Language learning expressions LCDD 14 Paya Kuna. LCDD 14 Paya Kuna

314 Language Learning 17. ¿Pia ne? ‗Where are you going?‘ 18. ¿Pia ti? ‗Where have you been?‘ 4 Repetition 19. An itojul. ‗I don‘t understand.‘ 20. ¿Ibi chogzha, wede? ‗What did he say?‘ 21. An igija. ‗I forget.‘ 22. Kannan anka chogbalo. ‗Please repeat it for me.‘ 23. Pinna anka wis choggwelo. ‗Please say it slowly for me.‘ 5 Accuracy 24. Anka chogo, an nojal. ‗Tell me when I make a mistake.‘ 25. Pedin anka chogo. ‗You say it to me.‘ 26. ¿Inikigwa? ‗Correct the same??‘

b. Eliciting information138

1 Questions This is the most common and easiest way of getting information, whether in a formal language session or a casual contact. However, you need to follow up on your first question: e.g., if you saw a pig and asked, ¿Ibi wede? ‗What is that?‘ then if feasible, you should follow it up with a whole string of questions, such as: 2. ¿Ibi kun? ‗What does it eat?‘ 3. ¿Pia mai? ‗Where does it live?‘ 4. ¿Toagad? ‗Whose is it?‘ 5. ¿Ibi chenai? ‗What is it doing?‘ 6. ¿Igi talde, igi pe ebinzhe? ‗What do you think, how does it look?‘ This type of questioning will do several things for you:

1. It may produce new vocabulary. 2. It will reinforce old vocabulary.

3. It will help you determine the usage of words. You will discover that chickens don ‘t kun ‗eat‘ food but that they ma ‗peck‘ food. 4. It will help you build up vocabulary according to topic according to semantic field. This means that you will become familiar with many of the words associated with ―pigs‖ in the above example. That means that the next time you are out on a walk, you will not only be able to comment ¡Pe take, china ‗Look, pigs‘ but you will be able also to comment on their size, color, activity, likes and dislikes, what they taste like, etc.

5. By using the new word in several questions, you will learn it.

2 Error technique The idea here is to use a totally wrong word in the place of the item you wish to know. Hopefully, you will be corrected and, thus, supplied with the word, e.g., if you saw a guacamayo parrot flying overhead and you wanted to know what it ‘s called, you say, ―Look at that pig up there‖ The person will invariably reply, ―That‘s not a chin ‗pig‘, that‘s a nalu ‗guacamayo parrot‘.‖ Or, ―He‘s cooking in the river‖ would 138 For further discussion of this subject, read Eliciting Vocabulary, Meaning and Collocations by John Beekman 1968, Notes on Translation 29:1 –11; and Language Learners Field Guide by Alan Healey 1975, Ukarumpa, Papua New Guinea, Summer Institute of Linguistics. Appenxix N 315 bring a reply of, ―No, he‘s tommomanai ‗swimming‘.‖ You can use anything that doesn‘t make sense in the situation. 3 Observation You can expand your knowledge of the language by observing what is said in a given situation. However, this is fairly risky as your interpretation of the situation may be completely erroneous. However, it is very useful in checking information elicited previously, especially that gathered in formal, artificial situations. 4 Use of pictures By looking at pictures with a Kuna visitor, either photos or magazines, you can glean valuable insights into Kuna. One good method is to discuss what you are looking at in a magazine with your visitor as a planned activity during his visit. 5 Use of texts Increased fluency and naturalness can be acquired by memorizing short texts. A text may be a conversation dialogue between two people or a single person monologue telling of an event or expressing an opinion on a subject. The language learner will find it very helpful to use a short text that deals with his surroundings or situation and to visiting throughout the village using the memorized text with the people he meets. He should write out the text he plans to use. He may develop it from a short conversation that he has heardrecorded. He should read the text aloud to a close Kuna friend who is willing to check it for accuracy before it is memorized. The following guidelines in text making may prove helpful: 1. The text should be short Early texts for the purpose of memorization should be no more than three or four exchanges. After some degree of fluency is achieved, the texts may be lengthened. 2. The subject matter should be relevant to your situation. 3. The text should be as natural as possible. The ideal source is a type of spontaneous conversation between two people. 4. Intonation should always be learned first. Individual sounds, meanings of words or grammatical constructions are secondary. 5. After the text has been mastered and used several times in a natural situation, the language learner should start substituting other vocabulary items, a few at a time, making sure the intonation pattern and speed are maintained. 6. Once substitution has been mastered, try jotting down several pieces of information about a single subject. Organize the information into a single text. Be sure to check the text you develop with a Kuna friend who is willing to check your text for naturalness and accuracy. 7. Use one text type at a time see Section 20.4.12.

3. Speaking Kuna

Speak, speak, speak Use every opportunity you can. Work hard to control the conversation signals and sustainers in Section 11.2.

a. Correcting It is important that the people correct you all the time. Now this is hard to do.

1 From your viewpoint a Pride It is hard for anyone to be constantly corrected. It ‘s humiliating. But you have to put your pride in your pocket and take correction.