# DESIGNING AN e-MASTER-APPRENTICE PEDAGOGY research FOR CRITICALLY ENDANGERED LANGUAGES

*STELÓMETHET* ETHEL B GARDNER

*SIMON FRASER UNIVERSITY*

*©*

## Introduction

Statistical reports verify the perilous state of Aboriginal languages in
Canada. A 1992 survey of language conditions in First Nations
communities revealed that 70% were **declining** or **endangered**, 18%
were merely **enduring** and only 12% were **flourishing**. The swift
rate of decline was made evident in the 1991 Statistics Canada report,
which showed that in 1951, 87.4% of Aboriginal people had an Aboriginal
language as their mother tongue compared to 1991, when only 36% of
adults over the age of 51 and 21% of children spoke an Aboriginal
language. The 1992 survey stated that 11% of First Nations communities
had languages that were **critically endangered** with fewer than 10
speakers or no known speakers in the community (AFN, 1992). Stó:lō
Halq'eméylem, which serves as the pilot Indigenous language for this
research, currently falls into the critically endangered category with
only four fully fluent elderly speakers remaining.

The research described here has been funded by, and was designed to fit,
the Social Sciences and Humanity's Research Council (SSHRC) of Canada's
objective to facilitate research of concern to Canada's Aboriginal
peoples, specifically concerning that of languages and cultures. At the
time of writing this article, the research project was only at its
formative stages of development, however the background and method of
research may be of interest to those wanting to learn ways modern
technology can be used for language revitalization.

The principle applicant, the author, is Stó:lō, and is working in
collaboration with Stó:lō communities to match fluent-speaking elders
with moderately fluent Halq'eméylem speakers and language teacher
trainees in an experimental e-Master-Apprentice program. The
participants live in the 24 Stó:lō communities along the Fraser River in
British Columbia, Canada, and do not have ready access to each other for
a face-to-face Master-Apprentice experience. The research involves
equipping and training Masters (3) and Apprentices (6+) in the use of
computers, relevant software, web cam and World Wide Web. Apprentices
will create multimedia teaching and learning projects as a vehicle for
communicating and speaking with masters. The aim of communication will
be for the apprentices to develop greater Halq'eméylem fluency via Web
communication with the fluent speaking elders. Their responsibility is
to work with Masters who will serve to authenticate the language
embedded in the materials developed. It is expected that School
Districts on Stó:lō territory and the community schools in Chehalis and
Seabird Island First Nations will benefit from this research by having
the research participants deliver their newly acquired language and
resources in these communities to assess their language teaching and
learning skills in an educational context.

The research aims to determine how computer and World Wide Web
technologies can serve as effective pedagogical tools for developing
highly fluent speakers of a critically endangered language, and how
elders' roles in language revitalization can be expanded using these
technologies. The results of this study will have implications for the
fields of education, linguistics, cultural studies and First Nations
studies more broadly, and more specifically for knowledge development in
second language acquisition and teaching and learning a critically
endangered language. The knowledge gained through this study aims to
create greater understanding, awareness and appreciation of the practice
of Indigenous language revitalization generally, and of the pedagogical
implications specific to severely endangered languages. Additionally, we
will begin to learn what happens when an ancient Indigenous language
interfaces with new media technologies. The research builds from, and
links with, work conducted by other communities and organizations
involved in Aboriginal language revitalization, including national and
provincial organizations.

Such organizations include the First Nations Confederacy of Cultural
Education Centres (FNCCEC), which advocates for the recovery, survival,
maintenance and enhancement of First Nations languages and cultures in
Canada. The FNCCEC represents eighty-seven (87) First Nations cultural
centres, one of which is the Stó:lō Nation Cultural Program.
Additionally, the Government of Canada provides funding through the
Aboriginal Languages Initiatives program and has established an
Aboriginal Task force to examine, consult and make recommendations for
the creation of an Aboriginal Languages and Cultures Centre. The results
of the research described here could have implications for both the
FNCCEC Centres and Programs and the proposed Centre, particularly as it
relates to the use of computers and World Wide Web as pedagogical tools
in language revitalization, and as it relates to new ways elders can be
involved using these tools.

