In addition to providing primary and secondary education, Give Them a Smile also aspires to educate its community in other areas.
During the long vacation, our 2019 Enrichment Course instructor, Daniel Binham, traveled to Madagascar to teach in Mahasoabe (our main region of focus). Admission was based on application, and 40 children aged 13 - 19 were chosen based on their motivation.
The course, which ran from 16 September to 11 October, consisted of four subjects:
French speaking: French is Madagascar's second official language, so students learn it in school. However, they get few opportunities to practice speaking it. Therefore, most of Daniel's course took the form of discussions in French.
Internet skills: Internet is becoming available in Madagascar's big cities, but many people do not know what it is. Therefore, Daniel explained the basics of the Internet, and showed how it can be used for communication, learning, and entertainment.
English: English is Madagascar's third official language, and students learn basic English grammar in school. However, as with French, they rarely practice speaking, so very few become fluent. Therefore, this part of the course focused on English pronunciation, everyday expressions, and basic grammar and syntax.
Philosophy: This part of the course taught students to
reflect carefully on a question/idea/claim
uncover and challenge assumptions, including their own
reason their way to a coherent answer/comment/counterexample
speak up confidently and share their thoughts
defend and/or modify their position in response to criticism
We thank Collège Saint Louis de Gonzague for allowing us to use their classroom and Mr Sébastien for his help. But most importantly, we thank Daniel for making this happen. We will tell you more about Daniel and the other team members soon.
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