cooking Instruction
Unit 32: Learning More of the Language. An Informal Language Lesson
Unit 33: A Health Lesson from the Radio
Unit 34: Some French Borrowings
Unit 35: Some Health Rules
Kituba, also known as Kikongo Ya Leta and Munukutuba, is a vehicular or trade language spoken along the lower reaches of the Congo and its tributaries. The course consists of a 'primer' in the language and subject-oriented groups of lessons. The primer is intended to introduce the major grammatical structures of the language, to develop in the support an adequate pronunciation, and to present a certain amount of useful vocabulary for a variety of situations. The subject-oriented lessons build on the vocabulary and grammar presented in the primer. Each unit in the primer consists of a short dialogue, variation drills, a vocabulary supplement, grammar notes, and grammar drills. In subsequent units, the dialogue is supplemented with a short narrative.
