User:JonathanHopeThisIsUnique/sandbox

I suppose this is where I go to test out things before they are made into regular pages? I want to make a learning resource for the Cherokee language. Since this is a personal page I probably don't need to sign my contributions here... I might start signing things if anyone else happens to say something. So! Basics would include word lists, grammar, writing system, how to pronounce things, and so on. Cherokee has a unique writing system. Rather difficult to type it in with a regular keyboard, so probably write everything transliterated at first. Probably kind of silly for me to try to make a learning resource on a topic I know very little about. On the other hand, any useful source that I find can be used in this resource, and I could add links to make it easier for other people to find these sources. Actually that could be the start of this learning resource here: just a list of links to external resources. Also, getting actual Cherokee speakers to contribute would be good. And add resources to help Cherokee people get in touch with one another. Perhaps even get in touch with people that are working on preserving the Cherokee language.

What would be the best way to help these preservers? There is at least one Cherokee immersion school, the New Kituwah Academy. Apparently after 15 years it still hasn't produced any native speakers... What could be done to encourage use of Cherokee within families, at home, and in school? English is generally considered a more useful language than Cherokee. There needs to be some incentive to use Cherokee at home. How many fluent speakers are there? How many people want to learn Cherokee, but don't have the resources to do so? Probably the most effective thing to do would be to cut off all contact from English speakers, but that would be very difficult to do, and almost certainly would be against the wishes of most Cherokee, so that's not an option. (Although, perhaps there is a chance some might be willing to do this, if they were still able to have a decent lifestyle, and they were very confident that this would help preserve the Cherokee language, and preserving the Cherokee language was very important to them...) Generally there seems to be minimal number of speakers that is necessary for a language community to be self sustaining. I read Icelandic might have just enough speakers for that. It doesn't seem Cherokee is currently at that level... Many Cherokee want to learn the language, but either don't know about available resources, or don't have time to go to classes.