Lost in the Translation

[Riverkilt]

Understand about dying languages needing to struggle to survive.

The Navajo language (Dine' Bizzad) is being spoken more and more on the Navajo Nation. Even schools in the border towns teach Navajo at the Elementary, Middle School, High School, and Community College level - for those who want to learn.

Many adult Navajos grew up hearing their parents speak Navajo and can understand it - but do not speak it well.

Few read the written Navajo language. A few years ago AA went to the Navajo Nation government to begin work on printing the AA Big Book in Navajo to help reach Navajo speaking alcoholics. The Navajo Nation government advisors suggested that few would be able to read such a book - particularly those with a drinking problem - and recommended instead that the book be translated onto audio tape or CDs.

A few years back I took a "Conversational Navajo" course in attempt to at least be social. Never felt so "Japanese" in my life (think codetalkers of WW2), Navajo is a very difficult language to learn. So I focused on learning to say in Navajo, "Does anyone here speak English?"

Education and usage are necessary to preserve a language in danger of dying. Every little bit helps. Ain't it a joy that there were people still able to read the error on the sign!

[Sir William]

Understand about dying languages needing to struggle to survive.

Too true. I have an Abenaki friend whose family is trying to preserve the language, stories and songs of their people.

[dfmacliam]

I get ya Ron, but as you know, my kids are Navajo. My daughter is a Head Start teacher (early childhood development). The kids have Navajo language as part of their studies.
I, myself, am a first generation non Gaelic speaker. My mother felt it would just make us stand out, when we came to the States. It's a shame, I wish I was able to speak Irish Gaelic, it might have taken me down a different path in Life....

[Galician]

Let me assure you folks that it doesn't happen just with "exotic" languages. The NYC Transit Authority posts everything in both English and Spanish. Their Spanish translations of various slogans is a clear example of someone thinking in one language while writing another.

I also just noticed that the bilingual religious calender given out by my church gave the Spanish version of one saint's name as female when this particular saint was a male. Since he was a priest, I couldn't help wondering what the pope would have thought of this particular sex change.