The principal researcher is a member of the Aboriginal Languages
Sub-Committee of the First Nations Education Steering Committee (FNESC),
and thus, is connected to other B.C. language communities that are
searching for new and effective approaches to language revitalization.
The FNESC Sub-Committee was responsible for negotiating with the B.C.
College of Teachers to establish a framework whereby a First Nations
community could partner with a Faculty of Education at a University in
B.C. to create a Developmental Standard Term Certificate (DSTC) in First
Nations Language and Culture. Stó:lō Nation was supported by the FNESC
Sub-Committee to develop, with Simon Fraser University (SFU) as its
partner, the first proposal using this framework. Their joint proposal
served as a model for other communities to develop DSTC proposals for
their own language communities. This research builds on the work
accomplished through the DSTC and will be reported to the FNESC
Aboriginal Languages Sub-Committee for feedback and evaluation.

The use of Web technologies presents policy concerns for Aboriginal
communities in terms of what can appropriately be posted on the Web and
in what ways. The Stó:lō Nation Cultural Program is one of fifteen
communities selected to upload their alphabet with sound files, over
5,000 words and phrases on to the FirstVoices.com Web site, an online
multimedia archiving tool created through the First Peoples Cultural
Foundation (FPCF). The research team and participants will explore
culturally appropriate ways the FirstVoices.com site can be used for
language teaching and learning at the community level, and reciprocally,
to add to the multimedia opportunities the site offers. Reports will be
made through FNESC to the First Peoples Heritage language and Culture
Council (FPHLCC), which oversees the FPCF.

The research project offers training and scholarship opportunities on a
number of levels. First, the Apprentices will gain academic credit
through a guided program of study on the topic of *language
revitalization and new media pedagogies*. Research collaborators and
partners include SFU Faculty of Education Field Programs, the FNESC
Aboriginal Languages Sub-Committee, the FPHLCC and the Nicola Valley
Institute of Technology (NVIT), a publicly funded First Nations
controlled post-secondary institution that is developing a certificate
in teaching Aboriginal languages. Second, two Indigenous scholars,
Nadine Eugene (Shuswap), a Masters student in educational technology and
Laura Buker (Sto:lō), a Ph.D. student specializing in digital
technologies for teaching and learning, will conduct theses work through
this research, and three students from the SFU Chilliwack Masters in
First Nations Education cohort will be conducting major projects through
this study. Third, this research builds on the principle researcher's
prior scholarship in Aboriginal language revitalization and current
research on *Revitalizing Severely Endangered Languages: State of the
Art in Aboriginal Communities*, a literature review, and on the
*e-Master-Apprentice Pilot for Language Revitalization* to determine if
the face-to-face experience can be generalized to a computer-assisted
Web-based context.

## Literature Review

In his landmark book *Reversing Language Shift* Fishman (1991)
postulated a continuum of eight stages of language loss with stage eight
being the closest to total extinction and stage one being the closest to
dynamic survival. Many Aboriginal languages in British Columbia,
including Halq'eméylem, are at the eighth stage where only a few elders
speak the language. For stage eight languages on the verge of
extinction, Reyhner (1999) suggests that speakers need to be recorded
using media that is not subject to degradation over time, such as VHS
videotapes, and through written transcripts using phonetic alphabets
that catch the nuances of the language\'s sound system. He states that
in stage eight elders seldom have the stamina to teach young children,
especially in large groups, though they can teach young adults, singly
or in small groups, who have both the stamina to teach young children
and who can be trained in teaching methods appropriate for schools.
Participants from the language teacher training partnership between
Simon Fraser University and Stó:lō Nation are prime candidates for
working with the few remaining Stó:lō elders available for audio/video
recording to create authentic, quality multi-media language learning
aids.

