Best place to start for beginners?

Started by Nawmatskxe, May 09, 2014, 03:35:57 PM

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Nawmatskxe

I've always struggled with these kinds of things because I can't ever seem to figure out where to start.  :-\ There are so many different places that I could potentially start, although all seem equally confusing and I'm not entirely sure it's a good starting point. I'm curious if anyone out there can reference me to some good starting material and tell me where exactly I should start my journey in learning this beautiful language, and then where I should progress once I've gotten the basics down.  ;)






Thanks in advance! :D ~Nawmatskxe
Join Project Tribal here  (And yes, it will be a real tribe in the real world, NOT a role play tribe!) Feel free to PM me about it!


Nawmatskxe

Join Project Tribal here  (And yes, it will be a real tribe in the real world, NOT a role play tribe!) Feel free to PM me about it!

Tìtstewan


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Blue Elf

Quote from: Tìtstewan on May 09, 2014, 10:13:26 PM
Hello and welcome!

I would also mentioning this thread (it is also here and stick :))
http://forum.learnnavi.org/beginners/appeal-to-everyone-who-begins-to-study-navi/
IMHO this thread can scare beginners (read Le'eylan's post there)
Where to start? Learn some basic words first (there's some outdated list of such words in beginner's subforum). You can try Memrise.com, Tirea Aean created Na'vi course there.
Then learn some grammar basics - for example using Na'vi in a nutshell (outdated, but useful). Then you can try to read some texts in Na'vi (start in beginner's section first) - and ask for help, if needed. Always someone responds.
Oe lu skxawng skxakep. Slä oe nerume mi.
"Oe tasyätxaw ulte koren za'u oehu" (Limonádový Joe)


Kame Ayyo’koti

I would like to add: If you have never learned a language before, Google "how to learn a language" and read every page and blog you can find.

Learning a language can be easy if you do it the right ways, but it can be frustrating and seem impossible if you use bad methods. Do some research on ways to study first.

Some things that have helped me:
http://www.strategiesinlanguagelearning.com
http://japaneselevelup.com/ (Most of what they say applies to all languages.)
http://jeffben.com/
http://www.zompist.com/whylang.html

Try as many different methods as you can and find what works for you. Be persistent; never give up!  ;)
"Your work is to discover your world, and then with all your heart give yourself to it."

willcarter

Got to know more about it, as am new here, thanks

`Eylan Ayfalulukanä

Do you have any specific questions? It kind of sounds like you two are lost.

Yawey ngahu!
pamrel si ro [email protected]

Mech

I'd like to resurrect this thread (sorry if I am violating any forum rules) to address my biggest problem with learning Na'vi.

The problem is that there is no Na'vi course. Only grammars, notes, vocabularies, and some "lessons". Some (that receive the most criticism) are more technical, others boast reader-friendliness. However all of them lack a common thing: they lay out the language, but do no help learning it. Even the friendliest lessons are only a simplified grammar in the form of notes. A typical "lesson" goes like this:

'Kaltxi! In this lesson we'll learn the pronouns: they are oe, nga, po etc. Good luck memorizing them, and pay attention to their usage rules, exceptions etc. See you in the next lesson. Eywa ngahu.'

My humble opinion is that you don't learn a language by opening a grammar and reading it from cover to cover. A lesson must pose some challenge, make your brain work with exercises so that you will remember what you learned the next day.

Traditional coursebooks begin with a dialogue, usually of two fictional people introducing themselves, and use it as a template to show the first workings of the language, and are followed by exercises. If there is no such thing, I thought composing such texts myself and use them to teach Na'vi myself, perhaps introduce yet-one-more-Na'vi-blog for anyone else interested with dialogues and exercises based on coursebooks of real languages.

PS. I really admire you people who learned Na'vi with the existing methods  :D

Tìtstewan

Something like ... a workbook is missing? (When I get more time, I'll have to continue working on it...)

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Plumps

Quote from: Mech on April 23, 2016, 03:29:04 PM
I'd like to resurrect this thread (sorry if I am violating any forum rules) to address my biggest problem with learning Na'vi.

No harm in coming from another angle and revive it ;)

Quote from: Mech on April 23, 2016, 03:29:04 PM
The problem is that there is no Na'vi course. Only grammars, notes, vocabularies, and some "lessons". Some (that receive the most criticism) are more technical, others boast reader-friendliness. However all of them lack a common thing: they lay out the language, but do no help learning it. Even the friendliest lessons are only a simplified grammar in the form of notes. A typical "lesson" goes like this:

'Kaltxi! In this lesson we'll learn the pronouns: they are oe, nga, po etc. Good luck memorizing them, and pay attention to their usage rules, exceptions etc. See you in the next lesson. Eywa ngahu.'

True. It has often been stated that we have something for the absolute beginner (i.e. Na'vi in a Nutshell) highly sofisticated materials for the linguistic enthusiast (i.e. Horen lì'fyayä leNa'vi) but nothing in between.

I agree with you that those only cover the grammar aspect of the language (which is also important) ... but they claim to be nothing else ;)

I can't think of other materials in English where this was attempted except the workbook but that was more intended for memorizing and get familiar with words through crossword puzzles, association etc.


Quote from: Mech on April 23, 2016, 03:29:04 PM
My humble opinion is that you don't learn a language by opening a grammar and reading it from cover to cover. A lesson must pose some challenge, make your brain work with exercises so that you will remember what you learned the next day.

