Tlingit
The Tlingit Language Asynchronous Course was initially designed for the families and staff of the Tlingit Culture Language and Literacy (TCLL) optional program within Juneau School District in partnership with Sealaska Heritage Institute. This course is online, self-paced and, includes 3 units with 9 lessons each. As learners find time in their busy days to take a lesson, the course saves their progress and picks up where they left off. Designed to teach parents and family members one phrase at a time, each lesson engages the learner through multiple activities in reading, listening, repetition, and pronunciation.
The designer of the course, Anna Neelaatughaa Clock (Koyukon, Eyak), believes that exposing students to a small amount of information in various and repetitive activities helps them learn most efficiently. This is why she designed the course to teach one phrase per lesson, with each lesson building up to the next. The three units teach parents to introduce themselves, ask someone else about their background, and have a small conversation about eating.
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Neelaatughaa follows the language guidance of her Elder mentor Shaaxʼsáani Kéekʼ (Shirley Kendall). In developing the course, she consulted regularly with X̱ʼunei (Lance Twitchell) and the TCLL language teaching team. Before the course is opened to a broader community, she prefers to consult with teachers and mentors in other roles of Tlingit language revitalization as well. There are differences in opinion on spelling and grammar functions based on the student body and goal of instruction. These conversations are important and should involve teachers and leaders of multiple backgrounds and roles.
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The Tlingit language is spoken by Tlingit people living primarily in Southeast Alaska, Tlingit Aaní. The TCLL program is a place-based, culture-based program serving children in kindergarten-8th grade. This course was developed in partnership by Sealaska Heritage Institute, Anna Clock, TCLL, Transparent Language, and 7000 Languages. For more information on SHI, please visit our website: https://sealaskaheritage.org/
Aatlein gunalchéesh to all who contributed to make this course available to language learners.
The Tlingit Language Asynchronous Course is supported by the Alaska Native Education (ANE) program of the US Department of Education PR#S356220010, as part of a $2.7 million award, which pays for 100 percent of the total cost of the program. The contents of this program do not represent the policy, views, or endorsement of ANE, DOE, or the US Government.
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