The research *combines* two approaches identified as effective for
revitalizing stage eight languages; one, the Master-Apprentice approach,
and the other, the use of computer-assisted instruction and the
Web-based tools (Reyhner 1999). Hinton has written in-depth about the
Master-Apprentice approach (1994, 2002*)*, where an elder speaker is
paired with a member of the community who wants to learn the language
and, ideally, the new speaker becomes equipped to teach and/or mentor
others. The other approach, that of using the newest online multimedia
technology to bring Indigenous languages to new generations, is a
growing trend, as shown by the Indiana University model in the creation
of the Arikara Multimedia Language Lessons (Parks, Kushner, Hooper,
Flavin, Yellow Bird & Ditmar, 1999), an online project that that teaches
the language and culture of the Puget Sound, and online televised
courses in Choctaw (Morrison and Peterson, 2003). Hawaiian language
revitalization efforts are taking full advantage of computing and online
communications, using the Leoki bulletin board system (Warschauer &
Donaghy, 1997), and in teaching language courses at the University of
Hawaii (Ka'awa & Hawkins (1997). However, Buszard-Welcher (2001), who
examined a data base of 50 U.S. and Canadian endangered language
websites to evaluate the Web as a tool in language maintenance and
revitalization, found that less common kinds of content included
technologies such as e-mail archives, bulletin board discussions (BBS),
live chat, and to a lesser extent, video and video broadcasting.

What was not clearly evident in the research is how the computer and Web
technologies can be used for direct teaching through audio/video
conferencing involving fluent speaking elders in communities where only
few remain. Thus, it was not certain how the e-Master-Apprentice
approach would work for the elder participants who have not engaged in
using computer and Internet technology, though they are the only ones
who know the native language fluently. The Stó:lō people reside in 24
First Nations communities along the Fraser River in B.C. Using these
technologies presents opportunities for elders who do not live in close
proximity to the learners in several ways. One is that elders can
demonstrate correct pronunciation, intonation, and conversational style
to learners by video conferencing. Another opportunity is that elders'
speech can be recorded and listened to repeatedly by the Apprentices,
relieving the elder of the task of constantly having to repeat a word or
phrase. Also, elder and learners can connect at each other's
convenience. These are important considerations in communities with few
elders who can provide authentic language samples. Further, the
relatively few moderate speakers in the community need continuous
opportunities to learn and practice with a fluent speaker, and
subsequently to create ways to facilitate the learning process for new
learners.

The e-Master-Apprentice approach incorporates five principles that
Reyhner and Tennant (1995) draw from the work of Krashen, Lozanov, and
Berlitz for effective language-teaching programs: 1) Putting primary
emphasis on *communication*, not grammar, 2) Using *context* that is
real or at least realistic, 3) Processing *content* of high interest to
the learner, 4) Adjusting the pace of instruction to the students\'
progress, including moving from simple to complex (generally speaking),
and emphasizing speaking over speaking correctly, and finally 5)
Correcting students through modeling. Computer assisted language
learning shows great potential for applying the above principles in
language revitalization. It has been noted that integrating technology
into learning environments by putting the tools of creation into the
learners' hands, designing opportunities that channel student creativity
into effective language learning activities is a powerful pedagogical
approach. With structured guidance, students can gain valuable language
practice while they develop cultural Web sites, create digital video
class projects, and establish contacts with students in other cities and
countries through Internet-based, multi-user, interactive environments.
Within these pedagogically innovative environments, we can investigate
how technology-based learning affects the language acquisition process
(CALICO, 1999).

