Starting a Chamoru Language Podcast with My Teens
For all my children, since the moment they were born, no matter what the topic, I only speak to them in Chamoru. This doesn’t mean that every single word is in Chamoru, as sometimes English words, or other words must be used or translated into Chamoru. But given my commitment to perpetuating the native language of the indigenous people of the Marianas, it means we use Chamoru and adapt Chamoru, no matter what the topic or context. Language are however social organisms, which means that for most people, children included, even if you use it with them, unless it is reinforced, and there is a sense of community or value associated with it, keeping the language alive and in turn passing it on will be difficult. Even if you speak Chamoru to your own children, they might speak it back to you, but if they don’t perceive that others around them speak it or that it doesn’t have any value expect in the past or within very narrow means, there is a marginal chance they will ...