Strengthening Distance Learning for Indigenous Languages in Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic

FAIN: ZPA-283883-22

University of Oregon (Eugene, OR 97403-5219)
Gabriela Perez Baez (Project Director: May 2021 to September 2023)

The partial retention of three faculty and the addition of language experts and student workers to expand, through digital technology, two initiatives at the University of Oregon that encourage the preservation and teaching of Indigenous language restoration in the United States. 

The Northwest Indian Language Institute and the National Breath of Life Archival Institute for Indigenous Languages share a common mission to support Indigenous language restoration efforts in the United States. These institutes endeavor to increase capacity within Native American communities for the preservation of their unique cultural, historical, and linguistic heritage. The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly impacted the ability of both institutes to carry out their work, which is primarily accomplished through in-person trainings. In the past year, both programs have pivoted toward online learning and on-demand trainings to continue a modified version of normal operations, expand program accessibility, and meet the varying needs of program participants. This project seeks funding to support humanities positions and to build upon the emerging online experience and resources to create a robust catalog of distance learning offerings that follow best practices in online pedagogy.

Media Coverage

Native language institutes get federal COVID-19 relief funding (Media Coverage)
Author(s): Anna Glavash Miller
Publication: Around the O
Date: 10/29/2021
URL: https://around.uoregon.edu/content/native-language-institutes-get-federal-covid-19-relief-funding

Associated Products

Online and hybrid courses for language revitalization practitioners and K-12 teachers and administrators (Course or Curricular Material)
Title: Online and hybrid courses for language revitalization practitioners and K-12 teachers and administrators
Author: Northwest Indian Language Institute
Abstract: Course materials including newly-created videos are available for future course offerings. Courses developed and offered include: Course new or revised for NEH ARP format Audience and # of registered participants Offered 1) Immersion new Online synchronous Burns Paiute Tribe (10) Fall 21 2) Teaching Your Language to Others rev Online synchronous Yakama Nation Higher Ed.(15) Spr 22 3) Assessment rev Online synchronous LR practitioners (27) Spr 22 (Summer Inst) 4) Teaching Your Language Online rev Online synchronous LR practitioners (15) Spr 22 (Summer Inst) 5) Digital Language Revitalization rev Online asynchronous LR practitioners (19) Su 2022 6) Linguistic Analysis of Archival Materials for Language Teaching & Learning new Online Asynchronous with 2 synchronous meetings LR practitioners (6) Su 22 7) Native Languages of Oregon new Online Blended synch/asynch K-12 teachers, admin.(24) Su 22 8) Educational Policy and Language Restoration new Online Blended synch/asynch K-12 teachers, admin. (18) Su 22 9) Introduction to Linguistic analysis n/a – collaborative offering Hybrid: Online and in person groups synchronous LR practitioners (11) Su 22 Working with CASLS at UO we developed 16 short videos that support the courses. Video topics Include assessment (summative, formative, validity); strategies (comprehensible input, mini-stories, appropriate technology, pair activities; teaching a process; teaching with song); teaching methods (matching goals and methods; immersion; total physical response; communicative language teaching; learning in community; at-home learning; master-apprentice).
Year: 2022
Primary URL: https://nili.uoregon.edu/
Primary URL Description: Website of the Northwest Indian Language Institute where a diversity of resources including curriculum and training are listed.
Secondary URL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pwiKmMP9ZD8
Secondary URL Description: YouTube channel of the Northwest Indian Language Institute where the produced videos will be made available in early 2023.
Audience: K - 12

National Breath of Life Self-directed Training Program (Course or Curricular Material)
Title: National Breath of Life Self-directed Training Program
Author: The National Breath of Life Archival Institute for Indigenous Languages
Abstract: The National Breath of Life Self-directed Training Program is intended to provide online training offerings to Native American Community Archivists through technical linguistics content relevant to Community Archivists carrying out archives-based research for language revitalization, delivered through professional videos and interactive materials on EdApp. The Linguistics PhD student developed learning objectives for the self-paced training program and organized the technical linguistics content into two topical areas: Sounds (phonetics and phonology) and Grammar (morphology and syntax). Each topical area was comprised of chapters with mini-lessons including an assessment lesson and an applied activities lesson. Each chapter had articulated learning objectives and a detailed script for each mini-lesson that included examples from a diversity of languages with an emphasis on Native languages. Each script was audio recorded and supplemented with animations and interactive activities developed on EdApp. TOPIC AREA with Chapters and minilessons SOUNDS Chapter 1: Introduction to human speech sounds (10 lessons) Chapter 2: Speech sounds and how languages use them (6 lessons) Chapter 3: Written orthographic representations (7 lessons) Chapter 4: Beyond consonant and vowels (6 lessons) GRAMMAR Chapter 1: Introduction (5 lessons) Chapter 2: Morphology (9 lessons) Chapter 3: Syntax (9 lessons)
Year: 2022
Primary URL: https://mc.miamioh.edu/nbol/
Primary URL Description: URL of the National Breath of Life Archival Institute for Indigenous Languages where the Self-directed Training Program will be posted in early 2023.
Audience: General Public

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