Kiswahili 1: A Swahili Course for Beginners is a meticulously crafted textbook providing a comprehensive learning experience. It is designed to equip learners with linguistic fluency, cultural understanding, and effective communication skills for engaging with Swahili speakers worldwide. This resource developed and refined through rigorous testing in classrooms at Washington University in St. Louis, immersive study abroad programs in Eastern Africa, and online teaching, is the author's culmination of expertise as an African linguist, Swahili professor, researcher, and fiction writer. The text offers a comprehensive approach to Swahili learning, with linguistic nuances, cultural insights, and vivid illustrations. The author provides an engaging learning journey based on extensive teaching experience at prestigious universities in Eastern Africa and the United States and invaluable student feedback. This book gives students the tools and confidence to engage in meaningful interactions in Swahili-speaking communities worldwide, whether in the classroom or elsewhere.