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Cherokee Language Lessons - Important Information

Dull repetition is not the answer!

For you to be able to learn the Cherokee Language, you will need the vocabulary presented to you in a specially ordered fashion. Simply starting out by repeating a word over and over will not work. Your brain will quickly become numb to the information you are trying to learn and you will encounter great difficulty going beyond a dozen or so words. Instead what needs to done is to have a challenge and response exercise in a specially crafted pattern that prevents the brain from becoming quickly numb to what we are trying to learn, giving us the ability to learn all great many words in very short order with a much longer retention time.

Graduated Interval Recall is the answer.

Paraphrased from Wikipedia :
Graduated-interval recall is a specific method of spaced repetition, published by Paul Pimsleur in 1967. It is particularly suited to programmed audio instruction due to the very short times (measured in seconds or minutes) between the first few repetitions, unlike other forms of spaced repetition which may not require such precise timings.

Graduated Interval Recall is a complex name for a very simple theory about memory. No aspect of learning a foreign language is more important than memory, yet before Dr. Pimsleur's work, no one had explored more effective ways for building language memory.

In his research, Dr. Pimsleur discovered how long students remembered new information and at what intervals they needed to be reminded of it. If reminded too soon or too late, they failed to retain the information.

How Graduated Interval Recall fits in.

After studying Dr. Pimsleur's Graduated Interval Recall methodology, I created special audio files for different groupings of the Cherokee Vocabulary that is being learned, including bound pronouns and other associated word forms.

Audio Lesson Structure

Each set of audio lessons is composed of three main components:

  1. Syllabary Dictation Exercises
    • Learning to WRITE and READ Cherokee is very important for long term language retention and online communication.
  2. General Lectures
    • Understanding the general concepts of the language is also important.
    • They explain important concepts like how plurals work, etc. Even if you don't understand them in entirety, listen through each lecture at least once before doing the following vocabulary exercises.
  3. Vocabulary Exercises
    • This is where you will learn most of your vocabulary. Most individuals will need to repeat these exercises several times. These are the challenge response audio files that have been crafted based on the concepts behind the 'Graduated Interval Recall' method. (Not the example "timings" as published, his paper clearly states they were only for example usage, and were not the actual numbers he came up with that matched his student population at the time of the study.)

Cherokee Language Lessons - Introductory Edition

ePub

Cherokee Lessons - Introductory Edition: [Download ePub]

The ePub is also available at: BarnesAndNoble.com and is also in the iBookstore (no link available).

The ePub format has the Syllabary fonts from http://www.languagegeek.com/font/fontdownload.html#Cherokee embedded. Not all eReaders or eReading software will properly display the fonts.

Here is a list of known working and not working eReader and software combinations:

  • Windows Software tested:
    • ☑ Adobe Digital Editions: DISPLAYS CORRECTLY
    • ☑ Calibre: DISPLAYS CORRECTLY
  • Linux Software tested:
    • ☑ Calibre: DISPLAYS CORRECTLY
  • Mac Software tested:
    • No one has reported back.
  • eReader devices tested:
    • ☑ Nook eReader (1st Generation): DISPLAYS CORRECTLY
  • Android (version 2.2+) testing:
    • ☑ Nook App for Android: DISPLAYS CORRECTLY
    • ☒ Kobo for Android: FONTS DO NOT DISPLAY
    • ☑ Aldiko Premium v1.2.9 for Android: DISPLAYS CORRECTLY
    • ☑ Aldiko Book Reader LIMITED v2.0.1 for Android: DISPLAYS CORRECTLY
    • ☒ FBReader for Android: FONTS DO NOT DISPLAY
    • ☑ StarBooks for Android: DISPLAYS CORRECTLY
    • ☒ Moon+ Reader for Android: FONTS DO NOT DISPLAY
    • ☑ Bluefire Reader: DISPLAYS CORRECTLY
  • iPad testing:
    • ☑ iBooks: DISPLAYS CORRECTLY
    • ☑ Kobo: DISPLAYS CORRECTLY
    • ☒ Stanza: CRASH CRASH CRASH STAY AWAY
    • ☒ ShuBook: STUCK AT FIRST PAGE
    • ☑ Bluefire Reader: DISPLAYS CORRECTLY

PDF

Cherokee Lessons - Introductory Edition: [Download PDF.]

