Yesterday, Edutopia published an article on students who now have the opportunity to learn the Navajo language via the internet. The story of a high-schooler looking for a scholarship and wanting to return to her familial roots frames the news of a course offering by The American Academy—an online high school accredited by NAAS.
When looking for qualified teachers and students interested in the Navajo language costs and feasibility make it impractical for an individual school or district to offer a course. Online courses, however, offer a solution and modern technologies—employing video and audio clips—can make the experience not only like being a face-to-face class, but can enhance the learning by allowing the student to play clips repeatedly and to practice whenever time permits.
The webpage includes a sample audio clip of the teacher reading the numbers 1-10 in Navajo and it demonstrates just how difficult the language can be. Because language is such an important element of culture, it is imperative that programs such as this are kept in order to preserve the linguistic and cultural diversity of the United States.
Citation
Colin, C. (2009, March 4). Online Classes Help Preserve the Navajo Language. Edutopia. Retrieved March 5, 2009, from http://www.edutopia.org/technology-education-navajo-language-preservation.
Flickr photo courtesy of JcOlivera
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