New Program Uses Internet to Teach Speaking Skills

[Cathy Wheaton]

Saskatchewan First Nations Language Speaking Project
                            www.allanadam.com	 


Saskatchewan First Nations Language Speaking Project

Vision
To enable individuals, families, organizations and communities to increase 
speaking ability of First Nation languages in Saskatchewan.   

Goal
To develop a method for First Nation language learners to speak a base 
vocabulary so they can converse with fluent speakers and work towards 
gaining oral fluency

Principles
•	No cost to learn, resources are free 
•	Accessible to everyone
•	Community driven by volunteers
•	Oral fluency is most valued
•	Minimal resources required to run programs 
•	Enables Elders to pass knowledge directly to learners
•	Focus on learning whole phrases versus grammar and word lists
•	Takes advantage of digital technology and internet

Tools
1.	First Nations Language Speaking Circle 
2.	First Nations Language Online Speaking Lessons
3.	First Nations Language Audio Lessons

First Nations Language Speaking Circle – The tool to link fluent speakers 
to learners in one room
In April 2009, the Regina First Nations Language Speaking Circle began. 
This group began with a group of interested fluent speakers and interested 
language learners who met once a week for an hour and a half to learn to 
speak a First Nations language. This group continues to meet and will run 
sessions until June 16, 2009 and reconvene in the fall of 2009. It is 
hoped that other speaking circles will form in Regina and other 
communities. 

First Nations Language Online Speaking Lessons – The tool to link fluent 
speakers to learners globally
Shortly after the Regina First Nations Language Speaking Circle began to 
meet, the lessons taught at each session were recorded using a digital 
recorder and uploaded to a website for learners to practice. This allows 
learners who do not know a fluent speaker to continue to practice speaking 
daily which is the most effective way of learning. So far there are 192 
files online as May 26, 2009. By the end of the project, there will be 
approximately 500 phrases total in 9 language categories on this website. 
We already have lessons in Woods Cree, Plains Cree, Nakota, Saulteaux, 
Dene, and will be adding Ojibway and Dakota soon. 

First Nations Language Audio Lessons – For learners without high speed 
internet access

For communities and individuals with no to high speed internet, the video 
lessons are inaccessible. We are now working on different way to the 
digital audio files with others. We have recently added these files to the 
web site so people can download them to make their own CD’s. We are hoping 
that communities will create and share copies of these files with others. 

The Coordinators
This project is a personal project for Allan Adam and Cathy Wheaton. Allan 
Adam is a fluent Dene speaker, interpreter/translator and instructor 
originally from Fond du Lac Denesuline First Nation. Cathy Wheaton is 
Woodlands Cree from La Ronge Indian Band but wishes to become a fluent 
speaker like most of her family. Allan and Cathy have spent hundreds of 
hours January 2009 working on this project. It was initially not 
anticipated to be this large but it grew very quickly!  

Thank You!
We have many friends who have shared with this project in the last couple 
of months. We are so grateful to the Elders who spent time with us: our 
Nakota Elders: Fred Spyglass of Mosquito First Nation and Wilma Kennedy of 
Carry the Kettle. Our fluent speakers were Bill Cook, Bernie Cook, Guy 
Albert, Reg and Marlene Bugler, Darren Okemaysim, Doreen Oakes, Allan 
Adam, Natalie Owl, Alice Taysap and many others who attended our weekly 
Speaking Circles. Jessica Generoux who works at the Albert Library offered 
free space and program promotion for the Speaking Circle. Allan Adam 
donated web site space on his web site for this project. He also records 
the audio files with Elders and fluent speakers, edits and creates the 
online videos. Cathy Wheaton compiles the common phrase lists for 
interviews, organizes the web site content, finds external links, writes 
the materials, coordinates the speaking circles and uploads files to 
Youtube. Together we travel to communities to interview and meet Elders on 
our own expense in our spare time. We encourage others with similar 
interests to do the same! 


Contact:

 
Allan Adam
(306) 960-5192
(306) 924-4177
allan.adam at sasktel.net

Cathy Wheaton
(306) 924-4177
(306) 527-5890
chimiskwew at hotmail.com