Students in Northern Ontario have a new way of learning Anishinaabemowin thanks to a new language learning platform developed by Seven Generations Education Institute, the Rainy River District School Board, and SayITFirst. The web and app-based language learning platform “The Anishinnabemodaa App” engages students through a virtual campground setting where they can complete activities and unlock achievements and tasks as they build their vocabulary and language skills through spaced repetition. The voice recordings used in the app were created by Fort Frances high school teacher Jason Jones, and the developers intend to eventually replace the recordings with the voices of elders who are first generation speakers. “Keeping a culture and belief systems, ways of knowing relationship to the land, ceremony, all those things come with learning the language and utilizing the language in your life,” said SGEI CEO Brent Tookenay. “It’s a connection to our ancestors, to the land, to spirits or relationships.” CBC highlighted the application as one of several language revitalization efforts underway in Canada.
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