Question about Phrases cds

[Cathy Wheaton]

We have already created several language phrase files, CD's and videos in multiple languages (Cree, Dene, Saulteaux, Anishnaabemowin and Nakota) on our First Nation Language Speaking Project lessons (which are free) and can be downloaded and freely copies and shared. http://www.allanadam.com/index.php?page=lessons

 

It is imperative as a new language learner (which I am) that each phrase have it's own track on the CD so the phrase can be listened to repeatedly over and over again, one at a time. I have often had to listen to difficult phrase as much as 20-30 times in order to really hear the phrase properly. We record up to 99 seperate tracks on each CD with one phrase per track. Then the learner is free to choose individual phrases to learn and repeat as they would like as repitition is essetial to learning langauge. If you include more than one phrase on a track, it is very frustrating to learn a new phrase when you constantly have to search for the phrase you are learning. We have been very successful in doing all of our language lessons this way. We have a master phrase list we use with our speakers and we start and stop each after each phrase is spoken, once in English, once slowly in the language we are teaching and a second time at normal speaking rate so people will know the rhythm as well as the sound. 

 

Like you we are grassroots, have no funding, no support from any institutions and exist solely by donating our own time in recording our languages for others to learn at no cost. We record phrases and then upload them to the internet so anyone can make their own CD and we now have people all over North America who use the lessons. If you have any questions on how we create our lessons, please contact us, we are excited to know you are doing this as well! 





"First Nations Language Speaking Project"
(306) 425-0488 La Ronge, SK
or 
email chimiskwew at hotmail.com
 




 



Date: Tue, 25 May 2010 10:17:07 -0500
From: tdc.aaia at VERIZON.NET
Subject: [ILAT] Question about Phrases cds
To: ILAT at LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU

Han mitakuyapi, (Greetings my relatives)

I have a question, or a few questions to ask.

I consider our language program to be a grassroots program.  We don't have any linguists or experts that help us and we can't afford to retain anyone.  So I'm hoping that someone might be able to help us with this.

Even though we don't feel that language phrases cds are the best way to learn, we have repeatedly over the last few years been asked by adults to make cds.  We also think that if we create something in Dakotah, it will be available forever if all efforts to revitalize our languages fail.  We also know that adults want to learn to speak complete phrases.  And that if we create these cds it might make people more apt to try and learn more.

Our questions are:

How many phrases should we put on each cd without risking overwhelming the learner and creating the opposite effect of people giving up on learning because they think it's too difficult?

How many times should be repeat each phrase in the native language?

We were thinking of repeating each phrase four times.  And we have been thinking about putting 64 phrases on each cd, which would be four times four times four.  I think everyone who might either be native or work with natives would know that for most of our cultures, four is an important number.

Nina pidamaya for any ideas you may have.
 		 	   		  
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