Cherokee Language Lessons PDF Download

One of the keys to acquiring a new language is to learn the patterns that make up the language. Simply learning phrases so you can speak "pidgin" Cherokee is not learning Cherokee. You need to learn the fundamentals of the language on how words are put together to be able to understand and communicate in the language. There are many degrees of meaning that different word parts provide and if you don't learn these shades of meaning up front and how they are expressed you will never progress beyond simple memorized phrases and never obtain satisfaction with the language.While each person's skill will differ, one should strive to gain enough understanding of the mechanics of the language to be able to comprehend and communicate effectively. The goal of this material is to provide you a solid structural foundation on how Cherokee works. You will learn how words are put together in basic sentences and how to form new words for ideas not listed in the dictionary. You will be able to parse out the most important meanings from more complex writings and sayings found in the real world. Eventually you will be able to think and dream in Cherokee as well. None of these things are guaranteed, but with enough effort, and a good path to follow in learning the fundamental patterns hidden within the language, there is a good chance you will master the Cherokee language and possibly much more.The lessons in this material are like life. First we crawl, then we walk, and finally we run. The Cherokee you find in these lessons has been modified to fit a special requirement referred to by many language instructors as Staying in Bounds. This means that the lesson exercise material only uses the vocabulary and grammar rules that have already been taught. As a result, many of the exercises, especially the earlier ones, will seem full of "childish" or "bad" Cherokee language to full speakers. As these lessons progress, the less "childish" or "bad" the Cherokee that is taught will be.The structure of this material does not follow standard European language teaching style. The Cherokee language is too different from any European language to be able to follow such a style. Cherokee is a language of description and of relationship. For this reason, much of the language at first glance appears to work opposite to the way English does. This material will hopefully ease the shift required in your thinking by starting early with some of these concepts that are so very different from English.[Revision: 7.114, 2015/12/11]