Why Swahili is a Great Language to Know? | Felicitas Becker | TEDxYouth@Antwerp

This talk invites listeners to discover the beauty and unique structure of Swahili, a language shaped by its own history and culture. While it differs from English in many ways, exploring these differences reveals new ways of thinking and understanding. In a world increasingly marked by division, it is more important than ever to remember that language is a bridge, not a barrier. Language is a way to connect, understand, and celebrate our shared humanity. Felicitas Becker is a historian of East Africa with a particular interest in the history of Islam, of the aftermath of slavery and of development. Her research has been published by Oxford and Cambridge University Presses and a variety of international journals. She worked at the School of Oriental and African Studies, London, Simon Fraser University, Vancouver, and the University of Cambridge. Her familiarity with Swahili is due to living in Tanzania for about three years, during which she travelled in areas of the country where English is not spoken. She has written extensively on topics such as the spread of Islam in rural Tanzania, the politics of poverty, and the Maji Maji War. Her books include Becoming Muslim in Mainland Tanzania (2008) and The Politics of Poverty in Africa (2019). Felicitas has lived and worked in Germany, the UK, Tanzania, Hungary, Canada, and the US, and she currently resides in Gent, Belgium. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx