Reflection is a big part in learning and growth. For me, it helps me consider what is working for me and what might not be. I try to take time to reflect on different things like my parenting, how I am treating others, where my energy is going (and how productive it is), and the person I want to be in general. One area I take the time to reflect on frequently would be my language learning journey. In my last blog post, I wrote about the process of reflection and now I am wanting to focus my next few blog posts on strategies and approaches that work and maybe haven't worked so well, when implementing language learning in our home.
This morning, I was speaking with ningozisens (my littlest son). I've been speaking as much Ojibwemowin to him as I can throughout the day (as well as with my older sons). I have gotten so many wonderful strategies from others (teachers, language learner peers, YouTube videos, podcasts, blogs) in how to expand language learning/speaking in the home. For me, it was always easier to remember to make the effort to speak in the language while I was at work (I am a 4K/Head Start teacher - for those of you that might not know). It made me feel crappy when I realized that I am making more of an effort at my place of work than I was at home with my own children. So, instead of dwelling on that feeling like I was not doing enough for my children, I made myself aware and made a goal to change that.
One strategy that I found really works for me and my brain would be to sing everything. If I want to remember it - I make a song out of it. Two examples from before I went on maternity leave:
"S/he swings" (the kids are huge fans of swinging and for some reason, the word would not stick with me): As I was outside with some non-nappers one day, I started swinging alongside one of the kids. I had looked up the word for "s/he swings" and wrote it on a sticky-note earlier that day - wewebizo. I started singing (to the tune of Frere Jacques) "wewebizo - wewebizo, ishpiming - ishpiming" (way-way-biz-o, way-way-biz-o, ish-pa-ming, ish-pa-ming). Wewebizo: s/he swings, Ishpiming: up in the sky. I kept singing that over and over, as the child next to me laughed. But as I continued to sing, she started singing along with me. Even throughout the next few days she would run up to me before she would go on the swings and repeat the song to me. *Wipes away single tear running down my cheek* Imbaap (I am laughing)
The other example that I thought of frequently was: "you run fast" - I knew how to say "bimibatoo" (s/he runs) but I knew there would be a more descriptive word to say they were going fast. Again, I looked up the word and wrote it down on a post-it. That day when we were outside, the kids were running around and as they would pass me I repeated the word, "gigizhiibatoo". For some reason, the tune of The Addams Family theme song popped into my head and I ran with it (pun intended). I started singing, "gigizhiibatoo" *snap, snap* "gigizhiibatoo" *snap, snap* and kept repeating that as they ran by me (gi-gi-zhee-buh-too).
Conjugation Explanation: Gizhiibatoo - s/he runs fast. Making it 2nd person you add gi- to the beginning so "gigizhiibatoo" would translate to - you run fast. Now if I can't remember the word and I want to tell someone they are running fast, I hum the Addams Family theme song in my head and the word comes back to me.
Now, to circle back to this morning, as I was holding ningozisens and watching him smile in his sleep I knew I wanted to think of a song to remember the word for smiling (another one my brain just won't grasp easily). I wrote down "Zhoomingweni" (s/he smiles) on a post-it and started humming as I continued to watch him smiling in his sleep. I started with the tune of Frere Jacques (it's one I usually start with because it has so much chance for repetition - which is always great for learning/remembering). Here's what I conjured up:
"Zhoomingweni, zhoomingweni
Abinoojiinyens, abinoojiinyens
Giminwendam ina? Giminwendam ina?
Waaseyaa, Waaseyaa"
S/he is smiling, s/he is smiling
Little baby, little baby
Are you happy? Are you happy?
Waaseyaa, Waaseyaa (izhinikaazo)
Within the last week, I watched a YouTube video from Waking Up Ojibwe that expanded on this strategy and gave me so many more ideas. The link for it is: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZzWdIqllMBw&t=4482s - 10/10 highly recommend Waking Up Ojibwe's YouTube channel for anyone that is looking for different language learning approaches. They also have videos of fluent speakers and readings of books, all in Ojibwemowin.
Nagamodaa! Let's sing!
Disclaimer: *I'm not the most confident in trying to spell out words phonetically, so I hope it makes sense*
You can also listen to these words recorded by fluent speakers on The Ojibwe People's Dictionary online.
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