Use of revised Carolinian dictionary eyed

In a bid to encourage younger generation to use their native tongue, the Office of the Carolinian Affairs hopes to immediately revise existing and currently in-use Carolinian dictionary.

CAO held a week-long Computer Assisted Related Languages Adaptation workshop to educate bilingual teachers and community members on the process of revision and translation.

CAO Executive Assistant Frank Rabauliman disclosed Australia-based linguist Nic Daams conducted an extensive CARLA workshop to cover dictionary revision, Bible translation and the bilingual program of the Public School System.

The workshop was aimed at promoting Carolinian language which evolved to massive changes since the early days. By revising the 15-year-old Carolinian dictionary, Mr. Rabauliman believes younger generation will have a better grasp of the native language and they will be encouraged to use it more often.

Once the tedious process is over, the end result will provide the Carolinian community a user-friendly dictionary specifically for children, students and scholars, said the executive assistant.

“We started the CARLA program two years ago and this is in collaboration with the PSS and the Pacific Resources for Education and Learning,” he added.

He noted that through the years, the Carolinian language has undergone massive changes that correction at this time is necessary to help the community and the bilingual teachers.

Mr. Rabauliman said the bilingual program has a tremendous amount of data that will eventually produce much needed materials which will be readily available for teachers.

The workshop was the third conducted by CAP in light of the dictionary revision. The two seminars were held in April and November last year where participants were taught procedures and processes of translation.

CAO hopes to immediately implement the use of the revised dictionary but the executive assistant admitted that the revision will entail a tremendous amount of time since it will have to be submitted to agencies for approval.

He said the office is hopeful that assistance will be extended by various government agencies to support the move of Carolinian Affairs to expedite the implementation of the said program.

Mr. Daams of Summer Institute of Linguist based in Melbourne, Australia arrived on Saipan last week and conducted simultaneous break-out sessions at CAO. The culmination of the seminar was conducted at the Pacific Island Club were more than 20 community members and teachers participated. (EGA)