Language and Immersion (Experience #1)

One of my favorite aspects of the course so far has been learning about the Cherokee language and what people are doing to preserve it. My interest was sparked the second day here, when Joseph and Roy spoke to us about their animations and the immersion school. From the second they walked in with their iphones and apple computers and began to set up their equipment, I could tell that they were extremely friendly guys. I had no clue that they would be so involved with the kids at the immersion school or that they would be so passionate about teaching and preserving the language. They have worked extremely hard to make the language more accessible to our generation (and younger) through the use of technology. I was impressed that they were taking the initiative to facilitate the inclusion of the Cherokee syllabary in new Apple computers. I was also extremely impressed by the hilarious and exciting games and movies that they created to help people learn Cherokee. Basically, by the time they left, I felt energized and excited to learn more about the immersion school, and I was completely in awe of their creativity and dedication.

When the time came for us to visit the immersion school a week later, I was nervous that I would slip up and speak English (which I definitely did...I hope the kids didn't hear it). It was extremely nice of Dr. Fife to cook us a traditional Cherokee meal. The fry bread and grape dumplings were delicious, and it gave us a little time to practice some last minute phrases. After eating lunch, listening to the children sing was awesome and adorable. As we listened, I looked around the classroom and was amazed that absolutely everything was in Cherokee. It's obvious that they are doing everything in their power to keep these children absolutely immersed in the language. I loved that we were able to meet the people who translate and create all of the students' materials. It was fascinating to hear how they create new words as well as work with elders and people from the Eastern band to keep the language consistent.

After learning about the curriculum, we visited two different classrooms. The third graders (I think they were third graders) were playing Simon Says, and even a boy who had only been in the program for one day was picking up on words and following directions. They recited the seven clans and also showed us how the video chat worked on their laptops. The fact that each child has their own laptop and communicates entirely in Cherokee on it is one of the most intriguing aspects of the immersion school to me. This ensures that these kids will have the same access to technology as other kids their age and that they will be able to do it without using English.

The second classroom, filled with pre-schoolers, was just as impressive. They spent their time identifying animals, pictures of people in different professions, and letters of the syllabary. Not only were these kids adorable, but they spoke and listened to directions in Cherokee. Because learning a language is so much easier when you are young, seeing these children in the learning process gave me a real sense of hope for the Cherokee language. Wyman told us the first day of our language class that most speakers are over the age of 50 and that Cherokee will be a dead language in 20-30 years if nothing is done to stop the process. After visiting the immersion school sensing devotion of the teachers (and many others in the community) to the preservation of Cherokee, I feel as though there is a real chance for the language to persevere.