Ola Nā Iwi:
“Ola Nā Iwi” Hawaiian language institute is an annual educational program focusing on the oral use of the Hawaiian language in various cultural contexts. For 10 days, students live with University Hawaiian language teachers, kūpuna (Hawaiian elders), and native speakers of various ages from the Ni‘ihau community.
This institute, conducted completely in Hawaiian, provides an environment for students to be immersed in the language and culture for the entire period of this educational experience. This is a proven method of language education – especially for oral production. To practice this type of immersion education is challenging for students during a regular semester because of the lack of continuous contact hours throughout the semester. Offering it during the summer allows students to commit the kind of time necessary for a successful immersion education experience.
Prerequisite:
Completion of second-year college-level Hawaiian Language Course or equivalent.
Learning Process:
The participating kūpuna are our cultural caretakers as they were raised in the Hawaiian language with a deep grounding in the culture. Their knowledge is not learned in books, but rather passed on through practical application. Similarly, the relatively young Ni'ihau participants are raised in the language and culture in today’s modern world. Their experiences provide a more contemporary language model for all participants. These people are the most valuable resources for Ola Nā Iwi.
Formal discussions and teaching take place daily during the early evening. Typically, students have a lot of questions pertaining to the events and languaging that took place during the day. This discussion time is conducted completely in Hawaiian and provides students an opportunity to use more academic language and language specific to language learning and teaching.
Assignments:
Although an enormous amount of learning will happen intrinsically, there will be daily formal classes. The core of the content for the formal classes will consist of:
Means of Evaluation:
Upon completion of Ola Nā Iwi Hawaiian Language Institute, students will be required to recite a Hawaiian chant of origin, the Hawaiian moon phases, and a story from one of the places we will be visiting. They will also be required to explain the significance of each of these. Students will also go through a brief interview, in the beginning and at the conclusion of the institute, regarding their progress in language acquisition. Journals will be read by the instructors throughout the course of the institute as well as at the conclusion.
Nā hana e ho'oikaika 'ia ai ka 'ōlelo: