Immersion Experiences and Why They Work
If you stop to speak to any instructor of any foreign language in any high school or college setting, and ask them “What is the best way to learn a language?”, they will inevitably tell you to go to where that language is spoken and surround yourself with it, so you hear it all the time. Our brains are amazing sponges that can soak up experiences and interpret them to communicate with others, thus the absorption and use of languages. Although it has been proven that young people, especially small children, can learn languages faster than adults, this does not mean that adults cannot learn!
Note that the immersion experience takes place where the language is spoken. Where the language is spoken, the culture is practiced as well. You can’t go to France to learn French, and not learn something about the culture as well. The language and the culture go hand in hand. They must be learned together.
Stages of Language Learning:
1. Recognition. The brain recognizes that a different language is being spoken, and recognizes through the sounds, patterns, and intonations that it is a specific language, in this case, Potawatomi.
a. As an adult learner, if you can recognize that a different language is being spoken, and you know what that language is…
b. ….then you can learn it.
2. Comprehension. The brain hits on different words and parts of words, and understands what is being said.
a. As an adult learner, if you can recognize that a word in a language means something…
b. ….then you can learn to respond to it.
3. Usage. The brain sends signals to the mouth with instructions on how to form a response to those words. This is the process that takes the longest, and is the most frustrating for adult learners.
a. As an adult learner, practice is necessary to form new words.
b. Just as language is a form of communication between people, a line of communication must be opened from the brain to the mouth. This takes time.
The Immersion Experience can speed this process by putting gentle pressure on the brain to recognize, comprehend, and respond to the language being spoken. Through immersion, the process of language learning can be reduced by several years.
Consider for a moment the infamous “Boarding School Experience” that has been cited as a major cause of native language decline. In the boarding schools, the children were removed from their culture and placed in a new environment. They were altered physically through the cutting of their hair and the change in their clothing. They were unable to practice their traditional religion, and in many cases were given Christian religious instruction. And they were unable to use their language, under threat of punishment. They were required to learn English to ask for food, to meet other needs, to communicate; in short, to survive. And it worked, too well in many cases, because the English language is now so predominant that many Native people no longer see the need for their own languages! That was the original Immersion Experience, one that should never be repeated, but perhaps one that should be Reversed…
The Reverse Immersion Experience
What are you attempting to Reverse? You are attempting to Reverse the dominance of the English language, and you are trying to Reverse the attitude of indifference toward the Potawatomi language. You are trying to Reverse the indifference toward the Potawatomi culture and replace it with a sense of pride in belonging to such a wonderful nation.
Humans are physical beings who think in symbols. They therefore need a physical connection to something before it becomes a reality for them. Consider the tactics of the “Boarding Schools” – they altered the physical appearance of the children through hair and clothing. They also removed the traditional objects, dismissed them as idol worship, and replaced them with Christian imagery. How to reverse this?
Some suggestions:
· Hair ties or jewelry representative of the culture
· Ribbon Shirts or Traditional Dresses/Shawls
· A cleverly designed T-shirt (let’s face it, material is expensive.)
· A traditional craft that the people make themselves.
· Something tangible that will cause the learner to remember these experiences, and the language involved.
Another aspect of reversal is the reversal of the fear and/or indifference many people have toward their Native spirituality, and specifically Potawatomi Ceremonies. Consider these questions:
· In your community, what is the ratio of those who identify as Traditional Practitioners, those who identify as Christian, and those who are indifferent to either?
· What resources do you have available for ceremonies? Are there grounds dedicated to such a purpose?
· How difficult would it be to gather the materials necessary for a sweat lodge ceremony? How many participants would be interested?
· How difficult would it be to gather the materials necessary for a tobacco burning ceremony? How many participants would be interested?
Folks:
We have done much of what we share with ya all here in this writing and have found many people do identify with much of this. It is a way to allow people to express themselves in a positive manner about their cultural experiences and language.
Again we encourage you to learn your heritage language and speak it as much as you can....
Nin se Neaseno.....
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