My sister forwarded me this flyer distributed, I believe, by the Dine Language Teachers Association. And I’d like to spread the word as well as inform everyone what this program is actually. It’s a flyer seeking those interested in learning to speak Navajo by participating in their Mentor-Apprentice Program for the Navajo Language. Participants must be 18 yrs or older, commit to 5 hours of study per week. Must meet with your chosen mentor face-to-face but can be virtual via an app. The duration of the program is for 6 months. Oh, and both mentor and apprentice….or teacher and learner……are paid $15 per session. If I’m doing the math correctly that equates to $300 a month for each of the two participants. The Deadline is set for June 16, 2023 and you must email them at the email on the flyer or call directly.

But what is a Mentor-Apprentice Language Program? Wikipedia gives a concise definition: The Master-Apprentice Language Learning Program is a program to help younger community members learn their language of heritage with fluent elders in the community.

Mentors are fluent speakers, don’t necessarily have to be elders but there is an added bonus of having an elder who also bestows cultural knowledge and not just language assistance as the mentor.

I like the sound of this type of program. It focuses on regular language immersion sessions, this means the mentor only speaks the indigenous language during the whole session. And this particular Navajo program is paying both the learner and teacher to participate. Get paid to learn a language?! Why not!!?? I would like to engage in a program like it in the near future. But I lack the free time to commit to this program and am not confident I can locate and mentor who can also commit before the deadline. If you, like me, are unable to join this program you can still start your own Mentor-Apprentice Program just between you and a fluent Navajo speaker. First, I would recommend start with some Googling and reading of the following keywords: master apprentice language learning program

There have been other tribes that have started their own Mentor-Apprentice programs(MAPs). I’ll link this pdf to the Tlingit MAP: click here to view

This will give a pretty good foundation on what a MAP program is, how often to meet, creating session goals and plans, what the roles and responsibilities are for the mentor and apprentice, and what to learn or study together in your sessions. This maybe be specifically for Tlingit but this honestly applies to all indigenous languages. Have a look. Maybe there is a piece you want to incorporate in your own family but on a smaller scale.

But remember, this is only one way to learn a language. For our people it’s actually a very good option for those who can’t attend a Navajo class on or off the reservation but have access to a fluent speaker. This does give more structure for those wanting to learn with a family member because I think we’ve all tried to sit and ask to be taught something in Navajo only to have the conversation trail off into. To be honest these MAPs sound very frustrating in the beginning especially if the learner has absolutely no foundation in, our case, Navajo and the mentor only speaks Navajo. So I recommend to not to try and learn anything complex in the beginning. Learn short phrases, listen, and repeat. Repeat a lot. And I suggest some recording device to use when you are not in a “session” for practice.

Great news! You can watch Star Wars: A New Hope and Finding Nemo in Navajo from the comfort of your own home! A Reddit user noticed the Navajo dubbed version Star Wars was listed in the Extra section of the movie on Disney+.

Both movies were available for limited screenings when they were released in theaters in 2013 and 2016. There were unfortunately a limited number of DVDs available for distribution afterward. There has been a demand to obtain a DVD copy of these titles and I am so glad it accessible via Disney+ now.

To watch, go to either movie of your choice In Disney+.

Then select the Extra section and scroll down until you find the (Navajo Version) in the list.

Unfortunately, they do not include any Navajo subtitles for either movie. I think it was a huge missed opportunity, but we will take what we can get.

Enjoy!!!

I would like to know if anyone would like a language learning plan or roadmap for those wanting to learn Navajo. This would be a simple list of things to tackle in a fluid order to help you to continue to progress in your studying. I get into a rut unless I have some structure when I’m learning a language. Would this be helpful to anyone?

Also, I have been toying with this idea of creating a digital textbook. Free to the public, of course. I think there are enough public domain resources to revamp and have a textbook-like resource for everyone. I’m thinking it could have audio embedded in it, listening exercises, etc. If there is enough interest we could start getting some people together to create such a resource. Please make a comment below to let me know if you would be interested in being part of such a project.

If you are a Navajo speaker that is interested in doing something sooner than later, I have a separate idea for you that could be very helpful to this community. Comment below if that is you.

I’ve been around more Navajos lately and this language topic of learning, speaking and the difficulty of finding people to practice with is something I hear about almost everyday. It’s time for something, something new maybe. I am not sure entirely what, but I have ideas.

I had some time during the quarantine of 2020 to update the site. I’ve fixed some broken links, added new links and also made notes at the top of some posts if any programs, websites, or services are no longer available.

The Audio/Visual, Vocab & Flashcards, and Culture & Tourism pages have many more links. There have been some helpful resources made available in recent years, the flashcard and video sections are a reflection of this. The Culture & Tourism section was fun to update, there’s lots of information there to explore and learn about the Navajo.

Thank you all for checking out the site if you were a new visitor during this time. From the beginning of February to the beginning of May 2020 the site had 2,750 hits from 51 different countries. You all motivated me to make sure you had the most up-to-date Navajo language resources during this global pandemic. Ahe’hee.

Enjoy the new material.

Stay safe out there.

There is a targeted $5 Google Book credit promotion running now thru September 30, 2017. Log into Google Play and then Books. There should be an advertisement that looks like this if you are targeted:

Make sure your choice is $5.01 or more. Use keywords “navajo”, “diné”, and “navaho” to find the few titles on Navajo history and language. The one time discount will be credited at checkout like this:

Don’t forget there are some free (public domain) titles like: The Navaho Language: the elements of Navaho grammar with a dictionary. Enjoy!!

I thought I would pass on this Amazon promotion to everyone. Navajo language materials can be pricey, and what better time to purchase some gifts for yourself or another Navajo language learner than the holiday season.

Receive $10 off any book purchase of at least $25. Use promotion code HOLIDAYBOOK under the “Gift cards & promotional codes” section when checking out. According to the terms and conditions the offer is valid starting November 24th and goes through Nov 28th.

A sample purchase of two books

I’ve tried a combination of different books, the promotion applies to books shipped by Amazon. Third party sellers do not count.

When choosing a book be sure to look at related items at the end of the page. Also take a look at Audio Forum to compare the digital price for some books.

If you don’t have Amazon Prime there is a free trial to take advantage of the free 2-day shipping here.