When I first started learning Chamorro back in 2020, my teacher at the time gave me this advice: “Find a Chamorro speaker to help you.” While this seems like great advice, for many learners it is easier said than done. Not only does speakership decline make connecting with speakers increasingly difficult, we are also given little to no preparation for navigating the complex dynamics that we may encounter when we approach speakers. Therefore, it is important for us as language learners to learn how to best interact with speakers because we want to give ourselves the best chance of making it a good experience for everybody. I had to learn all of this the hard way, so in this post I am going to share some key ground rules and the 4 key do’s and don’ts that I’ve learned for interacting with Chamorro speakers.
This is a written version of what we presented for our PISACON workshop when we were talking about practicing good etiquette for interacting with speakers. You can view our original presentation slides on Canva.
Four Ground Rules
Before we jump into the do’s and don’ts for interacting with speakers, I wanted to go over four crucial “ground rules” that all language learners should keep in mind when approaching speakers.
Be Respectful: First and foremost, be respectful to the speakers in your life. As learners we can focus so exclusively on the weight of not knowing our languages that we forget about the weight our speakers carry. Expecting our speakers to immediately “turn off” decades of ingrained behaviors around our language is unrealistic and lacks empathy. If a speaker is visibly uncomfortable or hesitant, give them space rather than pushing them or manipulating them into helping you. Regardless of their decision – whether they choose to help you or not – respect their decision, and remember that it is likely tied to other dynamics you don’t know about. You can respect their decisions and point of view while being empowered to value and uphold your own.
Let Go Of Expectations: A crucial aspect of being respectful is letting go of the expectation that a speaker is obligated to teach you and help you, simply because you ask. We must remember that our desire to learn our language does not entitle us to receiving help from every speaker we ask. If a speaker does not want to help you, accept it and move on.
Center On Relationship, Not Extraction: If we are asking a speaker to help us learn Chamorro, it is important to approach that speaker with the intention of creating an authentic relationship of reciprocity. Don’t approach the speaker only to get what you want, when you want it. Not only can this leave a speaker feeling used, it is reproducing the extractive dynamics that we often experience from Western cultures. Remember, a speaker is a human being, not a translation app. Treat them as a valued part of your life, not as a tool to get what you want.
Have Patience and Empathy: If your speaker is not used to speaking in Chamorro with you, it may take time and practice for them to stop automatically switching to English when they see your face. Or your speaker may simply be out of practice with the language and needs to warm up into it. Helping someone learn Chamorro against the backdrop of our historical and social pressures can be a complicated process at the best of times. Therefore, it is crucial for us to have patience and empathy with our speakers.
Now let’s move onto the 4 do’s and don’ts of interactions and how to reframe some common behaviors.
#1 Don’t Ask Technical Questions
As second-language learners, we may be learning in a classroom environment or from linguistic and instructional texts. This may lead us to frame our interactions with speakers from that context.
But please be mindful of the fact that most of our native speakers never learned Chamorro in the classroom. Not only may they be unfamiliar with linguistic or grammar terminology, using these frameworks may lead some native speakers into thinking they are unqualified to help you.
Instead of technical questions about grammar, focus on how to say words, phrases and sentences. Here are some examples of how to reframe technical questions:
| DON’T ASK | DO ASK |
|---|---|
| Is guihan a noun? | What is guihan? |
| What’s the infinitive form of the verb to read? | Can I say it like this? Malagu yu’ manaitai |
| What is the past tense form of that verb? | How do I say, “I went to the store?” |
| What is the present tense form of that verb? | How do I say, “I am going to the store?” |
| What is the future tense form of that verb? | How do I say, “I will go to the store”? |
| Can you give me a list of common verbs? | How do I say “swim” in Chamorro? |
Special Note About “Why” Questions: I also recommend avoiding asking speakers why they said something in a particular way, as they may be unable to explain that to you. Instead, focus on the fact that they know what sounds right in the language, and learn the patterns they use.
#2 Don’t Ask For Translations of English Idioms or Slang
Remember that every language has its own slang and idioms, and direct translations rarely carry over from English into Chamorro.
If you ask speakers to translate idioms or slang, they may translate the words but not the meaning. So you may receive a phrase that uses Chamorro words but does not carry the same impact as its English counterpart.
If you are a beginner, I highly recommend that you focus on asking about the practical, everyday phrases you are likely to use instead of slang and idioms. It usually requires that we first develop a feel for the language before we can use slang and idioms well, so focus on building your foundation first.
But if you must ask about slang, ask the speaker to translate the overall message or the actual meaning of the phrase, rather than a direct translation of the English phrasing. Doing this will help the speaker understand what you are actually trying to say.
