The Foreign Service Institute has developed a series of language-learning courses for use by the state department and other government agencies. These courses have been developed, tested by use, and improved over a period of many years. Working with the Departments of Defense, Education, other government agencies, and various universities, the FSI has created the largest body of complete courses for languages of the world available anywhere.

This course is designed to teach the student to use Chinyanja, the language of Malawi. It contains many useful sentences in the language and covers the main points of grammar and pronunciation, with suggestions on the proper use of the language. The first part of the course teaches words and sentences that are most needed to get by in Malawi, and the second part reviews that material and goes deeper into the grammatical devices of the language.

The method underlying this course is guided imitation, and the aim is automaticity. Acquiring proficiency in the use of language is like acquiring proficiency in any other skill, for example, driving an automobile: you must practice until the mechanics of driving - or speaking - are reflexive. It is the aim of this course, therefore, to bring students to a condition of automacity' in speaking and understanding everyday Amharic.

The ultimate goal of the course is to speak Chinyanja accurately, fluently and easily. The course provides for the assimilation of all basic forms and patterns of the language by the guided imitation, memorization, and manipulation of a large number of sentences and by practice through confronting various common everyday situations. But actual living use of the language in free conversation is a necessary and essential adjunct - thus students are encouraged from the start to use the language in every way possible, above and beyond what is provided for in the text. Only by constant use of the skill they are learning can learners hope to master the language and retain it.

This course concentrates on speech and grammar and contains units in transcription, The following constituents make up a unit:

Grammar and Vocabulary: Basic Sentences Classroom Expressions Structure Sentences Useful Words Grammatical Notes

Drills: Substitution Correlation Transformation Model-Transform Questions and Answer Narrative

1.With Basic Sentences, Structure Sentences, Useful Words, the student learns the sentences item by item, repeating each item (a build-up or a sentence).  The student repeats the item immediately after the recording trying to imitate the pronunciation. After the Basic Sentences have been thoroughly memorized the student can go on to the the dialogues. This drill is to be continued until the student can go through the dialogue like an actor.

2. Substitution, Correlation and Transformation Drills are to be used in accordance with the instructions given at goes through sentences that illustrate new vocabulary items, as with the Basic Sentences. After the students have thus familiarized themselves with the new words the recording goes through the whole Narrative at a natural speed. The student listens for comprehension, books closed, and then summarises in English as much as is understood of the Narrative. This drill is continued until the students are thoroughly familiar with the material. The recording then asks questions listed at the end of each Narrative and the student answers them as completely as possible using words contained in the Narrative. the beginning of each drill.

3. Model Transform Drills should be drilled in the same way as other Transformation Drills.

4. Questions and Answers are to be drilled as specified below, but they should not be considered complete. If an instructor is present, any question which is within the limits of the student's grammar and vocabulary can be asked, but otherwise, the student can follow along with the recording. Some questions may require informational answers, some others simply 'yes' or 'no ' answers. Questions requiring informational answers are to be drilled as follows: The recording (or instructor) asks each student a question. The student repeats the question and gives an answer. The recording then gives the student the answer which is written in the book and the student repeats it as a further drill. Questions requiring 'yes' or 'no' answers should be drilled in the same way, i.e. the student repeats the question and then gives either an affirmative or a negative answer.