Computer assisted language learning (CALL), which has evolved over the
last thirty years into what Warschauer (1996) categorizes as
*integrative* CALL, is based on two important technological developments
that the e-Master-Apprentice approach will incorporate -- multimedia
computers and the Internet. We will explore how to link multimedia
technology (text, graphics, sound, animation and video) with
*hypermedia*, which means that the multimedia resources are all linked
together, and learners can navigate their own path simply by pointing
and clicking a mouse. The advantage of using Hypermedia is that it can
create an authentic learning environment, with listening combined with
seeing, just like in the real world. Through computer mediated
communication participants are able to share not only brief messages,
but also lengthy (formatted or unformatted) documents -- thus
facilitating collaborative writing -- and also graphics, sounds, and
video. Members of the research team for this project aim to maximize the
use of these computer and Web technologies to determine their
effectiveness as pedagogical tools for revitalizing critically
endangered languages. Two hypermedia programs have been identified for
resource development, eZedia QT1 and MaxAuthor, hypermedia programs that
have been used successfully with other Indigenous languages.

In How to Keep Your Language Alive, Leanne Hinton, Matt Vera, and Nancy
Steele (2002) offer a systematic way for language communities to
cultivate and maintain their heritage tongues, where the
Master-Apprentice team members commit themselves to spending at least
ten hours a week together speaking chiefly in the target language. The
approach is derived from Stephen Krashen's "input hypothesis,' that
states that language is learned when it is spoken in the context of
actions that make general meaning clear, and from the "total physical
response" model, which combines language with whole body movement so
that the learner focuses not on the words themselves but on the overall
message. With the understanding that the elder teacher may not be a
trained language instructor, the master-apprentice model places the
responsibility for guiding the learning process on the apprentice. The
e-Master-Apprentice approach for this study uses web technology such as
iSight camera and iChat as media of communication between the Masters
and Apprentices. The Apprentices in this study are moderately fluent
speakers who have Halq'eméylem language tools they can use to
communicate with the elder to request her assistance. Their role is to
develop further fluency in the language by interacting with the elder
who then authenticates the multimedia language material they develop for
teaching.

The e-Master-Apprentice approach has the potential of off-setting
challenges inherent with the face-to-face program, including the failure
of teams to remain immersed in the language, the difficulty of arranging
schedules to accommodate at least ten hours of language learning a week,
and the reluctance to push forward to a more advanced level when a
plateau is reached. In second-language learning, patience is paramount,
given that the learner may "have to hear and practice a word twenty
times in twenty different contexts in order to master it (Hinton,
2002)." Additionally, learning a critically endangered language is
tremendously challenging for *both* the speaker-teacher and the language
learner, as the language learner needs to figure out and learn the whole
system of linguistic, social, and pragmatic rules that govern the
language behaviour of the speech community. Further, the speaker, who
may not have spoken the language in conversation in many years, may
struggle with what it is the learner wants to know. Thus, Hinton (cited
in Nicolas, 2004) says, "the learner...of the language has a greater
task than merely to learn the language; he is also working with the
speaker to re-create a speech community." At this time, very early in
the research process, we do not know if the e-approach will show the
same or similar challenges as the face-to-face approach. We do not yet
know what specific challenges will be presented in the process of an
e-Master-Apprentice approach, or what kinds of technologies and amount
of contact will be feasible for the team. Though schedules can be
flexible, we do not know what might be a saturation level for either the
Masters or the Apprentices. Will ten hours contact be too much, or can
they handle more? Are there ergonomic considerations we need to attend
to for the elder? Thus, it should be noted that the rate of learning for
a critically endangered language may be a much slower process than for
that of learning a flourishing language.

