Students introduced to heritage languages

By Jessica Kimmerly
Staff Writer

Original on page 3 at http://www.yorktonthisweek.com/index.php/2010/5027-2010-02-10

Canada may have only two official languages, but the syllables of many more dialects are heard every day among our citizens. That is why the Saskatchewan Organization for Heritage Languages (SOHL) is working in our community to introduce young students to tongues other than English.

“By ‘heritage language’ we mean any modern language which is spoken by Canadian residents,” explained Leah Perlett, Program Coordinator for SOHL. Their Mini Language Lessons Learning Program brings volunteers into classrooms to expose students to the province’s heritage languages.

“The Mini Language Learning Lessons gives students a greater knowledge and appreciation for other cultures by introducing them to language and culture they would not normally be exposed to,” said Perlett. “And it connects them more immediately with their social sciences curriculum.”

Within the Good Spirit School Division, three elementary schools are participating in the language lessons program -- Yorkdale Central, Dr. Brass and Preeceville School.

Harry Kardynal is a retired teacher who started teaching Ukrainian to grade five classes at Yorkdale in January.

“I start out with the alphabet,” said Kardynal, pointing to a sheet of Ukrainian letters. “Once you master the alphabet, you can write whatever you want. The Ukrainian alphabet is 33 letters, and every letter has a sound.” ‘:i

Kardynal’s classes are already learning the Ukrainian numbers, days of the week and months of the year.

“They are fast learners. Those little guys listen to you.”

Ukrainian is a particularly relevant heritage language to be teaching in the community. One of the teachers asked students during Kardynal’s lesson to put up their hands if they had at least one parent or grandparent with Ukrainian heritage. “You should have seen how many hands went up,” he said with a smile.

While trying to learn a new language may seem like a difficult task, Kardynal said the students are interested -- especially when he brings out the items he uses to teach new words.

“Last Monday I had a robin’s nest and there were four sparrow eggs in it, because the sparrow likes to look for houses that are already built,” he said. “Next class, I’ll have something else for them.”

After 32 years of teaching, Kardynal knows all sorts of techniques, like using bells to help explain singular and plural nouns.

“Now that I’m retired I kind of miss these young people. So I look forward to being with them.”

Yorkdale School’s Ukrainian lessons will wrap up in the spring with a demonstration in how to paint Easter eggs, or pysanky, with Kardynal’s wife Evelyn and their neighbours, Brenda Pasloski and Bernice Machushek.

Over in Preeceville School, another retired teacher is introducing a grade two class to Ukrainian words and culture. Peter Olineck is teaming up with Alina Havrylyuk, who moved from Ukraine in March.

Havrylyuk has a daughter in the grade two class, which prompted the school to contact SOHL to set up a heritage language class to teach her peers about the culture.

“We are better people if we understand other people,” said Olineck. He used to teach 46 students at once in a one-room school when he began 60 years ago. Now, he is pleased to return to the classroom to share his love of learning with 15 young students. “It’s a dream come true,” he said.

Olineck and Havrylyuk have gone beyond the Ukrainian alphabet, showing students embroidery, songs and replicas of outdoor baking ovens, thatched roof houses and a homemade loom.

Olineck is in the process of making some replica hand and foot-operated lathes, which are still used in parts of the world.

When taught at a young age, it does not take long for students to learn a new language.

“One of the things I told the students is how complicated the English language is. The Ukrainian language is very simple -- it’s phonetic,” said Olineck.

Even if students do not become fluent, they have the benefit of finding a new appreciation for a different culture.

In Yorkton’s Dr. Brass School, Edith Montesclaros is starting to teach students Filipino -- one the 175 languages of the Philippines.

Montesclarois started teaching language lessons in January, and has had the chance to introduce students to some history, geography and culture of the Philippines.

Like all languages, they started with alphabet (which has 28 letters in Filipino). But Montesclaros is more concerned with teaching common phrases and important customs than teaching grammar.

“For example, you never call a person older than you by their first name,” she explained. “We have gestures. We nod when we are greeting someone we met earlier. If you don’t, people would say you are snubbing them.”

New foods is another part of the culture Montesclaros was eager to bring to class.

“Avocado is very popular in the Philippines, and everybody here disliked it. You should have seen their faces. But the other food they really enjoyed -- lychee, papayas and guavas.”

Montesclaros said the most difficult part of speaking a new language like Filipino is learning the pronunciation. “I think it’s more in the vowels. We pronounce our vowels so differently -- it’s very Spanish.”

Even through mispronunciation and little mistakes, the language teachers enjoy watching students experience something new.

Montesclaros had fun sharing her favourite foods with the class. “For me I really enjoyed that -- for them to enjoy something I also enjoy.”

Kardynal is also glad to see students expanding their opportunities with heritage language lessons.

“I feel very pleased that this has been taken on ... These young people would like to know their roots.

Reprinted from the Wednesday, February 10, 2010 edition of Yorkton This Week with permission from the editor