Reading and language play in Sámi - Interview with Hanna-Máret Outakoski
A new episode of Lingthusiasm!
Click here to listen to ‘Reading and language play in Sámi - Interview with Hanna-Máret Outakoski’
When we talk about language reclamation, we often think about oral traditions. But at this point, many Indigenous languages also have considerable written traditions, and engaging with writing as part of teaching these languages to children is important for all of the same reasons as we teach writing in majoritarian languages.
In this episode, your host Gretchen McCulloch gets enthusiastic about multilingual literacy with Dr. Hanna-Máret Outakoski, who’s a professor of Sámi languages at the Sámi University of Applied Sciences in Kautokeino, Norway. We talk about growing up with a mix of Northern Sámi, Finnish, Norwegian, and English, as well as how Hanna-Máret got into linguistics and shifted her interests from more formal to more community-based work, such as "language showers" and the role of play in language learning. We also talk about the long history of literature in Sámi, from joiks written down as early as the 1500s to how people are still joiking today (including on Eurovision), and how teaching kids writing can strengthen oral traditions.
Click here for a link to this episode in your podcast player of choice or read the transcript here.
Announcements:
In this month’s bonus episode we get enthusiastic about the linguistics of kissing]! We talk about the technical phonetics terms for kissing (bilabial clicks...plus the classic ling student quadrilabial clicks joke) as well as how different cultures taxonomize types of kissing (the Roman osculum/basium/suavium distinction is still pretty useful!). We also talk about how toddlers acquire the "blow a kiss" gesture, how couples time their kisses around their sentences, and many ways of representing kissing in writing, such as xx, xoxo, and emoji.
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Here are the links mentioned in the episode:
'Giellariššu: Indigenous language revitalisation in the city' by Hanna-Máret Outakoski and Øystein A. Vangsnes (language showers)
Sami voices / Sáme jiena (for more information on the archiving of joiks)
'Conceptualizing fireside dialogues as gulahallan' by Hanna-Máret Outakoski
'What is indigenous research methodology?' paper on Relational Accountability by Shawn Wilson
Lingthusiasm episode 'Pop culture in Cook Islands Māori - Interview with Ake Nicholas'
Lingthusiasm episode 'Connecting with oral culture'
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Lingthusiasm is created by Gretchen McCulloch and Lauren Gawne. Our senior producer is Claire Gawne, our production editor is Sarah Dopierala, our production assistant is Martha Tsutsui Billins, our editorial assistant is Jon Kruk, and our technical editor is Leah Velleman. Our music is ‘Ancient City’ by The Triangles.
Here’s the link again to ‘Reading and language play in Sámi - Interview with Hanna-Máret Outakoski’
Thanks for listening, and stay Lingthusiastic!
Lauren & Gretchen
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