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Arikara
(Sáhniš) Language Program
Language Learning with Technology
A cooperative project between White Shield School District
and Indiana University
The number of elders who still speak
Sáhniš, our Arikara language, has reached
a critical stage. Soon, there will be none who can come
into the classroom to teach. The problem for the Arikara
community, as it is for most Native American communities
that are losing their languages, is this: how can we
preserve the voices of our elders and perpetuate our
language?
In 1996, the Arikara (Sáhniš)
Language Program was established to create language
instruction materials to insure the continued survival
of the Arikara language - materials that will support
instruction for future generations of Arikara children
and adults who are interesed in the heritage and are
committed to maintaining their language. The program
is a cooperative one between the White Shield School
District (Roseglen, North Dakota) and the American Indian
Studies Research Institute of Indiana University. It
seeks to achieve its goals through the use of current
computer and recording technologies.
Components
-
Printed Textbooks
for language instruction, a three-volume set, An Introduction
to the Arikara Language.
- A Multimedia Dictionary
that incorporates sound (native speaker pronunciation),
English translations, and illustrations.
- Multimedia Language &
Culture Lessons on CD-ROM that incorporate
elders pronouncing words and sentences, provide immediate
feedback, and offer self-recorded devices and illustrations.
The Multimedia Lessons include these
sections of study in each lesson:
To view screenshots that illustrate
four of these areas of study, click on their titles.
Also available is a demo
of the Introduction to the CD-ROM. Warning:
the demo is a very large file - 8.4MB.
In Written
& Spoken Sounds, students learn the complex
sound system of Arikara in isolation and in words; and
they listen to native speakers pronounce the Arikara
and record and play back their own pronunciation. In
Vocabulary,
students not only learn word definitions, but also literal
translations; and they translate and classify words.
In Sentence Patterns
students practice translating into Arikara and English,
utilizing the vocabulary, grammar and conversations
they have learned.
Multimedia Culture Units
The Culture
units of the Multimedia Language Lessons are unique.
In them students read about history, culture, and tribal
oral traditions. The units are illustrated with historical
and contemporary photographs as well as drawings and
maps and include recorded music and speech. These units
also serve to preserve Arikara traditions and can be
used as the basis for classroom activities.
The Culture Units cover an array of
topics that include: tribal history, kinship, the earth
lodge, oral traditions, horticulture, games, personal
names, and religion.
Copies of instructional materials may be obtained from the Arikara Language Program, White Shield School, Roseglen, North Dakota 58775.
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