Language-focused Classes
Common Core Curriculum Area V: Humanities, Foreign Languages, and Fine Arts
NAVA 1110
NAVAJO I
NAVA 1110 is an introductory course for students with no previous Navajo language experience. This course will focus on the development of all four key language skills (speaking, listening, reading, and writing), with an emphasis on listening and speaking. The course will use a communicative approach to help students learn about the fundamentals of conversation, vocabulary, and grammar. The goal of this course is to develop Navajo language skills to the point that students are able to communicate at a novice level (low-to-mid beginner competency level).
NAVA 1120
NAVAJO II
NAVA 1120 is a continuation of NAVA 1110 and builds on the concepts introduced there. This course continues to focus on the development of all four key language skills (speaking, listening, reading, and writing), with an emphasis on listening and speaking. The course will use a communicative approach to help students learn about the fundamentals of conversation, vocabulary, and grammar. The goal of this course is to develop Navajo language skills to the point that students are able to communicate at a novice level (high beginner competency level).
Pre-requisite:
- NAVA 1110 — Navajo I
NAVA 2110
INTERMEDIATE NAVAJO I (NAVAJO III)
NAVA 2110 is an intermediate Navajo language course for students with previous experience (e.g. NAVA 1110, NAVA 1120). This class will focus on the continued development of all four key language skills (speaking, listening, reading, writing), with an emphasis on listening and speaking. The course will use a communicative approach to help students learn about the fundamentals of conversation, vocabulary, and grammar. The goal of this course is to develop Navajo language skills to the point that students are able to communicate at the intermediate level (low-to-mid intermediate competency level). Lessons are enhanced with cultural content.
Pre-requisite:
- NAVA 1120 — Navajo II
NAVA 2120
INTERMEDIATE NAVAJO II (NAVAJO IV)
NAVA 2120 is a continuation of NAVA 2110 and builds on the concepts introduced there. This class continues to focus on the development of all four key language skills (speaking, listening, reading, writing), with an emphasis on listening and speaking. The course will use a communicative approach to help students learn about the fundamentals of conversation, vocabulary, and grammar. The goal of this course is to develop Navajo language skills to the point that students are able to communicate at the intermediate level (high intermediate competency level). Lessons are enhanced with cultural content.
Pre-requisite:
- NAVA 2110 — Intermediate Navajo I (Navajo III)
NAVA 1150
BASIC MEDICAL NAVAJO
NAVA 1150 is a course specifically designed for students in medicine or a related field. This course focuses on terms for body parts, medical staff, medical departments, and simple diagnosis. It teaches students specific medical terms used for cancer, diabetes, foods, nutrients, and medicine. In addition, students will be introduced to interpreting techniques, as patients who primarily use Navajo usually require interpreters. Medical language is complicated and technical, and science and medicine are constantly advancing. Thus, learning how to combine language, education, and culture together is an essential element of this medical terminology class.
NAVA 1130
BEGINNING NAVAJO READING AND WRITING
NAVA 1130 focuses on reading and writing in Navajo. It is a course for students who specifically want to further advance these skills. This course also develops students’ comprehension skills in order to become better Navajo readers and writers. These comprehension skills are required to express ideas and acquire knowledge; therefore, students will be required to interpret and evaluate Navajo language material at the intermediate level. Additionally, all materials and lectures are presented exclusively in Navajo; this is in order to advance students’ listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills.
Pre-requisite:
- NVJO 315/515 — Advanced Navajo
NAVA 2130
INTERMEDIATE NAVAJO READING AND WRITING
NAVA 2130 continues to focus on reading and writing in Navajo. It is a course for students who want their Navajo reading and writing skills to progress even more. This course will further develop students’ comprehension skills in order to become better Navajo reader and writers. Intermediate comprehension skills are required in order to express complex ideas and acquire knowledge; as such, students will be required to interpret and evaluate Navajo language material at the advanced level. All materials and lectures are presented exclusively in Navajo to help students advance their listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills.
Pre-requisite:
- NAVA 1130 — Beginning Navajo Reading and Writing
NVJO 315/515
ADVANCED NAVAJO
NVJO 315/515 is an advanced course for students who want to continue their Navajo language learning after taking NAVA 2110 and NAVA 2120. This class focuses on the further development of all four key language skills (speaking, listening, reading, writing), with an emphasis on listening and speaking. The goal of this course is for students to develop Navajo language skills through the use of Navajo linguistic information.
Pre-requisite:
- NAVA 2120 — Intermediate Navajo II (Navajo IV)
Linguistics-focused Classes
Common Core Curriculum Area IV: Social/Behavioral Sciences
NVJO 311/511
NAVAJO VERB SYSTEM I
Navajo Verb System I focuses on three of the seven Navajo verb modes (Young 2000). It specifically explores the verbal morphology of imperfective, perfective, and future verbs. This class also breaks down Navajo verbs to identify the morphology found within verbal constructions, which will lead to the analyzation and understanding of the meaning of a verb. Students will also build verbs using the Young & Morgan (1997) and Young, Morgan, & Midgette (1992) framework, which is a skill useful for those intending to continue using Navajo. In addition, the course will discuss verb stem alternations, tense, aspect, modality, person, and number. By studying these Navajo verbal constructions, students will explore how the phonology and morphology of the language interact and build on the semantic content – all of which are core components of linguistics.
Prerequisite:
- NAVA 2120 – Intermediate Navajo II (Navajo IV)
NVJO 312/512
NAVAJO VERB SYSTEM II
Navajo Verb System II focuses on four of the seven Navajo verb modes (Young 2000). It specifically explores the verbal morphology of iterative, usitative, optative, and progressive verbs. This class breaks down Navajo verbs in order to identify the morphology found within verbal constructions; this leads to analyzing and understanding the meaning of a verb. Students will also build verbs using the Young & Morgan (1997) and Young, Morgan, & Midgette (1992) framework, which is a skill useful for those intending to continue using Navajo. In addition, the course will discuss verb stem alternations, tense, aspect, modality, person, and number. By studying these Navajo verbal constructions, students will explore how the phonology and morphology of the language interact and build on the semantic content – all of which are core components of linguistics.
Pre-requisite:
- NVJO 311/511 — Navajo Verb System I
NVJO 401/501
NAVAJO LINGUISTICS
This course is an introduction to Navajo Linguistics as a whole. The first half of the course is devoted to the nuts and bolts of linguistics: phonetics, phonology, morphology, semantics, word class, syntax, pragmatics, and discourse. The second half of the course is dedicated to the functional aspects of language: sociolinguistics, language change, language contact, first language acquisition, second language acquisition, language and culture, and Native American Linguistics. Students will gain an understanding of how the field of linguistics is applied to the Navajo language and answer questions about what the Navajo language is and how it functions for the Navajo speaker.