To illustrate what this looks like, here are some examples of how to reframe questions about idioms:
| DON’T ASK | DO ASK |
|---|---|
| How do you say “Stay in your lane” in Chamorro? | How do you tell someone to mind their own business in Chamorro? |
| How do you say “I’ve got it covered” in Chamorro? | How do you tell someone that you’ll be the one to do something, that you’ll take care of it? |
| How do you say, “I threw in the towel” in Chamorro? | How do I say that I finally gave up trying to do something in Chamorro? |
Real-World Example: We tried this out with some of our speakers for the English idiom “Stay in your lane” and started by asking for a direct translation. They immediately answered with Såga gi chalån-mu which is a literal, word-for-word translation. But when we asked about telling someone to mind their own business, it clicked for them and they answered differently, with Cha-mu hit.
#3 Don’t Ask For Translations of Long, Complicated Thoughts
One of the reasons we start learning Chamorro is to be able to express our thoughts and feelings in our language. We are used to doing this in English – or another dominant language – and we want to do the same in Chamorro.
The tricky part is that at the beginning of our Chamorro language learning, our ability to express ourselves in English will be significantly more developed than our ability in Chamorro. As adults this feels frustrating, so it’s tempting to think that an easy shortcut is to get a speaker to translate our very long, complicated, and sometimes convoluted thoughts directly into Chamorro.
This is unhelpful for several reasons.
First, if you are just starting out, it is unlikely that you will be able to remember or even say these very long and complicated sentences. From a learning perspective, it’s not the most impactful thing for you to do.
Second, for topics that are more complicated, it’s important to remember that you may not yet be at the appropriate level to understand how those topics are discussed in Chamorro. This is especially important for complex ideas such as intersectionality, sexuality, etc. Some topics and ways of expression manifest differently in Chamorro when compared with English, requiring higher levels of language ability. If a speaker knows that you are not at the level to understand how they express themselves, they may be hesitant to discuss the topic with you.
Finally, being able to share these topics with speakers does require relationship building in the Chamorro language. They may know who you are in English, but you are now developing a relationship in their language, the Chamorro language, while also developing your own relationship with the language itself. These things take time, so be patient and keep going 🙂
Instead of asking for translations of complex thoughts, work on extracting the core idea of what you want to say. Simplify that core idea and reduce unnecessary details. You may find that once you simplify your thought, you are already able to express it in Chamorro, at your level. Here are some examples:
| DON’T ASK | DO ASK |
|---|---|
| How do I say, “I’m frustrated because I’ve been trying to fix my phone all day, and no matter what I do, it still won’t turn on.” | How do I say, “I am upset because my phone is broken.” |
| How do I say, “I was planning on going to the store, but then I realized I forgot my wallet, so I had to go all the way back home first.” | How do I say, “I forgot my wallet, so I went home.” |
| How do I say, “I want to start learning this language because I feel a strong connection to my culture and ancestors, and I regret not learning it earlier in life.” | How do I say, “I love my culture and I want to learn the language.” |
The Importance of Simplifying Your Thoughts: The examples above illustrate the key language learning practice of simplifying your thoughts to enable yourself to use what you know. If you cannot learn how to communicate in simple language, it will be hard for you to build more complex thoughts and ideas in Chamorro.
#4 Don’t Ask Them To Do Your Learning For You
When we decide to learn from or with speakers, it is crucial that we put in our own learning effort. Just because we aren’t yet conversational or we cannot understand all spoken language does not exempt us from trying first.
We should make it a habit to try an activity on our own first, instead of expecting the speaker to do all that effort for us.
Some examples of what this looks like are shown below:
| DON’T ASK | DO ASK |
|---|---|
| Can you transcribe and translate this entire song for me? | I tried writing down the lyrics and translation to this song. Can we go over it together? |
| Can you transcribe and translate this entire song for me? | I heard them say ___ in this song. What does that mean? |
| I really wish “The Little Mermaid” was in Chamorro. Can you translate it for me? | I tried translating this story into Chamorro. Can I read you my translation and hear your feedback? |
Summary
We have gone over some key ground rules for interacting with speakers, in addition to some do’s and don’ts to reframe our questions and behaviors for a better learning experience. Here is a recap of the highlights:
- The Four Ground Rules for Interaction: 1) Remember to be respectful; 2) Let go of your expectations; 3) Center your interaction around building an authentic relationship; 4) Exercise both patience and empathy.
- Don’t ask technical grammar or linguistic questions. Do ask how to say words, simple phrases and short sentences.
- Don’t ask for translations of idioms and slang. Do ask how to convey the central meaning or message
- Don’t ask speakers to translate your long, complicated thoughts. Do simplify your thought to its core idea before asking for help.
- Don’t make speakers do your learning for you. Do put in your own best effort before approaching them for assistance
Lengguahi-ta 