Lakota for Classroom Sessions

Rebecca Netzel

Lakota for Classroom Sessions. Lakota expressions and terms related to school and education

ISBN 978-3-86821-217-4, 70 S., € 15,00 (CD-ROM, 2010)

(Lighthouse Unlimited, Bd. 155)

This sampler of vocabulary and phrases offers a useful idiomatic basis for communication at school. Typical vocabulary has been chosen from everyday life and gathered during the author's personal experience in situ, as an honorary volunteer in several charitable projects of non-profit relief organizations in South Dakota, above all on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. Thus, this sampler helps people who work in the range of the education and health system to use short and easy Lakota phrases and thus bridge the gap to the bilingual Lakota youth, reaching them in their own traditional language, which is revitalized in tribal language programs. This sampler is conceived for teachers, volunteers and social workers with basic knowledge in Lakota language who want to improve their skill and make use of it in standard situations. The vocabulary is divided into semantic fields, according to prototypical subjects, such as beginning and ending classroom activities, classroom materials, games, cafeteria, school area, exams, vacations, health education and drug prevention. All this makes it easier for the user to find short expressions which match the situation. A short pronunciation guide with further references can also be consulted. A small dictionary Lakota – English – German – Spanish / English – Lakota – German – Spanish completes the sampler and renders it into a useful tool.