Deborah’s Task 3

In this assignment, Deborah and I made similar observations and conclusions from the voice to text activity. As expected, the text from this assignment appeared more conversational than formal. Our thoughts would trail on as we rambled and punctuation was incorrect or non-existent. However, the fact that we have knowledge of sentence structure and how to properly format writing, I think affects the way that we speak.

Building on Deborah’s ideas, oral storytelling aims to pass on knowledge from one group or generation to the next. The beauty of oral storytelling is that depending on the storyteller, they can deliver the story in their own way, whether it be through their unique mannerisms or an emotional connection.  

According to the CBC article, an app was developed to help youth learn Indigenous languages (Ojibway, Cree, and Oji-Cree). This inventive method will engage 21st century learners and assist with the preservation of Indigenous languages. The app was created with the understanding that elders, who know the language, are passing away and require a tool to carry on the language and traditions (Hadley, 2019).

I made a connection to this as I reflect on the use of Cantonese in my family throughout the generations. Seeing that I grew up in a household that spoke Cantonese and English, as an adult, I prefer to speak English most of the time and rarely speak Cantonese unless it’s with my parents or grandpa. As a child, I had a much larger vocabulary in Cantonese simply because I used it more. Given that my partner and I are from different cultures and backgrounds (Chinese and Hungarian), I wonder if we will pass on either of our ethnic languages to our children. Moreover, if they want to learn Cantonese or Hungarian later on in life, it will be more difficult to acquire the language as an adult. 

Hadley, H. (2019, January 11). New Indigenous language app targets ’21st century’ learners. CBC News.