Language

Animal Booklets

The Gwich'in Language Centre produces Gwich'in related language materials for the Gwich'in language teachers to use in their classrooms in the Beaufort-Delta. In the fall of 2002, the Gwich’in Language Centre produced seventeen short animal units in the Teetl'it Gwich'in dialect.

Using drawings created especially for this project by Gwich'in beneficiary artist Arthur Mitchell, the booklets highlight the Gwich'in text in large bold letters with the English translation in small letters. The books created are ascetically pleasing and easy to use for all grade levels.

Accompanying each animal unit is a teacher's activity package aimed at all grades. Some of the activities created include colouring sheets, find-a-word, crossword puzzles, bingo and picture/word matching puzzles. The activities were designed to meet as many grade levels as possible and to reinforce the Gwich'in language used in each booklet.

In 2003 the booklets were placed into a PowerPoint presentation format with audio recording and burned onto a CD. The presentations will be available to the Beaufort-Detla Gwich'in Language teachers to use in conjunction with the booklets in the spring of 2004.

In the summer of 2003 Gwich'in beneficiary, Lisa Andre, worked with the Elders in Tsiigehtchic who speak the Gwichya Gwich'in dialect. The seventeen animal unit booklets with CD are now available in this dialect.

Try our sample animal unit, Shoh (Bear), with audio in the Teetl'it Gwich'in dialect.