If you are interested in learning the Somali language, here are some resources that you can use to start today! These are resources which I am currently using and I really like. Hope this helps with your own studies.
1. Best textbook
If you need somewhere to start your Somali learning journey, Colloquial Somali by Martin Orwin is a very good place. As someone who is self-studying Somali, I’ve found that it is pretty comprehensive, with exercises and dialogues to boot, with accompanying audio for the dialogues. Some of explanations I have found tricky to understand but I’m not sure if its because the concepts are inherently difficult or its just me! There are other textbooks online but from what I’ve seen so far they aren’t as comprehensive or they are way out of my price range. A quick look online tells me that a brand new copy could cost you at least £64.99 but there are other cheaper second-hand copies on sites like Ebay.
You can buy it from Amazon using this link here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Colloquial-Somali-Martin-Orwin/dp/1138949809/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2E1Z0SURQHAMT&keywords=colloquial+somali&qid=1706111395&s=digital-text&sprefix=colloquial+somali%2Cdigital-text%2C88&sr=1-1-catcorr
2. Best Dictionary
Of course these days, if you are not sure what a certain word means you can easily look it up. Why bother with a dictionary? However, A Dictionary of Somali Verbs by Liban A. Ahmad is absolutely amazing and I would recommend that you get this. Not only does it have hundreds of the most common verbs with example sentences, it is really nifty at highlighting the nuances between the usage of synonyms. I think that this has definitely helped me in my studies.
3. Best reference grammar
Somali Grammar Revision by Liban A. Ahmad is a reference guide to Somali grammar. The book is intended for intermediate or advanced level Somali so one key feature that I have been making use of is the handy verb conjugation tables at the back. Once I have learnt more Somali, I will be able to fully appreciate this resource for what it is!
Get a copy here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Somali-Grammar-Revision-Liban-Ahmad/dp/148178174X
4. Authentic resources – old Somali textbooks
You could look at BBC Somali, Hiiraan Online and Caasimada Online for news articles written in Somali if you want to practice your reading. But if you are still at the beginner stage, it may be quite intimidating. Jibril Aw Mohamed compiled the old textbooks used in Somali schools back in the day and it is available in the link below. Reading literature aimed for kids has given me the chance to develop my skills, rather than jumping into news articles straight away. I have really enjoyed reading the Somali literature textbooks aloud and it has helped me with my comprehension and reading skills.
5. Youtube
Honestly, those starting to learn Somali now are so lucky as there are more Youtube channels dedicated to the Somali language than ever before! There are now a few channels with lessons dedicated to Somali phrases and grammar aspects.
- Somali With Abzi is a Somalia-based teacher of the Somali language and has over a 100 videos on grammar, phrases and other aspects of the language. I absolutely love his channel! He also vlogs about life in Somalia. Check out his channel here! https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCycXKbTxY0cUIyclbVIOO4A
- Sam of Somalia is a British youtuber who has successfully learnt Somali and is proof that anyone can do it! A lot of his older videos are lessons on phrases and grammar. He now vlogs about life in Somalia. https://www.youtube.com/@SamOfSomaliaTV
- Somali Language Translation is a channel with lots of videos with the most common Somali phrases, even in Turkish and Arabic. A useful channel here! https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC1u0nV2rjbsa6SXoiqur-fw
6. Defence Language Institute Foreign Language Centre
The DLIFLC has made available online their resources for teaching Somali. It’s pretty cool too, with audio and comprehension lessons on different topics and at different levels. If you want to learn some basic phrases, they have Language Survival Kits with audio. I’ve been making use of GLOSS, which has comprehension and listening at different levels to build up my vocab. Check it out here: https://www.dliflc.edu/elearning/
That’s all from me! Hopefully, when I become more advanced and find some other gems I’ll share it here! You can find a summary of these resources down below. Nasiib wanaagsan on your journey and I hope you find these recommendations useful. Happy learning!
Iftiin Learns 
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