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Osage
Language Teaching and Research
Language:
Osage
Program
Base: House and other private settings in Tulsa, Oklahoma
Goals:
- To
teach appreciation and respect for the Osage language.
- To
teach conversational and other uses of oral language.
- To
enable students to analyze any new sentences they encounter.
- To
stimulate students to help advance research into Osage.
Brief
Description:
Inter Lingua, Inc. provides instruction in the Osage language in
private classes attended by a group of eight, nearly all of whom
are Osage. Two in the class, in turn, teach the same material in
their own classes at the beginning level. Syntax and grammar are
emphasized rather than word lists or rote memorization of sentences.
Speech making and public praying are taught, as students want to
use the language at Osage events. Middle-aged adults attend the
classes, but all ages are welcome. The first class was held in 1993
in response to a request from a tribal member to teach him and his
family. Eventually some members dropped out and other tribal members
joined the class.
The
instructor is a linguist who has researched the Osage language and
has become partially fluent in the language. She developed a writing
system for this heretofore unwritten language, and former students
have incorporated her system into their own teaching.
Materials:
Children's stories, books, worksheets, and excerpts from a grammar
published in 1997.
Support:
In the past, the National Endowment for the Humanities funded
the research, and a private foundation provided some support as
well. Native speakers have participated in the research and assisted
with the classes, and one student has helped as a volunteer with
editing. The work also involved collaboration with a university,
including a university linguistics department.
Contact
Information:
Dr. Carolyn Quintero, President
Inter Lingua, Inc.
1711 East 15th Street
Tulsa, OK 74104-4608
http://www.interlingua.com
interlinguainc@compuserve.com
(918) 743-2424/ Fax: (918) 743-1347
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