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Dr.Tod Swanson with a native speaker course assistant.
Summer 2018 . Contact Hours
Shuar/Chicham languages are spoken by about 90,000 people in the Ecuadorian and Peruvian Amazon region: 7000 Achuar speakers, Shuar 35,000+, Awajun 38,000+, Wampis 9000.
This language is spoken by very few outsiders and is not taught at the university level in any other institution.
In this course Dr. Tod Swanson works with the students as a co-learner/instructor of Shiwiar/Achuar providing linguistic expertise and structure for students working with native speakers. Students will receive 140 class room contact hours of instruction in Achuar/Shiwiar. Classes will be held 5 hours per day Monday through Friday for 7 weeks June 5-29 and July 5-29 (includes travel days).
The course introduces the student to the basic grammar and vocabulary of Achuar/Shiwiar dialect of Chicham (Jivaroan language). The goal of the course is to bring students to an intermediate level in the language. Students will work with a native speaker under the guidance of faculty in trained in Amazonian Linguistics. Pre and post course testing of Quichua comprehension, speaking, and writing ability is conducted using
both written and oral tests. These tests assess progress toward the performance goals set forth in the
USDE IRIS testing instruments.
Readings and Resources:
Tod Swanson, Achuar Chicham: Lessons for Language Learning (PowerPoints and exercises in Quizlet)
Chicham Diccionario Shuar-castellano (Spanish) Paperback – 2005
Fast, Gehrhardt. Fast, Gerhard; Fast, Ruby. 1981. Ministerio de Educación and Summer Institute of
Linguistics.
Rouby, Angel. Shuar Chichám: Gramática Shuar1983
Juncosa, Jose E. 1999 Etnografia de la comunicacion verbal shuar
Course requirements:
Midterm.
Participation Student are expected to come to class prepared and participate in class discussion. Participation (40%) Midterm (30%)
Final (30%)
Objectives: On completing this class the student should be able to
1.Make social introductions, use greeting and leave-taking expressions.
2.Talking about spatial movement so as to be able to ask or give directions on how to get from one place to another.
3.Ask and answer simple questions about date and place of birth, nationality, marital status, occupation,
4.Make basic living arrangements.
5.Be able make social introductions and use greeting and leave-taking expressions.
6.Buy needed items in a store.
7.Be able to understand simple sentences on these topics performed at normal speed by native speakers.
8.Be able to construct basic sentences in the present and past tenses with correct use of the direct object marker and word order.
9.Be able to use the noun suffixes -maya to describe movement in space.
10. Be able to ask yes/no questions
II.Grading
6 Tests: 60%.
PowerPoint Achuar/Shiwiar dialogues 40%.
Schedule (Subject to change)
Saturday June 1 Arrive in Quito
Sunday June 2 Travel to Iyarina
Monday June 3 . 9: 30 AM – 1:00 PM Introduction
Introduction to Shiwiar/Achuar in relation to other Jivaroan languages.
1:00 – 2:30 PM Lunch
2:30 PM – 4:00 PM
Pronunciation. Basic sentence structure.
Tuesday June 4 classroom hours
9:30-1:00 Learn basic greetings and introductions.
The infinitive and Present..
1:00 – 2:30 PM Lunch
2:30 PM – 4:00 pm Elicit, record, and transcribe sentences with verbs in the present tense with direct object. Work with basic vocabulary
Wednesday , June 5 5 classroom hours
9:30 AM – 1:00 PM Elicit, record, and transcribe sentences with verbs in the present tense with direct object. Drill associating verbs with pictures. Work with basic vocabulary
1:00 – 2:30 PM Lunch
2:30 PM – 4:00 PM Elicit, record, and transcribe sentences with verbs in the present tense with direct. object. Drill associating verbs with pictures. Work with basic vocabulary
Thursday June 6 5 classroom hours
9:30 AM – 1:00 PM Elicit, record, and transcribe sentences with verbs in the present tense with direct object. Drill associating verbs with pictures. Work with basic vocabulary
1:00 – 2:30 PM Lunch
2:30 PM – 4:00 PM Elicit, record, and transcribe sentences with verbs in the present tense with direct object. Drill associating verbs with pictures. Work with basic vocabulary
Friday June 7 5 classroom hours
8:30 Breakfast
9:30 AM – 1:00 PM Work with Achuar/Shiwiar suffixes that work like the prepositions to, from, in.
Work with vocabulary of place using the suffixes with verbs in the presence sense.
1:00 – 2:30 PM Lunch
2:30 PM – 4:00 PM Work with Achuar/Shiwiar suffixes that work like the prepositions to, from, in.
Work with vocabulary of place using the suffixes with verbs in the presence tense.
Saturday and Sunday June 8-9 . No Classes
Week 2: The Language of Place
Performance goals: Learn to ask and give rudimentary directions. Be able to construct simple sentences about spatial relationships. Be able to tell where you are going and where you are coming from
Monday June 10. 9: 30 AM – 1:00 PM Introduction
Introduction to Shiwiar/Achuar in relation to other Jivaroan languages.
