A new textbook to teach people how to speak, read and write Chamorro aims to keep the Pacific language from disappearing as the number of native speakers dwindles.
For years, retired University of Hawaiʻi professor Faye Untalan offered free lessons to teach Chamorro students their native language.
"It's hard to teach any language without a textbook. And so I struggled through. Thank God, I had very smart, cooperative students," she said.
When a student asked Untalan about receiving college credit for the class, she decided it was time to start developing a proper textbook — which has not existed at the college level.
Untalan approached the UH Mānoa Department of Indo-Pacific Languages and Literatures, which offered help with developing a standardized curriculum. She also gathered faculty from Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands.
With the University of Guam Press, Untalan published her college-level textbook, “Finu' Chamorro For Beginners,” in January.
"I think it's very, very comprehensive, but it's not the last or the best. And I think over time that it will be improved as we learn better how to teach the language," she said.
Untalan said a language becomes extinct only if people stop using it. She said language is more than just an avenue to landing a good job — it's the heart and soul of a culture.
"I think now there's more movement as more students yearn to learn how to speak their native language — and it may be coming back. I hope so."
This interview aired on The Conversation on May 7, 2024. The Conversation airs weekdays at 11 a.m. on HPR-1.
