Thursday, March 8, 2012

What is Intonation?

Coming soon....all you ever wanted to know about intonation...and why I'm studying it.

Friday, February 17, 2012

HOWZIT!? PIDGIN (Hawaiian Creole English) Resources


If you haven't been to Hawaii, and you haven't heard what pidgin - the local language sounds like, here are some places to go to hear it!

1. Pidgin: the Voice of Hawaii

This is a documentary about pidgin in Hawaii...the history of it, attitudes about it, and common vocabulary used.


2.  AnyKine Kine Podcasts

Created by two guys who grew up in Hawaii and moved to San Francisco, this weekly show features music and fun conversations about every day things they do.

3. Catch a play or poem read by Lee Tonouchi the "pidgin guerrilla" (check out his work if you go to Hawaii) He is also in the documentary, Pidgin: The Voice of Hawaii


4.  Da Jesus Story

Hear the bible translated into pidgin.




and also...youtube videos, of course.  You can find anything on Youtube.

Hawaiian Language Resources

In my search to find Hawaiian speakers and audio files of people speaking Hawaiian, I found these great resources.  I thought I would share them with you, in case you are looking to learn Hawaiian, or you are just interested in hearing it and learning more about the culture.
(pictured below, my honu ukelele)


1.  Clinton Kanahele Collection

This is a collection of interviews with Hawaiian speakers that Clinton Kanahele recorded in 1970. He includes transcripts in both English and Hawaiian so you can follow along.  Aside from this being a fantastic collection of Hawaiian audio files for linguistic study, the content is also fascinating. The interviewees share what life was like in Hawaii when the missionaries started arriving, what they did for a living, what the land was like, fish they caught, plants they used for medicines and traditions they practiced.

2.  Kulaiwi Online Language Lessons through Kamehameha Schools

If you want to learn Hawaiian for free, this site is a lot of fun- and the teacher is wonderful.  I've been listening to these lessons for a while now and always have a smile on my face while doing so.  There are 30 lessons in all and each one comes with transcripts so you can follow along and see the written Hawaiian as well.  These fun video lessons also have vignettes within the lesson to show people having conversations and doing things like shopping and ordering food at a restaurant.



3.  Niuolahiki Distance Learning (NDL) 

This is a self directed online Hawaiian language platform that offers modules for $30.00 (per module).  There are 25 total modules available.  The lessons are great and you get a year to access them after you sign up (I think this is still the case).  I have enjoyed these lessons, but if you don't want to spend the money on language lessons, there are other options.

4. Hoʻolele Hualono from Kualono (the University of Hawaiʻi, Hilo)

Free and easy to follow.  This site streams the Hawaiian Language (HAW101) Hoʻolele Hualono podcasts that you can also download from iTunes.  The speaker is very easy to follow and understand and the introduction is informative about Hawaiian language history. There are 21 podcasts in all.

5. Hawaiʻi Alive
Bringing Hawaiian Culture to Life

This site is an interactive portal to Hawaiian cultural history.  Fun and comprehensive, the site is a virtual Hawaiian history museum.

6.  Living the Aloha Spirit 

This is a blog created by Ahonui Mims and she spreads aloha spirit through teaching Hawaiian (through Youtube video lessons) and teaching Hula on the Big Island (Hawaii) where she lives.  She also will provide you with worksheets to go with the lessons for free.

Monday, February 6, 2012

Hello...My Name is

Hello!  My name is Kelly Murphy...

Just wanted to include some information about me, since I haven't done so yet.  I am a Phd student at the University of Calgary, working on my dissertation on Hawaiian Creole English and Hawaiian Intonation.  I lived in Phoenix before I moved to Calgary with my husband.  12 years of warm weather and then moved up to the frozen tundra...well- its not that bad, but winters can get pretty cold.

Researching this topic has taken me to beautiful lands to meet some pretty awesome people.  One person Iʻve met and become friends with is

 Lee Tonouchi...

the ʻpidgin guerilla'...he writes poetry and plays, teaches, and does it all in Pidgin.  He also wrote his master's thesis in Pidgin.  AND he has been a great participant in my research...Special thanks to Lee for all that he has helped me do. Here is a pic of him and a link to an article about him in Honolulu Magazine. (and he has a new book out, called- Significant Moments in da Life of Oriental Faddah and Son








This blog's purpose is to share what is happening with my research with those who are interested.  This is going to be one great journey as I work to complete my dissertation.  Keep checking back to see my progress. 

Mahalo!

Kelly


Thanks for stopping by!  

Monday, January 30, 2012

In Search Of Hawaiian Speakers...

Still looking for Hawaiian Speakers!  I'm trying to get a hold of Hawaiian speakers who might be attending the Aloha Festival in Tempe this year- would love to interview some Hawaiian and Pidgin speakers there, so let me know if you know anyone!  Mahalo for your support!

Kelly