1:00 – 2:30 PM Lunch
2:30 PM – 4:00 PM
Pronunciation. Basic sentence structure.
Tuesday June 11 classroom hours
9:30-1:00 Learn basic greetings and introductions.
The infinitive and Present..
1:00 – 2:30 PM Lunch
2:30 PM – 4:00 pm Elicit, record, and transcribe sentences with verbs in the present tense with direct object. Work with basic vocabulary
Wednesday , June 12 5 classroom hours
9:30 AM – 1:00 PM Elicit, record, and transcribe sentences with verbs in the present tense with direct object. Drill associating verbs with pictures. Work with basic vocabulary
1:00 – 2:30 PM Lunch
2:30 PM – 4:00 PM Elicit, record, and transcribe sentences with verbs in the present tense with direct. object. Drill associating verbs with pictures. Work with basic vocabulary
Thursday June 13 5 classroom hours
9:30 AM – 1:00 PM Elicit, record, and transcribe sentences with verbs in the present tense with direct object. Drill associating verbs with pictures. Work with Achuar/Shiwiar suffixes that work like the prepositions to, from, in.
In working with these suffixes use verbs in the present tense eliciting further vocabulary of place.
Work with basic vocabulary
1:00 – 2:30 PM Lunch
2:30 PM – 4:00 PM Elicit, record, and transcribe sentences with verbs in the present tense with direct object. Drill associating verbs with pictures. Work with basic vocabulary
Friday June 14 5 classroom hours
8:30 Breakfast
9:30 AM – 1:00 PM Work with Achuar/Shiwiar suffixes that work like the prepositions to, from, in.
Work with vocabulary of place using the suffixes with verbs in the presence sense.
1:00 – 2:30 PM Lunch
2:30 PM – 4:00 PM Work with Achuar/Shiwiar suffixes that work like the prepositions to, from, in.
Work with vocabulary of place using the suffixes with verbs in the presence tense.
Work with Achuar/Shiwiar suffixes that work like the prepositions to, from, in.
In working with these suffixes use verbs in the presence tense eliciting further vocabulary of place.
Test over vocabulary.
Saturday and Sunday, June 15 and 16:
Monday, June 17 5 classroom hours
9:30 AM – 1:00 PM Work with Achuar/Shiwiar questions markers for asking about place. Formulate and answer questions about place? In working with these questions use verbs in the presence tense eliciting further vocabulary of place.
1:00 – 2:30 PM Lunch
2:30-4:00 Work with Achuar/Shiwiar suffixes that work like the prepositions to, from, in.
In working with these suffixes use verbs in the presence tense eliciting further vocabulary of place.
Tuesday , June 18 5 classroom hours
9:30 AM – 1:00 PM Further work with Achuar/Shiwiar suffixes that work like the prepositions to, from, in. In working with these suffixes use verbs in the presence tense eliciting further vocabulary of place.
1:00 – 2:30 PM Lunch
3:00-4:30 Work with Achuar/Shiwiar suffixes that work like the prepositions to, from, in.
In working with these suffixes use verbs in the presence tense eliciting further vocabulary of place.
Wednesday, June 19 5 classroom hours
9:30 AM – 1:00 PM Learn kinship terms. Elicit simple sentences using the vocabulary you know to describe your family
2:30-4:00
Thursday, June 20 5 classroom hours
9:30 AM – 1:00 PM Elicit language for asking questions about family using the model provided.
1:00 PM – 2:30 PM Lunch
2:30 PM – 4:00 PM Practice your interview questions about family with a native speaker. Practice telling a native speaker about your family.
Friday, June 21 5 classroom hours
9:30 AM – 1:00 PM Achuar/Shiwiar possessives. Drill with possessives. Incorporate possessives into the sentences you practice on family.
1:00 – 2:30 PM Lunch
2:30 PM – 4:00 PM Practice your interview questions about family with a native speaker. Practice telling a native speaker about your family.
Saturday and Sunday, June 22 and 23:
Monday-Friday, June 24-30 Break
Monday, July 2 5 classroom hours
9:30 AM – 1:00 PM Further work with possessives.
1:00 – 2:30 PM Lunch
2:30 PM – 4:00 PM
Tuesday, July 3 5 classroom hours
9:30 AM – 1:00 PM Finish power point in Shiwiar/Achuar describing your childhood. Describe the places using the locative marker. Present your power points.
2:30 PM – 4:00 PM Trip to Misahualli
Wednesday, July 4 5 classroom hours
9:30 AM – 1:00 PM Continue working on the past tense with agentive suffix -j:
Rework your mock crime or accident report with a native speaker. Record the native speaker’s fluent version of each sentence.
2:30 PM – 4:00 PM
Thursday, July 5 5 classroom hours
9:30 AM – 1:00 PM Review
2:30 PM – 4:00 PM Midterm Exam
Friday, July 6 5 classroom hours
9:30 AM – 1:00 PM Continued work with the future. Further writing of dialogues to present plans to a community.Share your dialogue with fellow students and native speaker assistants.
1:00 – 2:30 PM Lunch
2:30 PM – 4:00 PMDrills with temporal phrases. Test over new vocabulary.