It also depends on which type of student you are. I always tell people who want to start learning the language that they have to know that first. Or at least know what doesn't work for them. Some are the bookish type (like myself), i.e. learning from a grammar and example sentences. Others want a fully fletched out lesson, want examples, exercises, dialogues etc. like yourself. So you have the first step down ;)


Quote from: Mech on April 23, 2016, 03:29:04 PM
Traditional coursebooks begin with a dialogue, usually of two fictional people introducing themselves, and use it as a template to show the first workings of the language, and are followed by exercises. If there is no such thing, I thought composing such texts myself and use them to teach Na'vi myself, perhaps introduce yet-one-more-Na'vi-blog for anyone else interested with dialogues and exercises based on coursebooks of real languages.

I tried this in two attempts:

Pivlltxe Nì'it was meant for listening exercises only because I always thought if Na'vi is a spoken language why not simply learn it by speaking. There are 7 episodes in German and I had the first translated in English.

Aysänumvi – 4 lessons in German structured more like a traditional coursebook (minus the dialogues) but with explanations, examples and exercises and answer key (you can have a look in the first one here). Skimming over them again, I notice that they contain a few mistakes by now (with our growing insight into the language).

I see two obstacles, (1) creating a coursebook is a lot of work. Something that you don't always have the time or energy for. Sometimes the concept works but then you get stuck on a particular issue (Pivlltxe Nì'it is a case in point...). You have to trace which words you've already introduced, check that you don't introduce something new in your examples, etc. Or you don't want to do everything on your own, so you have to rely on other people helping you out ... the bigger the group, the more complicated it gets to get something finished because of everybody's personal life, which is understandable.
(2) I feel that especially for solid Na'vi conversation we simply lack the necessary source material. Sometimes, conversational bits are just guess work. As a creator I wouldn't want my material to be outdated in a few months just because we didn't have all the finer details of how the language works yet.

In general, I absolutely understand where you're coming from, ma Mech! It's often easier said than done. We just have to try and try again and see what works ;)

In this case, hearing your feedback is essential in noticing what works and/or doesn't work. And I can only encourage you: if you want to create something yourself, by all means do! :) More is always better and maybe you find the approach that'll help somebody else. Win-win! :D

Mech

Thanks ofr your thorough reply. I didn't know about the German courses, as I was looking ony for English resurces. And I never cared much about podcasts and audio lessons as I am not much of an aurial type and don't f. How difficult would it be to translate and update them?

Tirea Aean

Quote from: Mech on April 23, 2016, 03:29:04 PM
I'd like to resurrect this thread (sorry if I am violating any forum rules) to address my biggest problem with learning Na'vi.

The problem is that there is no Na'vi course. Only grammars, notes, vocabularies, and some "lessons". Some (that receive the most criticism) are more technical, others boast reader-friendliness. However all of them lack a common thing: they lay out the language, but do no help learning it. Even the friendliest lessons are only a simplified grammar in the form of notes. A typical "lesson" goes like this:

'Kaltxi! In this lesson we'll learn the pronouns: they are oe, nga, po etc. Good luck memorizing them, and pay attention to their usage rules, exceptions etc. See you in the next lesson. Eywa ngahu.'

My humble opinion is that you don't learn a language by opening a grammar and reading it from cover to cover. A lesson must pose some challenge, make your brain work with exercises so that you will remember what you learned the next day.

Traditional coursebooks begin with a dialogue, usually of two fictional people introducing themselves, and use it as a template to show the first workings of the language, and are followed by exercises. If there is no such thing, I thought composing such texts myself and use them to teach Na'vi myself, perhaps introduce yet-one-more-Na'vi-blog for anyone else interested with dialogues and exercises based on coursebooks of real languages.

PS. I really admire you people who learned Na'vi with the existing methods  :D

Kaltxì!  Thanks for your input here. Further on-topic input to an old thread is always welcome if there isn't a newer thread that replaced it or something. :)

You're right to point out that there are no true or interactive lesson courses available to follow. Everything really is just grammar notes and the dictionary.  Creating such a thing presents exactly the obstacles that Plumps just pointed out.

But what I can offer you is Free 1-on1 lessons if you want to learn from me on your time. Send me a personal message if you're interested. :D

Plumps

Quote from: Mech on April 24, 2016, 07:37:02 AM
Thanks ofr your thorough reply. I didn't know about the German courses, as I was looking ony for English resurces. And I never cared much about podcasts and audio lessons as I am not much of an aurial type and don't f. How difficult would it be to translate and update them?

Sorry for getting back so late ... life happened. :(

Translating them wouldn't be the problem, I think, if I have a native speaker to check (like we did with the first episode). I have all the original files still on my computer. It's the recording and cutting it all together that's time consuming.

Vawmataw

(Sorry for the necropost.)
Mech is very right about that, but unfortunately for almost everyone life has taken over. Back in 2011-2012, it would have been a great thing. We had plenty of people, plenty of ideas, but now there's barely 1 or 2 learners. The problem is that almost nobody can commit here as a volunteer without affecting one's life. Wait 12 to 18 more months and we will probably have more audio conversation and maybe a real activity book?

Until then, we are preserving the community part in Learn Na'vi community.

So yes, this period between the two movies is less suitable for beginners.
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Elwyn

#15
There's so much helpful info to get started with on this site but it would also be great if there was a course that teaches Navi. I'd pay for it.

Tìlu

Quote from: Elwyn on September 15, 2016, 12:42:10 AM
There's so much helpful info to get started with on this site but it would also be great if there was a course that teaches Navi. I'd pay for it.
Kaltxì! I'm usually on the LearnNa'vi Discord and the Neytiri Project Discord servers and I'm willing to teach you at least a bit! c: I know others would be willing to as well. :)