Learning Kiswahili at the moment for varied reasons (mainly because I am a adopted son of Kenya). Hear what your saying Ladyday, people from country areas in JA can be hard to understand if you are not well versed in patois... like you I grew up in a strong African English background... only realised at age 10+ that "you fever wet puss/dog etc.... was in fact FAVOUR.

Any Kiswahili speakers out there just message me please... suppose im between basic and intermediate standard lakini ninajaribu kila siku kusoma Kiswahili na ninataka kuambia a watu sasa hivi to improve... (i know grammar is terrible)

@ceecee
i agree with ya, learning a language from a book and speaking it is two different things... watching spanish tele and newspapers definatley helps, but like you think that to really be fluent will have to live and breathe it for maybe two months.. if ur truly committed you'll get there.. had a similar experience with a friend who said that the textbook Kiswahil is not the way its said in real life.. but suppose there are accents and regional differences to consider...
mansa