Saturday and Sunday July 7-8:
Monday, July 9 5 classroom hours
9:30 AM – 1:00 PM Conditional tense.
1:00 – 2:30 PM Lunch
2:30 PM – 4:00 PM Structured classroom drills and conversation with native speakers. Test over the future tense.
Tuesday , July 10 5 classroom hours
9:30 AM – 1:00 PM Work with co-referential verbs in dependent clauses with suffixes. Work on dialogues in your “islands of competence.
1:00-2:30Lunch
2:30-4:00Amplify description of family history to include co-referential verbs in dependent clauses. Work with native speakers of transcription of Shiwiar videos to improve comprehension. Drills with temporal phrases. Test over new vocabulary.
Wednesday, July 11 5 classroom hours
9:30 AM – 1:00 PM Further work with co-referential verbs in dependent clauses. jpi. Work on dialogues in your “islands of competence.
1:00-2:30Lunch
2:30-4:00Rework your previous description of a crime or accident scene to make it more sophisticated using co-referenced or dependent verbs.
Thursaday, July 12 5 classroom hours
9:30 AM – 1:00 PM Shiwiar language for working with the environment
1:00-2:30Lunch
2:30-4:00 Practice listening to and writing simple dialogue on working with a community on the environment. Use both past and future tenses to portray events and their probable future consequences. Also use the conditional with verbs in dependent clauses. Test over new vocabulary.
Friday, July 13 5 classroom hours
9:30 AM – 1:00 PM Continue drilling on Shiwiar language for working with the environment.
1:00-2:30Lunch
2:30-4:00 PM Continue listening to and writing simple dialogue on working with a community on environment issues. .
Saturday and Sunday, July 14 and 15:
Monday, July 16 5 classroom hours
9:30 AM – 1:00 PM Language for talking about buying, selling and business
1:00-2:30Lunch
2:30-4:00 Language for hiring an assistant in a Shiwiar community.
Practice writing dialogues around buying and selling. Use past and present tenses as well as verbs in dependent clauses.
Tuesday, July 17 5 classroom hours
9:30 AM – 1:00 PM Practice writing dialogues around interviewing for a job. Use past and present tenses as well as verbs in dependent clauses. Further work on business Shiwiar. Language for talking about buying, selling, and business.
1:00-2:30 Lunch
2:30-4:00 Practice writing dialogues around buying and selling. Use past and present tenses as well as verbs in dependent clauses.
Wednesday, July 18
9:30 AM – 1:00 PM Language for participating in a community political meeting
1:00-2:30 Lunch
2:30-4:00 Practice writing dialogues around participating in a community meeting. Use past and present tenses as well as verbs in dependent clauses. Use polite and diplomatic speech.
Thursday, July 19 5 classroom hours
he final week focuses on interviewing traditional speakers, transcribing the interviews, discussing them and improving interview technique. Analysis of grammar and the learning of new vocabulary comes from working with instructors on interview texts.
8:30 Breakfast
9:30 AM – 1:00 PM Students interview native speaker course assistants in pairs on selected topics. Questions are carefully prepared ahead of time.
1:00 – 2:30 PM Lunch
2:30 PM – 4:00PM Transcriptions and analysis of Shiwiar interview videos.
Friday, July 20 5 classroom hours
8:30Breakfast
9:30 AM – 1:00 PM Students interview native speaker course assistants in pairs on selected topics. Questions are carefully prepared ahead of time.
1:00 – 2:30 PM Lunch
2:30 PM – 4:00 PM Transcriptions and analysis of Shiwiar interview videos.
Saturday and Sunday, July 21 and 22
Monday, July 23 5 classroom hours
8:30 Breakfast
9:30 AM – 1:00 PM Students interview native speaker course assistants in pairs on selected topics. Questions are carefully prepared ahead of time.
1:00 – 2:30 PM Lunch
2:30 PM – 4:00PM Transcriptions and analysis of Shiwiar interview videos.
Tuesday, July 24 5 classroom hours
8:30 AM Breakfast
9:30 AM – 1:00 PM Transcriptions and analysis of Shiwiar interview videos.
1:00 – 2:30 PM Lunch
2:30 PM – 4:00 PM Final exam and IRIS Assessment.
Wednesday, July 25 5 classroom hours
8:30 Breakfast
9:30 AM – 1:00 PM Students interview native speaker course assistants in pairs on selected topics. Questions are carefully prepared ahead of time.
1:00 – 2:30 PM Lunch
2:30 PM – 4:00PM Transcriptions and analysis of Kichwa interview videos.
Thursday, July 26 5 classroom hours
8:30 AM Breakfast
9:30 AM – 1:00 PM Course wrap up. Presentation of student projects.
1:00 – 2:30 PM Lunch
2:30 PM – 4:00 PM Final exam and IRIS Assessment.
7:00 PM Dinner
Friday, July 27:
Travel to Quito.
5 classroom hours
9:30 AM – 1:00 PM Work with medical Shiwiar
1:00-2:30Lunch
2:30-4:00 Write a dialogue on illness and health with a native speaker.
Test over the week’s work.