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<TITLE>Re: [ILAT] suggestions anyone?</TITLE>
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<FONT FACE="Verdana, Helvetica, Arial"><SPAN STYLE='font-size:14pt'>Back when I was doing this I had no technology at all beyond a tape recorder (not useful). One thing I did was that I introduced the children to a number of words I thought they might not know from a story, and then I would read them the story in Jaqaru, always a story that would be immediately recognizable (one of the ubiquitous Andean tales, known in every Andean language including Spanish). They loved it. Another thing I did that the children loved was that I would ask them what words they wanted written in their own language — and they always had plenty, usually the names of their chacras (their cultivated plots). These were never easy words and they were always seriously distorted by the <BR>
Spanish version — great learning activity because they wanted it so and could take it home to the family.<BR>
MJ<BR>
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On 11/24/10 9:41 AM, "Richard Zane Smith" <<a href="rzs@WILDBLUE.NET">rzs@WILDBLUE.NET</a>> wrote:<BR>
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</SPAN></FONT><BLOCKQUOTE><FONT FACE="Verdana, Helvetica, Arial"><SPAN STYLE='font-size:14pt'>thanks Doug and Natasha,<BR>
good way to explain it about not "giving away the answer" in class.<BR>
the books (Natasha) sounds excellent...another project! for me to look into.<BR>
(sounds like i need to have some meetings with these teachers)<BR>
<BR>
Its tough because ...sadly: <B>I'm it</B>. I'm our local language revitalization effort,<BR>
which is foolish and even ridiculous. there is no language committee in our tribe<BR>
and if anythings going to happen its because I'm insane enough to volunteer to<BR>
attempt it on my own....and this is the 6th year of me ..."doing it alone"<BR>
<BR>
You all who have healthy language/culture revitalization efforts<BR>
Have something to thank the Creator for.<BR>
Just don't forget about some of us foolish ones, winging it alone,<BR>
carrying the whole weight but determined not to give up..even if it kills us.<BR>
<BR>
'preciate having some pros to bounce ideas upon here on ILAT!<BR>
ske;noh<BR>
Richard<BR>
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On Wed, Nov 24, 2010 at 2:17 AM, Natasha L Warner <<a href="nwarner@u.arizona.edu">nwarner@u.arizona.edu</a>> wrote:<BR>
</SPAN></FONT><BLOCKQUOTE><FONT FACE="Verdana, Helvetica, Arial"><SPAN STYLE='font-size:14pt'>I think Leanne Hinton's book that's actually a guide to the Master<BR>
Apprentice program, _How to Keep your Language Alive_, has some good<BR>
explanations of why immersion without translation is the way to go. Maybe<BR>
something in that would help you with how to explain it to the teachers.<BR>
It's a challenging issue--even people who really know better about<BR>
immersion so often want to just "help" by providing translation. Good<BR>
luck.<BR>
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Natasha<BR>
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*******************************************************************************<BR>
Natasha Warner<BR>
Associate Professor, Department of Linguistics<BR>
University of Arizona<BR>
PO Box 210028<BR>
Tucson, AZ 85721-0028<BR>
U.S.A.<BR>
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