Lessons
Private online lessons for Bambara, Jula or Maninka
(🇫🇷 Francophone? J’enseigne en français aussi!)
Tailored to your needs
Whether you're a complete beginner, a rusty volunteer Peace Corps volunteer, a heritage learner from the West African diaspora, or something in between.
I ni ce!
Hi! Bonjour!
I'm Coleman, a teacher of Manding with a PhD in Educational Linguistics from the University of Pennsylvania, and the linguistic anthropologist behind An ka taa.
I’ve been speaking, teaching and exploring Manding and related varieties such as Bambara, Dioula and Malinké since 2009 when I was in the Peace Corps.
My Teaching Style
Have a look at these videos or explore the Basic Bambara video series if you are curious if I can actually speak or teach the language in a way that will work for you.
“I spent two years in the Peace Corps in Burkina Faso from 2010-2012 and loved learning to speak Jula, but never understood the grammar behind most of the phrases I would use. Coleman helped me have a much deeper understanding of the language and helped me improve my pronunciation.”
— Brianna London, student
How it Works
Bonjour! I'm based in Paris, France.
I typically do lessons via Zoom with a shared Google Doc that functions like a blackboard and record of your lessons that you get to keep.
My rate typically starts at $60 an hour for private lessons.
I am generally available M-F, 1-6pm (Paris time; compare with your time zone here).
Questions?
Steps
- First, are you a complete beginner interested in Bambara or Dioula? Check out my online Beginner Bambara course. You can sign up for it to get started and then still reach out to me about private lessons to support your learning. Otherwise...
- Click the button below to apply for a free intro call.
- I'll get back to ASAP about scheduling an intro. (Or I'll point you in the right direction.)
- During our intro call (on Zoom), I’ll give you a taste of how lessons work and we’ll discuss options that fit your language learning goals and needs.
- After the intro call, I’ll send you a proposal for a personalized study program.
- You pay for the study program. (I use Stripe as my payment processor.)
- You receive an email to schedule your lessons and a syllabus with your first homework assignments.
- We do the lessons as scheduled! (You are free to change the time of your lesson if it is more than 24 hours in advance.)
“[Lessons with Coleman] made all the difference; from conversing with taxi drivers to ordering rice and peanut sauce at a road-side restaurant to greeting my colleagues in the office, Bambara opened doors that never would have opened with just speaking French.”
— Colin Gilmartin, student