Learn Malagasy language efficiently in an interactive way with a passionate native speaker

Voniary has been tutoring me in Malagasy and she is an amazing teacher! :) She creates fun lesson plans that are great for a variety of styles of learning and includes learning through verbal discussion and listening activities as well as resources for vocabulary and grammar that I am able to save and re-visit later for practice. Voniary is a fun and compassionate teacher who I am sure you will learn a lot from! :) Misaotra betsaka, Voniary! Thank you so much!

As an English-speaking prospective Peace Corps volunteer, finding information on Madagascar is a challenge for me. There aren’t many resources for English-speakers to learn about Malagasy language and culture. I found only one Malagasy textbook for English-speakers, and it was written in the 19th century.

Fortunately, my path crossed with that of Ando, a trilingual writer, blogger, and champion of the Malagasy language. With a series of tri-weekly virtual meetings, Ando has taught me many things about Madagascar. Additionally, she has created worksheets full of grammar and culture, made recordings of the Malagasy language, and participated in a project where she hypothesized Madagascar’s standing on measures such as Hofstede’s Dimensions of Culture. I was very pleased with Ando’s work, and often found myself thinking that the quality of her work surpassed my expectations.

It was a joy to learn from someone who cares so much about what she does, and I would do it again in a heartbeat. If you would like to learn about Madagascar while working with someone who is knowledgeable, passionate, inspiring, and curious, I give Ando my full recommendation.

***

Chercher des informations sur Madagascar pour un anglophone, voulant intégrer les Corps de la Paix des Etats-Unis, comme moi est un vrai défi. En effet, les ressources en anglais concernant la langue et la culture malgaches sont peu nombreuses. Le seul manuel que j’ai trouvé datait du 19e siècle.

Heureusement, j’ai croisé le chemin de Ando, rédactrice trilingue, blogueuse, et une championne de la langue malgache. A travers une série de sessions virtuelles, Ando m'apprenait beaucoup de choses sur Madagascar. De plus, elle créait des supports écrits et audios. Elle a également participé à un projet où elle a avancé des hypothèses sur la situation de Madagascar relative à des mesures telles que les Dimensions Culturelles de Hofstede. J’ai été très satisfaite du travail de Ando, et je dirais même que la qualité de son travail a surpassé mes espérances.

C’était un réel plaisir pour moi d’apprendre de quelqu’un qui est tellement impliqué dans ce qu’il fait, et je renouvellerai l’expérience sans l’ombre d’une hésitation. Si vous voulez apprendre sur Madagascar en travaillant avec quelqu’un qui est cultivé, passionné, et curieux, je vous recommande fortement Ando.