Oceanic Languages – Lingua Oceania

MARSHALLESE 27.0: THIRD ATTEMPT AT KAJIN ṂAJEḶ

December 22, 2019

Another year of my Marshallese adventure is coming to an end. I will be very honest now, by this time I should have known more. After three years of learning I should probably be able to write this post entirely in kajin Ṃajeḷ – with lots of mistakes, yes – but it ought to be written in the language I am trying to master. Unfortunately, this is still beyond my abilities. Nevertheless, I have managed to learn something. Here’s the proof. … More MARSHALLESE 27.0: THIRD ATTEMPT AT KAJIN ṂAJEḶ

HAWAIIAN 7.0: FIRST ATTEMPT AT ʻŌLELO HAWAIʻI

December 8, 2019

I have been learning Hawaiian for almost a year now, so it’s high time I showed you what I have managed to learn so far. I won’t lie, I am quite nervous. Will my sentences be correct? Will they make any sense? Will people laugh at my skills (or rather, lack thereof)? I will never know unless I try. So, let’s do it guys! … More HAWAIIAN 7.0: FIRST ATTEMPT AT ʻŌLELO HAWAIʻI

MARSHALLESE 26.0: YEAR THREE SUMMARY

November 24, 2019

When I started learning Marshallese, a lot of people told me I would surely quit after a few months. Well, guess what, I didn’t quit after a few months. What is more, I am still learning the language, and I have no intent to stop. Having said that, let me now tell you what I have managed to achieve in the past eleven months. … More MARSHALLESE 26.0: YEAR THREE SUMMARY

HAWAIIAN 6.0: YEAR ONE SUMMARY

November 10, 2019

It’s official – year one of learning language number two is slowly (or not so slowly) coming to an end. I wasn’t sure I would manage to keep learning two foreign tongues at the same time for more than three months, but somehow … here I am. It has been quite a journey, I have to say, and one I haven’t regretted embarking on even once. … More HAWAIIAN 6.0: YEAR ONE SUMMARY

WHAT’S IN A NAME? THE HAWAIʻI EDITION

October 27, 2019

As you may (or may not) know, at the beginning of this year I started learning Hawaiian. And if you are learning a certain language, it is always nice to brush up on your geography knowledge. But don’t worry, I won’t be telling you where the individual islands of the Aloha State or some of its culturally or historically important places are located. Instead, I am going to tell you what’s behind their names. … More WHAT’S IN A NAME? THE HAWAIʻI EDITION

“KA LEI HAʻAHEO: BEGINNING HAWAIIAN” BY ALBERTA PUALANI HOPKINS

October 13, 2019

It is absolutely wonderful when you want to learn a language and can actually find a textbook that will help you do it. I am learning Hawaiian, and I have already managed to buy two language books. “Learn Hawaiian At Home” is the one I’m currently using; “Ka Lei Haʻaheo” will be my next choice. … More “KA LEI HAʻAHEO: BEGINNING HAWAIIAN” BY ALBERTA PUALANI HOPKINS

MARSHALLESE 25.0: I CAN BE POLITE

September 29, 2019

I have recently noticed that the lessons in the textbook I’m using are getting more and more “advanced”. It is definitely not a beginner level anymore, and I think I can officially say that I have moved up the language ladder. I now know how to give commands, make requests, and offer suggestions. … More MARSHALLESE 25.0: I CAN BE POLITE

HAWAIIAN 5.0: ADDING THE TAIL

September 15, 2019

Some time ago I found out that every Hawaiian sentence must have a head and a center. If you have those two, you can pretty much say anything a toddler would say – “I am happy”, “She is old”, “This is my dog”. But if you’d like to communicate on a little bit more advanced level, your sentences will need an addition of a tail. … More HAWAIIAN 5.0: ADDING THE TAIL

GUILTY OF NEGLECT

September 1, 2019

Endangered languages have been a hot topic for quite a while now. Some people say it is absolutely necessary to at least try to save them, others dismiss the problem as unimportant. Which side are you on? Are you one of those guilty of neglect? … More GUILTY OF NEGLECT

CAN APPS BE LANGUAGE SAVIOURS?

August 18, 2019

Endangered languages. How can we save them? This one question keeps getting asked by linguists and language enthusiasts all over the world. And the answer is quite simple – we have to make sure that new generations learn them. But how exactly can we make this happen? Can technology come to the rescue? Can language learning apps be a solution? … More CAN APPS BE LANGUAGE SAVIOURS?