In the recreation of a Halq'eméylem speech community, the researchers
and participants will be exploring how this approach can demonstrate a
culture-based way of teaching and learning a critically endangered
language. For example, learning the functional structure of the language
can help new speakers use the language in its traditional form, and
respect it as such, rather than modifying it into pseudo-English forms
(Rubin, 1999). It is what the elders mean when they say that our
cultures and worldviews are embedded in our languages. A Halq'eméylem
example would be how the 'small adult coho' salmon is referred to as
"little berry;" from its origin story that links the coho to a berry
that dropped into the lake (Gardner, 2002). A multimedia approach is a
good fit for Halq'eméylem and for other languages that can be described
as "picturesque, " as it has the potential of capturing these rich
representations as expressed in feeling, imagery, poetry, story and
metaphor through digital technologies (Rubin). The Apprentices, a
linguist who has studied the structure of Halq'eméylem and the elder
fluent speakers will work with the research team to help unpack new
words and phrases for their cultural manifestations.

Other questions of the research relate to how the language learning and
technology impact on the teachers pedagogical practice. How might they
use the technology they are learning in their teaching. Research shows,
for example, that audio and visual data, in addition to the use of
computers, are effective in developing multimedia language lessons for
classroom instruction. Hawaiian language courses developed at the
University of Hawai\'i at Manoa incorporate a wide range use of
multi-media and computer technology (Ka\'awa and Hawkins,1997). Ruth
Bennett (2003) discusses how computers, tape recorders and radio were
successfully used for lesson development with members of the Hoopa
Valley Indian Reservation in California. In another example, students
and teachers at Lau Welnew Tribal School in B.C. are using iMac
computers and Apple iMovie digital video editing software to produce
multimedia instructional materials. (Brand, Elliot & Foster, 2002). To
test these approaches in an educational context the Apprentices will
implement their newly acquired language and multimedia resources in
classroom settings using the technological tools they used to develop
their own proficiency in Halq'eméylem, and further, will begin to act as
Masters for new Halq'eméylem learners.

In summary, this research has four central objectives: 1. to determine
the effectiveness, convenience and ease-of-use of Web technology *for
developing language fluency* using audio/video Web communication
techniques; 2. to determine how elders can be involved in new ways using
these tools; 3. to determine the effectiveness of this approach for
authenticating Halq'eméylem language via the multimedia language
resources developed through this approach; and 4. to learn what cultural
considerations and policy issues related to language and culture and
worldview will emerge in the development of the processes and products
of the research. The research will add new knowledge on Indigenous
language revitalization strategies focusing on the Master-Apprentice
approach, where Apprentices will be mentored to become Masters for new
learners and to become master teachers in their educational settings.
This pedagogical approach is targeted for inclusion as part of a
graduate diploma program with the Field Programs area of SFU's Faculty
of Education and for consideration in the language teacher certificate
being developed by the Nicola Valley Institute of Technology.

## Research Methods 

The research was scheduled to take place between January 2005 and April
2007. The Masters (3) and Apprentices (6+) in this research project will
have been equipped with a computer, relevant hardware, software, and
high speed internet access. The research assistants will be training
both the elder and teacher trainees in the use of computer technology,
and workshops will be held with Apprentices for developing multimedia
language materials to be authenticated by the fluent elders. A process
and protocol for communicating interactively over the Web and for
authenticating Halq'emeylem will be established by the research team and
participants. A website will be created to post multimedia language
materials for sharing among the participants. Participants will be
trained in use of email lists, audio and video tools, instant messaging
services, accessing a website for this project and posting authenticated
language materials on the Web.

The Apprentices will be trained in data collection methods to monitor
their communication with the fluent elders in terms of kind, frequency
and quality of contacts made using Internet technologies. They will also
be trained in how to keep a journal to record daily learning. A
Collaborative Action Research approach (Sagor, 1992) will be used that
will allow the Apprentices to define activity agendas, monitor their own
progress in their language learning process and provide evidence of
growth in language fluency through e-Portfolios. This training will form
part of the academic credit option along with the training in new
technologies. The types of Halq'eméylem authenticated by the elder will
be assessed in terms of words, phrases, and sentences with attention to
identifying quality language that fosters communication, including
culturally contextualized language. Multimedia language materials posted
on the Web will be assessed for their use as quality authentic language
resources for teaching and learning.

