Joan Russell was born in London and taught there for a few years before leaving for Tanzania, where she taught in various institutions over the next seven years, at the same time acquiring the basics of Swahili. Her interest in the language continued during a two-year attachment to the Curriculum Development and Research Centre in Nairobi. On her return from Kenya she completed a degree in Language and Linguistics at the University of York and stayed on there to carry out sociolinguistic research on Swahili and its functions. This entailed regular extended visits to eastern Africa. She became Senior Lecturer in linguistics and African studies at the University of York.

Hujambo? - how are you?; kwenda posta - going to the post office; hotelini - the the hotel; sokoni - at the market; kwenya duka la sanaa - at the craft shop; matembezi jioni - an evening walk; kupika kwa mama mzee - cooking at grandmother's; kusafiri ni kuzuri! - travelling is good!; safari ya basi - a bus journey; chumba kizuri! - a good room!; mialiko - invitations; hairuhusiwi kuegesha! - no parking!; kujufunza lugha - learning a language; siku ya taabu - a day of troubles; katika mbuga ya wanyama - in the game park; mlimani - kuna nini? - on the mountain - what's the matter?; mchezaji soka na wachezaji ngoma - a soccer player and some dancers; barua zimewasili! - some letters have arrived!; Swahili-English vocabulary; English-Swahili vocabulary.