In both learning and teaching a language, the goal should be nativelike competency, not just partial

(This is the second installment of a 2-part blog. The first installment was released yesterday.)

Dear Fellow Earthlings,

Quite often I ask GajEhsOh (one of the last remaining speakers of the Seneca (OnOdowAga:) language to translate something I say in English on the spot. For short expressions, such as "yes", "no", and "I'm hungry", she provides instant translations. For more involved expressions, such as "Elephants are native to Africa." she produces explanations, such as "The huge animals with long noses do not live here; they live in a place across the sea toward the south." Here, GajEhsOh's prowess as a native speaker is evident. But then when I ask her to translate gestures that go into secret rituals of her faith or that deal with very complicated technical matters, she would put up defenses and let me know she would not be "going there" -- or that for technical matters, she and her people "just use English". By limiting access to OnOdowAga: to only true believers, GejEhsOh was limiting limiting the power of her native tongue, since there are a dozen or so native speakers left, with the bulk of her people who still practice their religion either being unable to speak OnOdowAga: at all. As for my second request (for her to translate ("I want JaysEh to download some information on my computer.") -- this time dealing with OnOdawAga:s capacity to interface with the modern world -- she was throwing up barriers in saying "We just use English words there." If the usage of OnOdowAga: is limited to only religious or "family" situtations, then the language will shrink in many dimensions, eventually reaching obscurity and, possibly a state of extinction. This type of situation is not unique to the Amerindian languages of North America. It extends also to those of the Central America and South America -- as well as to the many indigenous languages around the rest of the world. Economic utility for the native languages of Mexico is so low that it smacks of economic futility, Hence, despite the efforts of such Earthsavers as the martyred Berta Cáceres , the non-Spanish speakers of Mexico and Central America generally feel anathema to being called native Americans. How can a language go on if it has little economic worth or social esteem?

So many people on Earth actually wish to just speak English or some other major language due to the feeling that their own "local" languages are not "global" enough. Think, fellow Earthlings!, Can a people or their language and institutions become global if the people in question do not have the attitude that their cultural institutions (including their native language) are not "world class".

There IS hope (Did you extrapolate the word as you read yesterday's installment?) for Earth's languages. It lies in making ourselves willing to share all aspects of our native languages with the other peoples of the world, with having the confidence in our respective native languages that of their capacity for becoming languages of high technology and science -- not merely a means for fostering religious and/or providing nostalgic interludes when we are with others of our own ethnic group and/or religious affiliation. For speakers who wish to preserve the distinctive features of their native languages, it is so important to actually employ them in various social contexts. Let us take the English expression "Bless you!" used to respond to someone's sneezing. Native speakers of French ordinarily do not say anything if someone they are with sneezes. On the other hand, native speakers of Arabic often ritualize it as follows: A: sneezes Y: Alhamdu lillah. A: Arhamak Allah. Y: Yarhamakum Allah (or Yahadina wa yahadikum Allah. The speakers of all languages deal with the world by saying things in culture specific ways. To protect our own native languages, we must, as a group, respect and protect ALL people's native languages. Steve Walker Earthsaver and Jingles Creator

© 2013 Steve Walker, The Jingles-The Japan Foundation for English Pronunciation, Summit Enterprises.