Throughout the research, the team will implement an Integrated
Performance Assessment rubric to evaluate the communication progress of
the Apprentices in three categories: 1. Interpersonal Communication
(communicating with Master on projects, themes) 2. Interpretive
Communication, (designing projects, themes for authentication, and 3.
Presentational Communication (posting audio/visual/text materials on the
Web) (ACTFL, 1999). A rating scale will be devised to determine
Apprentices levels of fluency from the lower *passive*, *symbolic* and
*functional* levels to higher levels where they demonstrate being
*fluent,* defined by their ability to understand and speak the language
with confidence and skill, with understanding of normal syntax, grammar
and rules of form, and an extensive and growing vocabulary. We will know
that the research is successful if the Apprentices are able to function
at the *fluent* level, and that they also would begin functioning at the
*creative* level, defined by their ability to understand and speak the
language in ways that create new word usage and structures, showing a
deeper understanding of the language and its potential new uses (Rubin,
1999). The teacher trainees will be interviewed to elicit their
perceptions of achievement with this process, including the challenges
and successes of their progress in developing language fluency. The
elders will be interviewed on their perceptions of thier role as
e-mentors and on their assessment of teacher trainees achievement in
language learning. The research team, including the Masters and
Apprentices, will meet at least twice each year of the porgram for a
focus group discusson on what is being learned about the cultural
contexts of the language that is collectively being produced and
communicated through the e-Master-Apprentice Approach.

Activities for year I and 2 are outlined below. In the third year of the
research, the first year activities will be replicated with a second set
of Apprentices to begin to determine the generalizability of the
approach to new learners. The first two years of experience with this
approach will help to determine candidates for year three. It is
conceivable that some of the Apprentices may serve as Masters in the
third year.

#### 

## Phases of research

+--------------------------------------+-------------------------------+
| Year 1 & 3                           | Year 2                        |
+--------------------------------------+-------------------------------+
| **Phase I**                          | **Phase I,**                  |
|                                      |                               |
| Four Day Visioning institute on the  | Four day Institute on how to  |
| design of research, including the    | use the Web for new speaking  |
| e-Master-Apprentice Approach         | opportunities. Ie Internet    |
|                                      | Radio, BBS, Stories, songs,   |
| -   Design experiment, setting up    | news                          |
|     computer hardware and software,  |                               |
|     beta testing iSight and iChat    | -   Communicate and share     |
|                                      |     language revitalization   |
| -   3 two-day workshops in the the   |     ideas with people in      |
|     use of technologies available on |     Hawaii, New Zealand,      |
|     computers, ie email, iSight,     |     Australia, California     |
|     iPhoto, iMovie, Powerpoint       |                               |
|                                      | -   iChat and iSight          |
| -   Four weeks use of iSight and     |     continued as needed for   |
|     iChat incorporating multimedia   |     posting new material on   |
|     technologies                     |     the Web                   |
|                                      |                               |
| -   A face-to-face meeting to unpack | -   A face-to-face meeting to |
|     cultural manifestations that     |     unpack cultural           |
|     emerge                           |     manifestations that       |
|                                      |     emerge                    |
+--------------------------------------+-------------------------------+
| **Phase II,**                        | **Phase II,**                 |
|                                      |                               |
| 2-day institute to set up web pages  | Four-day institute to take    |
| for participants. Posting digital    | stock of how the              |
| still images and self-introduction   | e-Master-Apprentice approach  |
| in text and audio and other          | is working                    |
| resources. How to use FirstVoice.com |                               |
|                                      | -   Two two-day workshops on  |
| -   2-day institute to teach         |     MaxAuthor for creation of |
|     Hyperstudio                      |     more sophisticated        |
|                                      |     language learning         |
| -   iChat increased or decreased     |     resources                 |
|     according to need                |                               |
|                                      | -   Continue iSight and iChat |
| -   A face-to-face meeting to unpack |     for new assignment        |
|     cultural manifestations that     |                               |
|     emerge                           | -   A face-to-face meeting to |
|                                      |     unpack cultural           |
|                                      |     manifestations that       |
|                                      |     emerge                    |
+--------------------------------------+-------------------------------+
| **Phase III,**                       | **Phase III,**                |
|                                      |                               |
| Institute for In-School              | -   Four-day institute on     |
| implementation                       |     Apprentices becoming      |
|                                      |     Masters in both           |
| -   In-School or Community           |     face-to-face and on the   |
|     implementation of resources and  |     Internet                  |
|     tools                            |                               |
|                                      | -   Set up Practical          |
| -   E-portfolio presentation to      |     experiences for           |
|     Sto:lō Nation House of Elders    |     Apprentices to practice   |
|                                      |     as Masters                |
|                                      |                               |
|                                      | -   E-portfolio presentation  |
|                                      |     to Sto:lō Nation House of |
|                                      |     Elders                    |
+--------------------------------------+-------------------------------+

