1 Introduction

Social work is a practical discipline that involves individual, group, and community social issues, particularly targeting vulnerable and marginalized groups, and achieving social change through collective or individual intervention. Social workers need to master the local language and culture to achieve effective communication and problem-solving. In Madagascar, cultural diversity education is usually included in the teaching of the Malagasy language, but the evolution of language policies has led to a constant change in the status of the Malagasy and French languages. Although the official language is Malagasy, French is still the language of instruction, and Malagasy is more commonly used in the workplace and on site. There are multiple variants of Malagasy language, reflecting the rich ethnic diversity of the country. However, the current language policy only emphasizes the official Malagasy language, which may overlook other cultural diversity. Although UNESCO recommends respecting and promoting cultural diversity, Madagascar's national education system lacks relevant policies, which may affect the language and cultural abilities of all learners, including future social workers. This study aims to evaluate the quality of language and cultural courses in social work training programs in Madagascar and provide practical recommendations to adapt to local realities. The research is based on qualitative data collection and adopts an inductive research method, divided into four parts: literature review, field collected data, existing trends, and general recommendations.

2 General requirements for social work training

The importance of local language and cultural skills that social workers should possess in professional training was discussed. Social workers need to possess competitiveness in cultural diversity, as culture is composed of external manifestations (such as language, living environment, parenting styles, etc.) and internal psychological representations (such as norms, beliefs, attitudes, etc.). Social workers and users may come from different cultural backgrounds, so cultural competence is crucial for communication and collaboration. Language proficiency is equally important, as mastering the local language is crucial for collecting information and supporting users. Research suggests that social work training should delve into local languages and cultures, similar to other professional themes. The importance of participant observation in understanding the community has also been emphasized, and it is recommended to include field visits and internships in the training program. Cohen's work emphasizes the importance of cross-cultural approaches in improving the quality of cultural diversity education, proposing three continuous and interdependent attitudes: decentralization, understanding, and negotiation to facilitate cross-cultural communication between social workers and users.

3 Method adopted in the study of the social work training in Madagascar

Introduced the methods of conducting social work training research in Madagascar. The research data collection period is from 2019 to 2022, including official document analysis, interviews with key stakeholders, focus groups, and surveys. The study covers the only two social work professional training programs in Madagascar: ISTS and FPTSD, both located in Antananarivo, offering bachelor's and master's degrees and officially recognized by the Ministry of Higher Education. The research mainly uses qualitative data to explore the importance of local language and cultural competence in existing curricula, in order to prepare future social workers to face real-world challenges.

4 Realities about social work training in Madagascar

Explored the current situation of local language and cultural teaching in the training program for future social workers in Madagascar. The data collected for the study covers three main aspects: the position of the Malagasy language curriculum in the curriculum, the content and teaching methods of the Malagasy language curriculum, and the application effect of teaching in practical work.

5 Trends that could contribute to increasing the recognition, valorisation and appropriate use of regional languages and cultures

Discussed the growing trend of recognition, value orientation, and appropriate use of local language and cultural abilities in Malagasy society. These trends include initiatives to support social work professions, as well as initiatives that may indirectly enhance the language and cultural abilities of social workers. Only when students and active social workers maintain an open mindset and have access to and appropriate use of the resources provided to them, can they benefit from them.

6 Conclusions and recommendations

Summarized an exploratory study on the importance of local language and cultural competence in professional training for social workers in Madagascar. Research has found that the current teaching plan has more weaknesses than strengths in IST, FPTDS, and their collaborating institutions, but there is still room for improvement and further scientific research. The biggest advantage of the teaching plan is the provision of field trips and internship opportunities, which are crucial for students to discover the local and regional characteristics of Madagascar. Both students in training and those who have graduated and are engaged in social work recognize the crucial role of field trips and internships in experiencing other languages and cultures. Students have high evaluations of these learning experiences and even demand more opportunities for on-site visits. At present, conducting a one week field visit every year is the norm for all higher education institutions in Madagascar. In IST and FPTDS, it may be necessary to consider whether the training plan can be adjusted to ensure that each level includes on-site visits. As for internships, the arrangements of the two institutions are different, with IST students having longer and more frequent internships. Considering other training programs, and even in other professions related to assistance such as medicine, nursing, psychology, etc., the duration and frequency of internships vary greatly due to the diversity and complexity of disciplines, making it impossible to compare with IST or FPTDS. For on-site inspections, the most suitable duration and frequency of internships should be determined through discussion by each institution. In addition, IST and FPTDS will benefit from further reflection on how to improve the quality of on-site visits and internships, particularly students' ability to integrate into the visiting community. Ensuring that students fully master Marinowski's (1922) participatory observation method may be a potential solution; Only the most suitable courses can be identified in the social work training programs of IST and FPTDS to develop the required skills.