The Tlingit language (Lingít) is the ancestral language of the Tlingit people, whose homeland, Tlingit Aaní, spans Southeast Alaska and parts of western Canada. Tlingit is a language isolate within the Na-Dene language family and has been spoken in the region for thousands of years. Today, there are approximately 100–200 fluent speakers, making it one of Alaska’s most endangered Indigenous languages. The Tlingit population is estimated at more than 20,000 people across Alaska, British Columbia, and the Yukon.
These self-paced online courses were developed through a partnership between 7000 Languages, Sealaska Heritage Institute, the Tlingit Culture, Language and Literacy (TCLL) program, Transparent Language, and language educator Anna Neelaatughaa Clock. Through dozens of interactive lessons spanning two course sequences, learners practice reading, listening, pronunciation, and speaking while building practical language skills one phrase at a time. The course introduces everyday conversations such as greetings, introductions, discussing family and backgrounds, and other foundational communication skills for beginning Tlingit learners.