Chichewa Paul Douglas Grace Bandawe
A little knowledge of Chichewa goes a long way!
English is the official language in Malawi and people are warm and friendly to visitors. For this reason many people fail to engage with Malawians in their own language or according to social norms in Malawi.
A little knowledge of the language and how society works goes a very long way in Malawi.
The culture in Malawi is 'relational' and the language is a great indicator of that. Understanding something about the language, is the right way to get your relationships off to a good start. Many Malawians are keen to learn about and engage with 'western cultural norms' and so for those reasons are usually reluctant to correct cultural mistakes that visitors may make. The problem with this is that a visitor can seem somewhat 'other' or even rude. While Malawians understand that no offence is intended, over time differences in approach can begin to stretch the patience and endurance of those Malawians you are engaging with.
Often, little problems can build slowly over time only to explode unexpectedly. We can help you start off well and build good relationships over time with our language, culture and translation services.
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