Graduate Assistant, Department of English, Western Carolina University

This summer and next semester I will be working with the Western Carolina University (WCU) Cherokee Language Program (CLP) Pedagogical Cherokee Language Corpus (https://media.wcu.edu/groups/cherokeelanguage/wiki/c6209/Stories.html) to increase its accessibility to scholars and Cherokee language learners.

The first project I’m starting on this summer will be to use ARLO to set up an introductory packet for Cherokee language learners. The idea is that beginners need an overview of the language’s properties to get started—how Cherokee is different than English in terms of verb and sentence structures, how pitch is used, how pauses are used in the oral context, etc. Additionally, what is currently displayed in the CLP’s wiki, takes some diving into before one is able to get a feel for the language and it is important that there be an overview that lets the user know how to use the wiki to supplement their Cherokee language learning.

I am excited to work with Dr. Hartwell Francis to utilize ARLO’s capabilities to start tagging the verb stems that are so complicated for English speakers to grasp when considering the complexity of conjugations available in Cherokee that do not exist in English.

I have many ideas for the future of Cherokee online language learning and am looking forward to meeting professionals and professional students who are working toward the same goals as we are in western North Carolina.

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