The goal of this material is to teach a basic initial grammar, not word or phrase lists. This book and accompanying audio covers basic pronunciation, a few introductory phrases, bound pronouns, basic sentence structure, and introduces some of the requirements of word agreement.

It is recommended that you download the associated mp3s for each disk and burn each set as an audio disk for listening in your car/truck/van/other, or load them up in groups on your favorite mp3 player.

You should do each disk one at a time, not moving on to the next disk set until you are comfortable with the challenge-response exercises on the current disk set you are on.

Each set of disks matches each chapter of the downloadable PDF or ePub.

Cherokee Language Lessons - Free to Copy and Use

All material here is free to copy and use under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 United States License.

    Under the following conditions:
  • Attribution — You must maintain the list of authors and contributers intact.
  • You may not imply that any contributer or author endorses you or your use of the work.
  • Share Alike — If you alter, transform, or build upon this work, you may distribute the resulting work only under the same or similar license to this one.

To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/us/ .

Physical Book and Audio CDROM Media Availability.

If you would prefer a printed edition instead of an electronic edition, please visit: LULU.com Cherokee Lessons Print Edition.

For those unable or not wanting to create their own CDROMs, you order them from Amazon.com: Cherokee Lessons CDROM

Any proceeds will be used to offset website costs, material production costs for giveaways, and other costs and fees as they occur.

Chapter 01 Disk01 ᎢᎬᏱᎢ ᎠᏕᎶᏆᏍᏗ (First Lesson)

Chapter 02 Disk01 ᏔᎵᏁ ᎠᏕᎶᏆᏍᏗ (Second Lesson)

Chapter 03 Disk01 ᏦᎢᏁ ᎠᏕᎶᏆᏍᏗ (Third Lesson) Part I

Chapter 03 Disk02 ᏦᎢᏁ ᎠᏕᎶᏆᏍᏗ (Third Lesson) Part II

Chapter 03 Disk03 ᏦᎢᏁ ᎠᏕᎶᏆᏍᏗ (Third Lesson) Part III

Chapter 04 Disk01 ᏅᎩᏁ ᎠᏕᎶᏆᏍᏗ (Fourth Lesson) Part I

Chapter 04 Disk02 ᏅᎩᏁ ᎠᏕᎶᏆᏍᏗ (Fourth Lesson) Part II

Chapter 04 Disk03 ᏅᎩᏁ ᎠᏕᎶᏆᏍᏗ (Fourth Lesson) Part III

Chapter 05 Disk01 ᎯᏍᎩᏁ ᎠᏕᎶᏆᏍᏗ (Fifth Lesson) Part I

Chapter 05 Disk02 ᎯᏍᎩᏁ ᎠᏕᎶᏆᏍᏗ (Fifth Lesson) Part II

Chapter 05 Disk03 ᎯᏍᎩᏁ ᎠᏕᎶᏆᏍᏗ (Fifth Lesson) Part III

Chapter 05 Disk04 ᎯᏍᎩᏁ ᎠᏕᎶᏆᏍᏗ (Fifth Lesson) Part IV

Chapter 06 Disk01 ᏑᏓᎵᏁ ᎠᏕᎶᏆᏍᏗ (Sixth Lesson) Part I

Chapter 06 Disk02 ᏑᏓᎵᏁ ᎠᏕᎶᏆᏍᏗ (Sixth Lesson) Part II

Chapter 06 Disk03 ᏑᏓᎵᏁ ᎠᏕᎶᏆᏍᏗ (Sixth Lesson) Part III

Chapter 06 Disk04 ᏑᏓᎵᏁ ᎠᏕᎶᏆᏍᏗ (Sixth Lesson) Part IV

Cherokee Language Lessons - Contributers

  • Ray Cochran <Hawk's Calls> (language consultation)
  • Charles E. Kauffman (voice for audio disks, language consultation, flute player)
  • Sagonige Asaladisgi ᏌᎪᏂᎨ ᎠᏌᎳᏗᏍᎩ (language consultation)
  • ᏕᎳᎧᏘᏯ ᏗᎵᏔᏕᎩ, ᎠᏁᏢᏗᏍᎩ (language consulation)
  • Michael Joyner - Author, Editor