Speaking Resources

Speaking resources for Manding can be difficult to find unless you are immersed or with a native speaker. Check out this list of resources for finding a language partner or mentor to practice conversation Manding!

Listening Resources: Beginner

For listening material, there are several free and paid resources you can use. The more you listen to language at your level, the more you will acquire language through exposure to comprehensible input.

Linguarena App – Bambara

The Linguarena app has a collection of dialogues and drills that take you through the basic conversations in Bambara communities.  However, the premium version is 10USD, and while the dialogues have good content, the app can get buggy.

Basic Bambara video series and dialogues from An ka Taa

Basic Bambara podcasts from An ka Taa

This podcast series was also developed by Coleman, in which he teaches a new student of Manding. While there is only one season, the listening content is valuable.

Learn Bambara: Lessons for Beginners (Peace Corps audio set)

The Peace Corp’s manual also has accompanying audio files. However, this audio resource focuses on repetition and direct translation. While it may be useful for picking up sounds and direct vocabulary, some may find this repetition boring or without any contextual meaning. The only contextual dialogue provided in this video series does not provide adequate translations of the cultural aspects relayed in the dialogue.

Listening Resources: Intermediate/Advanced

Na baro kè video series

This video series is perfect for intermediate learners wanting to get into authentic material. Coleman brings us through a series of interviews across West Africa about a variety of topics, from how to live during the cold season to the use of local transportation. He also includes four subtitles in each of his videos: the modern standardized Manding script, the English translation, the French translation, and the transliteration into N’ko (the local Manding script developed by Solomana Kante in the 40s).

VOA Bambara

VOA Bambara is a great site for not only listening but for reading the news in Bambara.

RFI Mandenkan

Radio France International Mandenkan is the French news network’s page dedicated to current events in Manding.