Language as Knowledge. Innovative Teaching Methods for Manding (Bambara) in Interdisciplinary African Studies

The aim of the project is not only to further establish Manding (Bambara) as one of the languages taught in African studies , but also to make it tangible as a living space of knowledge and culture. The project is based on a culturalist concept of language. Language is not only a means of communication, but also a carrier of experience, memory, knowledge, and social order. It structures what can be thought, felt, and expressed—it is a cultural space of possibility. In African contexts in particular, language is closely interwoven with questions of history, power, participation, self-determination, and resistance. The teaching of African languages is therefore always also a social, political, and epistemic practice—and in the best case it can become a contribution to the decolonization of knowledge. Taking multilingualism and transcultural dynamics in the postcolonial age into account, innovative teaching concepts are developed to encourage students to gain an understanding of culture through language. The project is dedicated to the development of authentic learning modules with audio texts, videos, and transcribed dialogues. The focus is on oral skills first (speaking, listening comprehension), based on task-based language learning, and includes the didactic use of oral genres and performative situations: proverbs, idioms, griot songs and stories, everyday scenes, role-plays, audio theater, and debates in Manding. With the involvement of native speakers in the region (Mali, Guinea) and in the diaspora (Berlin), digital content (learning videos, podcasts, glossaries) will be produced and curated. The project also includes the writing of a chapter on Manding literatures for the African literary history to be published by Metzler in 2027 and a pilot course in Manding. Furthermore, a workshop will promote networking and exchange among teachers of African languages in Germany.