Collection of data and analysis of data will be conducted in each phase
of each year of the research with both written and digital video
reporting structures. Reports will be made to all collaborators,
partners and supporters, and especially to the Stó:lō Nation House of
Elders who also serve as the Stó:lō Halq'eméylem Language Authority.
Though the Apprentices will have experimented with acting as masters in
this research, the next stage of research following this project will be
to test the Apprentices ability to sustain their role as Masters with
new Apprentices.

## Conclusion

A pilot study was conducted to determine how the technology would work
involving one fluent speaking Halq'eméylem elder (Master) and a
Halq'eméylem language learner (Apprentice). The participants, equipped
with Mac computers, iChat, iSight and high-speed Internet, communicated
successfully using Halq'emeylem in synchronous (iChat) and asynchronous
(email) communication methods. The pilot study is reported in an article
by Gardner & Eugene (2005), called "What? A Stó:lō elder can use
computer and Internet technology? But, of course!" A unique aspect of
the e-Master-Apprentice Pedagogy for Critically Endangered Languages is
the involvement of Aboriginal elders who are fluent in the language.
Everyone interested in this project wants to know how the elders will be
able to learn the sophisticated technology required for the research.
This is a valid inquiry, for sure. In our experience, thus far, all but
one of the remaining fluent speakers have expresssed an enthusiasm,
openness and excitement about the prospect. The one elder who is in her
late eighties, and continues to contribute to Halq'emeylem
revitalization in other ways, feels that this approach will present an
insurmountable learning curve for her. We respect and understand her
stance; she has declined to participate as a Master in this project. The
moderately fluent speakers, who are language teacher trainees, are
looking forward with much excitement to the opportunities ahead to
communicate with each other in Halq'emeylem through iChat, and
especially with our elder fluent speakers. They have already been
introduced to multimedia tools available on Mac computers, such as
iMovie, iPhoto, iTunes and iDVD, and are looking forward to discovering
all the ways they can incorporate Halq'emeylem using these and other
software programs to create language learning resources, including
interactive ones. Most of all, we are looking forward to discovering how
this approach can help Apprentices become highly fluent speakers, and to
how we can expand existing possibilities for involving elders in
Indigenous language revitalization efforts.

#### 

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## Biography

**Dr *Stelómethet* Ethel B Gardner** is an Assistant Professor in First
Nations education at Simon Fraser University with an extensive history
in Aboriginal language revitalization both in academic scholarship and
at the community level. Her doctoral dissertation was written on what
language renewal means in the everyday lives of the Stó:lō people and
she has written several articles on language revitalization prior to and
after the Ph.D. thesis. Dr Gardner is well connected to her Stó:lō
community, to major First Nations language initiatives in B.C. and in
the international community. At the community level initially and
subsequently at SFU, Dr Gardner coordinated the development and delivery
of the Stó:lō Nation/SFU Developmental Standard Term Certificate (DSTC)
in First Nations language and culture.