MAMÂFRICA LANGUAGE PROGRAMS ABROAD

[In collaboration with the Kofi Annan University of the Republic of Guinea [West Africa]]

The study abroad program of Mamâfrica plans to immerse students in the language and cultures of African people. You will review and improve your French language and experience some African local languages on a daily basis. To be able to communicate we have teachers for day by day intensive teaching. You will break the language barriers. The activities are focus on two (2) aspects: the language training and the cross culture discovery.

The Language

This aspect of your training is articulated on theoretical courses in classroom with small groups. The essential of French language is review. [Intermediate, Advanced]

The Cross (X) Culture Training

The Mamâfrica Cross(X) Culture Program is build in connection with the home stay programs; the African modern society and traditional one are in the center of activities. These practical aspects of training show to the students the relation between the language, and the culture community. Students can participate in various activities which rhythms traditional society: marriages, naming ceremonies ethnic festivals…In cross culture orientation in cities and villages; in your host's family you practice your French and Local Languages skills.

Program Suggestion

Language Programs	Literatures	Social Studies	Culture
Intermediate level [Conversational French]	Introduction to African literatures	La Traite Négrière dans le Golfe de Guinée	La musique traditionnelle: le rôle des griots
Advanced French [Conversational French]	African Theatre	L’Islam en Afrique Occidentale	La musique traditionnelle: le rôle des griots en ville.
Grammar: a systematic review	African Oral and Written Tradition	Les Religions Traditionnelles	Cours de danses traditionnelles
Grammar of Modern French		Le statut des femmes	Visite Fort de Boffa
Mandingo and Nko languages  for Beginners		L’urbanisation en Afrique	Visite et assiste rituel des Forgerons : profération d’un récit épique de forgerons
Fulani and Susso languages for Beginners.		Les défis du développement	Visite et assiste rituel des chasseurs : profération d’un récit épique de chasseur

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

CHECK OUT THE  N'KO WEB SITES:

www.fakoli.net/main.html

www.nkoinstitute.com

Mamâfrica can efficiently organize Exchange Programs with the following French-Speaking Countries of West African:

 

Guinea: http://www.africa-ata.org/guinea.htm

Sénégal: http://allafrica.com/senegal/

Mali: http://allafrica.com/mali/

Burkina Faso: http://allafrica.com/burkinafaso/

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HOME STAY AND TOUR

Mamâfrica programs of Home Stay and Tour provides you an intensive immersion in the daily culture of African people in town, in villages. By living as members of family‘s host, you learn directly about their culture and languages. You will discover step by step the heart and the spirit of Africa by:

• Exploring countryside, and meeting people in their environment. With your guide and or African students who share your trip, you understand their real life, their culture. Live in rural farm community and  learn about African.

• Sharing experiences with villagers you feel and catch their motivations the meaning of the culture more deeply.

During your home stay in African Traditional village Mamâfrica introduces you at many traditional ceremonies.

Mamâfrica Home stay Programs and Tour helps you to experience the country life in Africa. It is our duty to teach you about African lifestyle and the meaning, the sense, the value of the rhythm for an African: origin of African music-The languages of drum-beats, african dances, the mythology of Drum…

By listening traditional live singers and dancers you will know more about modern music like jazz, rock and roll, blues, rap music, reggae music …This direct and exciting experience shows you the source of the Music.

Immerse yourself in the customs and values of Africa through your host family’s daily and weekly lifestyle: your introduction, to African traditional culture is completed by a night around a fire camps in your host village, listening carefully a traditional stories tellers. This experience shows you why for traditional Africa Tales, Tales were our Libraries, our Schools …

Share your last evening with your group to learn about African Magic and Occultism, African religion by meeting an authentic "juju man". Mamâfrica helps you to be an African for two weeks (2) or more…

LANGUAGE PROGRAM

These programs of Mamâfrica teach you French Language and African Local Languages. To be able to communicate we have professors for day by day intensive teaching. So you will break the language barriers. In the process of training our specialists use the news methods of teaching language. Our activities are focus on two (2) sides of apprenticeship: the language training and the cross culture training.

THE CROSS( X) CULTURAL TRAINING

The Mamâfrica Cross(X) Culture Program is build in connection with the home stay programs so, the African Modern society and Traditional society are in the center of activities.

These practical aspects of training show at the students clearly the relation between the language, and the culture in a given society. The students participate in various activities which rhythms traditional society: Marriages, Naming ceremonies, Ethnic festivals…

In cross culture orientation in cities and villages, in your host's family you practice your French and Local Languages skills.

Mamâfrica Cross(X) Culture and Language Programs permits to students to explore the all life of the community .Your Home stay gives to you the opportunity to practice local languages. So the local language classe is the whole village community, his inhabitants: kids, young, adults are your teachers: you learn in live.

A counselor coordinate all your apprenticeship and provide the explanation you need about what you see, what you heard, what you meet. All day long with your families host you practice both language and culture. You begin to use language in variety of contexts as you immerse yourself in the sights and sound of cities, villages during your trips through the country. Your courses are focused on your conversational skills, and your active participation in class and out of class activities is encouraged in the surrounding African Community.

Your journey, your excursion, your cruse toward the countryside, your exploration of famous beautiful places is sustained by this objective:

AN ACTIVE PRACTICE OF CULTURE AND LANGUAGES

When it is the time to leave your home stay, the country and the African land, you feel that you have experienced a new way of life and learned more about Africa, African, and their Culture and learned about yourself.

YOU REALIZE THAT THIS JOURNEY HAS BEEN WEALTHY METAPHORICALLY AND LITERALLY

In Republic of  Guinea, The Language Institute of Kofi Annan University offer French Courses during your stay. In addition, you will learn N’KO course which is the written Mandiguo Language .The N'Ko alphabet was invented by Souleymane Kante of Kankan, Guinea, in 1949. It is mainly used by speakers of Malinke, Bambara, Dyula and their dialects, especially in Guinea, Mali and Ivory Coast.

THE FUNCTIONS OF MASK

In Africa as elsewhere, a society is subdivided into subgroups which don’t have either the same level of life or consequently the same way of life.It turns out that we will be able to convince ourselves of that, through an analysis of the mask functions in traditional societies, because it plays a fundamental role in the allotment and the handover of the power.

It's a question of a double function which is both religious and political:

• First of all religious function, because wizards, the priests and the old people have at their disposal and they carry out secret retreats, and the ritual dialogue with the spiritual powers: the only ones who can be deposited are as such, the only ones authorized to organize and to conduct the initiation rites.

• Then, a political function because during those initiatory ceremonies, knowledge and know-how are handed over, and through them, the respect due to the old people and to the powers they personify.

In the sacred forest masters reveal the elect of the new generation, the secrets of the great fetishes and the worshiped masks that codify the economic, political, religious and social organization of the community. So the social role of the mask is quite central, since it reveals the secret of what's sacred and sets up the divine character of the power: when the masks get out, address the people, the one who speaks is nothing but a spokesman, and the message the delivers, transcends and surpasses him.