Learning Malagasy: A Beginners Journey

Hi everyone, my name is Leah Shrimpton, and I am a Digital Marketing Intern for TSAP Travel alongside a 2025 Changemaker. I have just completed my degree in Business Management at Falmouth University and I am currently searching for new opportunities that come my way. During my degree I came across TSAP Travel and wanted to get involved in the Changemaker experience. I think it is incredibly important for me to always be doing something that I am passionate about, and I wanted to ignite change throughout the Malagasy community alongside testing myself and doing things that are completely out of my comfort zone.

One of the main parts of a Changemakers journey is teaching English to the community however I didn’t know any Malagasy and I plan to be in the island of Nosy Be for a few weeks so it was important that I learnt at least the basics of the Malagasy language in order to communicate freely whilst I am in Madagascar alongside feeling more connected with the country as a whole.

I was nervous about learning a new language but after finishing University I ultimately decided that I wanted this next chapter of my life to be full of surprises and an ultimate learning curve for me. Starting off by learning a new language and travelling to a new country seems extremely exciting and I can’t wait for the future.

My teacher Gladis is amazing at testing me, she will teach me new content every week and test me from the week before which is a great way to learn. I have been taking lessons every Sunday for the past few weeks, and I look forward to my lessons. So, let me reintroduce myself in Malagasy:

Malagasy Translation: Bonjour! Anarako Leah Shrimpton, za baka Engleterre.

English Translation: Hello! My name is Leah Shrimpton, I come from England.

Recently I have been learning more adjectives and nouns in Malagasy to string more complex sentences together that I may need in time such as:

Malagasy: ahia misy la boutique?

English Translation: Where can I find a shop?

Malagasy: zaho tia manga

English Translation: I like mango

In time I hope to be able to speak fluent basic Malagasy however I am still learning the basics at the moment, and I need a lot of practice. I hope when I go out to Nosy Be as a changemaker I will be able to speak the language of Nosy Be for the locals and communicate with them effectively in order to connect with the community more efficiently.

If you would like to support my journey as a Changemaker please head to the TSAP Travel Donation page and donate to my Changemaker journey, any donations are extremely appreciated and a reminder that you can do anything you set your mind to!