colors, numbers, and animals

[Zoe Tribur]

In Eugene, Oregon, there are few people working on domain-based 
learning. In particular, Zalmai Zahir, influenced by Leanne Hinton, 
teaches Lushootseed this way, with an emphasis on getting students to 
use the language in their homes. To really simplify the curriculum, he 
started my class of students off with kitchen words. We were to try and 
make our kitchens a language nest and then learn how to self narrate 
what we did in the kitchen, because for most of us, we would not 
realistically be communicating with other people in Lushootseed very 
often. Self-narration involves primarily present progressive tense, 
declarative statements as well as, obviously, just the first person, so 
these were the sentence forms we learned. As time went on, Zalmai 
introduced some more grammar but also encouraged us to come up with our 
own "projects", activities we wanted to learn how to self-narrate in. 
Students did clam chowder, BBQ, fried eggs, washing the dishes, etc. I 
recall one impromptu class in his apartment with his apprentice and 
another student where they had us wash, dry and put away his dishes one 
by one, all in the language. The following year, the class expanded to 
other domains like chopping wood, etc., to build a fire, etc.


On 2014/08/07 11:54, Jelyn Yahoo wrote:
> Any SLP or language development specialist first starts with your
> baseline assessment of your language learners. For preschool I use PLS
> 4 or 5 for syntax ,pragmatics, semantics, phonology. I also use the
> DELV diagnostic evaluation of language variation. If you have Autism
> Spectrum Disorder traits use the VBMAPP (Sundberg). If your tribal
> nation accepts federal grant funds, the assessment protocols required
> for your reporting is stipulated in your grant source document. Cassie
> Delso Wells did a great PhD dissertation on grant required assessments
> like Dial 3 and inadequacy of these assessments for North Slope
> Inupiaq Pre-school language learners. The grammar and syntax if your
> first language learner is important to identify as this is your first
> layer of acquisition. I have tested many language learners of many
> structures and cultures.Certain syntax structures such as ergative
> (Siberian Yupik, Central Yupik, many Filipino dialects etc) are action
> object structure. Often your language learner with this structure
> identifies with the activity first or verb construct for meaning.
> Theoretically when u design instruction for this age group it is
> important to use Theory of Mind and Bloom and Tinker - Intentional
> states theory the foundations of Circle and intent or meaning. Some of
> the best trainers I have learned from in this area are Dr. Sima Gerber
> ASHA NY, Dr.sTina and Richard Veale Illinois ASHA, Dr. Tager -
> Flusberg ASHA. If you have a good foundation you can modify and
> differentiate any curriculum. I have done Special Education teacher
> trainings and know many who do this type of Expanded Expressive
> Language Development. Dr. Sylvia Diehl is at U of Florida Tampa and is
> really good at conducting trainings in this area. Because I have
> worked in the autism spectrum I know that developing language with
> early learners can be very rewarding. From jelyn_gaskell at yahoo.com
> also Sandra Gaskell SLP-D ascspeech.com [2]
> 
> Sent from my iPhone
> 
> On Aug 7, 2014, at 11:12 AM, dzo at bisharat.net wrote:
> 
>> What Charles describes sounds like the Peace Corps method of
>> instruction. PC has years of experience with language training, in
>> which future volunteers get intensive instruction (along with
>> technical, health, and cross-culture) over 10-11 weeks. It has
>> proven quite successful at getting the large majority of trainees to
>> at least a basic level (those who don't attain that level get
>> supplementary training).
>> 
>> Not to suggest that it would be practical to duplicate this approach
>> in most other settings, but might there be lessons to be learned
>> from PC's experience?
>> 
>> Don Osborn
>> 
>> Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T
>> -------------------------
>> 
>> FROM: "Riley, Charles" <charles.riley at yale.edu>
>> SENDER: ilat-request at list.arizona.edu
>> DATE: Thu, 7 Aug 2014 15:31:28 +0000
>> TO: ilat at list.arizona.edu<ilat at list.arizona.edu>
>> REPLYTO: ilat at list.arizona.edu
>> SUBJECT: RE: [ilat] colors, numbers, and animals
>> 
>> The way I remember learning Wolof, it was through something called
>> the audio-aural approach. It was built around structured dialogues,
>> introducing vocabulary a little at a time, but working largely on
>> substituting pronouns, verbs, and objects into sets of dialogue that
>> would become increasingly familiar. Building up the pronoun grid and
>> several key verbs were important in conveying a sense of quick
>> progress into the language. Numbers, colors, and animals could be
>> introduced and added in to the dialogues for interest, but they
>> weren’t the primary focus.
>> 
>> Charles Riley
>> 
>> FROM: ilat-request at list.arizona.edu
>> [mailto:ilat-request at list.arizona.edu] ON BEHALF OF Monica Macaulay
>> SENT: Thursday, August 07, 2014 11:07 AM
>> TO: ilat at list.arizona.edu
>> SUBJECT: Re: [ilat] colors, numbers, and animals
>> 
>> I work with the Menominee, and they are very aware of the problem of
>> just teaching these topics (exactly what you listed!). They want
>> their teachers to move beyond this but the teachers are (mostly)
>> language learners themselves, so it’s been difficult. If anyone
>> has any ideas about methodology, that would be great. (They’ve
>> done some stuff with TPR, but that’s limited.)
>> 
>> - Monica
>> 
>> On Aug 7, 2014, at 10:01 AM, Wayne Leman <wleman1949b at gmail.com>
>> wrote:
>> 
>> A number of methods are used for teaching indigenous languages. One
>> that seems commonly used for teaching Native American languages in
>> the U.S. is a focus on memorization of colors, numbers, and names of
>> animals.
>> 
>> Does anyone know where this approach to language teaching
>> originated? Might it reflect how the teachers themselves were taught
>> English in boarding or reservation schools? Might it reflect
>> perceived requirements on the part of school, state, or federal
>> administrators?
>> 
>> Do any of you know of any programs where there has been a shift from
>> memorization of word lists toward creating conversational fluency in
>> the indigenous language?
>> 
>> Wayne
>> 
>> -----
>> 
>> http://www.cheyennelanguage.org/ [1]
> 
> 
> Links:
> ------
> [1] http://www.cheyennelanguage.org/
> [2] http://ascspeech.com