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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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?
Some time ago – when it was raining heavily, and I had nothing to do (that doesn’t happen very often) – I decided to see if there were any (interesting) Marshallese YouTube channels. We all watch YouTube nowadays – if you’re saying you don’t, you are probably lying – so I thought that it would be fun and educating to start following people who might help me improve my Marshallese skills. … More MARSHALLESE 24.0: LEARNING FROM YOUTUBE
I have been “seriously” learning Hawaiian for almost three months now. Like a proper student I have my book (colour-coded for ease of use), a CD (much needed if you want to learn pronunciation), and a lot of zeal (which basically is the most important thing of all) – in other words, I am fully equipped to start making some progress. … More HAWAIIAN 4.0: THE HEAD AND THE CENTER
