Learning northern alta language
There are no study books nor dictionaries available in Norhtern Alta.
When learning the language, we started used memory cards from the beginning. The speakers and children around were interested in the "game" and followed the progress. When memorising the words, the children were having fun, asking and repeating words, while the adults were correcting the prononciation or the position of the stress.
Flashcards appear to be a good method for the beginning, since they easily attracted the interest of parents and children, and stimulated them to repeat the words and correct the patterns, involving the community members in part of the documentation process.
By using the commands "how to say this" and "what does it mean", it is possible to start speaking the language in the first days, and obtain more flash cards by using these sentences and pointing at the objetcs. Ideally, most of the Northern Alta language will be learned by using Northern Alta language, a method called monolingual field research.
Once there are enough flashcards, one can start for example to create sentences, trying hypothesis about the word order and so on.
Recording is another way to learn the langauge. By transcribing what the speakers say, one can have an overview of the structure of the sentence and the morphological rules.
More information about the learning process will added in the future.
When learning the language, we started used memory cards from the beginning. The speakers and children around were interested in the "game" and followed the progress. When memorising the words, the children were having fun, asking and repeating words, while the adults were correcting the prononciation or the position of the stress.
Flashcards appear to be a good method for the beginning, since they easily attracted the interest of parents and children, and stimulated them to repeat the words and correct the patterns, involving the community members in part of the documentation process.
By using the commands "how to say this" and "what does it mean", it is possible to start speaking the language in the first days, and obtain more flash cards by using these sentences and pointing at the objetcs. Ideally, most of the Northern Alta language will be learned by using Northern Alta language, a method called monolingual field research.
Once there are enough flashcards, one can start for example to create sentences, trying hypothesis about the word order and so on.
Recording is another way to learn the langauge. By transcribing what the speakers say, one can have an overview of the structure of the sentence and the morphological rules.
More information about the learning process will added in the future.
