New Year, New Language Journey

Aloha kakou,

This will be the last email for this year so let’s make it a good one.

I’ve never been one to participate in the clique of “New Year's Resolutions,” but I Believe in the value of setting goals. As the new year approaches, I hope you are reflecting on your successes and your failures in learning Hawaiian. So my question to you is, how are you going to improve this next year?

For me, I have a number of things I’m working on. Here’s my list of what I plan to do this year to improve and create more depth to my language skills:

• Read Kepelino’s Traditions of Hawaii
• Listen to the Oral History Collection at Bishop Museum
• Spend more time with friends who speak Hawaiian

To close out this year, I have another life story and some last words of advice. To see real progression with the language, you have to listen, read, write and speak in Hawaiian. If you focus too much on one of these, your other skills will take a hit. Here’s an experience that demonstrates that. 

Years ago, I walked into a classroom where peers were complaining about a student. During an oral presentation, everyone in the class spoke except this particular student, who had consistently avoided such presentations throughout the year, leading to animosity among classmates. Despite nearing graduation with a BA in Hawaiian language, she could barely speak Hawaiian. She had successfully navigated her college career without being able to speak Hawaiian fluently. Imagine having a degree in a language that you can’t speak. 

To become fluent, you have to do it all! Get used to being wrong and being uncomfortable. These struggles are a kind of right of passage that we all have to pass through. 

Send me an email with your goals for this next year or ask me for advice on how to improve so you find actual progress. Mahalo!

E hui hou no ma hope,

Malu