Learning Chamorro as an adult can feel intimidating—especially if you didn’t grow up speaking it or have never learned another language to conversational fluidity. You might wonder if it’s too late to start, or if you’ll ever sound natural. But here’s the truth: adult learners bring powerful strengths to the table—discipline, self-awareness, and life experience—that make progress not only possible, but deeply rewarding.
In this first post of the Getting Started series, I’ll share 9 key lessons I wish I had known before I began learning Chamorro. These ideas will help you build a strong mindset, prepare you for some potentially unexpected challenges, and approach your studies with confidence and patience.
1. Know That It’s Not Too Late
Many adult learners worry they’ve missed their chance to learn Chamorro. Some of us have grown up believing that languages can only be learned in childhood. Others face this doubt when realizing how few native speakers remain in their families or communities. For many of us, the experience of watching our language fade—slowly, over years or even decades—can deepen the feeling that we’ve arrived “too late.”
But here’s the truth: it’s never too late. Adults of any age can and do learn languages successfully—the process simply looks different. With steady effort, realistic goals, and an openness to small victories, you can rebuild your connection to the Chamorro language and and help carry it forward—living it in today’s world and passing it on to the future.
2. You May Encounter Resistance From Family
When we start learning Chamorro, it can feel natural to turn to our family for guidance or support. Some learners are fortunate to have families who are enthusiastic and encouraging. Others may face resistance, discomfort, or even coldness, as if a wall has suddenly been put up. This response, while difficult, is actually fairly common.
If this happens, try to remember it’s not about you personally. Everyone has their own experiences and emotions connected to our language, and they may not be immediately open to helping you or even engaging at all. Accepting this and letting it go allows you to continue your learning without taking the resistance to heart.
3. Learning Chamorro Can Stir Emotions About Identity
Learning Chamorro isn’t just an academic pursuit—it’s deeply personal. For many of us, it can bring up unexpected emotions: grief for what was lost, anger at why it was taken, uncertainty about our own sense of belonging, or even painful confrontations with how close or distant we feel to Chamorro culture. These feelings are real and valid.
Reconnecting with Chamorro often means confronting painful histories and asking difficult questions about identity—questions that may not have simple, immediate answers. It’s important to hold space and empathy for your emotions. So give yourself space to feel whatever arises, while being mindful and respectful of the spaces you occupy. Remember, we aren’t just learning a language—we’re engaging in the complex and nuanced process of language reclamation which touches on all aspects of the self.
4. Learn Differently – With Modern Approaches Tailored to Your Lifestyle
One of the biggest challenges for adult learners is time. Many believe they must wait until they can dedicate hours each day to studying Chamorro, thinking that real progress requires restructuring their entire lives around study time. Traditional schooling reinforces this mindset, making it feel like learning is only possible through long, formal hours of work. But that’s not true—and believing it can actually delay your learning unnecessarily.
Instead, it’s important to approach Chamorro in a way that fits your lifestyle, as this is the only practical way for most of us to learn. You don’t need to study like you’re back in a classroom, poring over books for hours or completing assignments that don’t help you speak. With modern tools, short focused sessions, and learning integrated into your daily life, you can make steady, meaningful progress by working smarter, not harder.
5. Consistency Determines Your Success
If you truly want to learn Chamorro and become a speaker, the single most important thing to understand is this: consistency matters more than anything else. Becoming a speaker isn’t about short bursts of intense study—it’s about showing up regularly over a long period and being patient with your own pacing and progress.
Consistency also means showing up even when conditions aren’t ideal. Maybe you’d like to dedicate an hour each day, but you only have 15 minutes. It might not feel perfect, but those 15 minutes matter far more than waiting for the “right” circumstances. Small, regular efforts compound over time, and this is what ultimately transforms learners into speakers.
6. Master Commonly Used Basics Before Building to Complexity
As adults, starting with the basics can feel frustrating—or even embarrassing. It can also feel limiting when compared with all the complex ideas and nuanced thoughts we hold in our native language. These feelings often make it tempting to “skip” the basics and ask for immediate translations of complex English thoughts or idioms into Chamorro. In the moment, it might feel satisfying, and using a “deep” phrase can give the illusion of truly speaking the language.
But in reality, at the beginning, you probably won’t remember—or be able to use—those complex sentences. Strong foundations in the basics—pronunciation, listening comprehension, commonly used words, everyday phrases, and simple sentence patterns—make everything that comes later much easier. By building a network of connections in your brain with the basics that you use over and over, you create a structure that supports absorbing more complex language, giving new vocabulary and patterns something solid to “stick” to as you grow. Just be consistent and trust the process.
7. Listening To Native Speakers Is Essential From the Beginning
One thing I wish I had done from day one of my learning journey was listen to native Chamorro speakers as much as possible—or at least highly fluent speakers who clearly learned primarily through direct exposure from native speakers rather than from grammar texts or second-language study. I even wrote a separate post about how not listening to native speakers became a major obstacle in my path to conversational ability. My experience is why I stress listening to native speakers for every learner.
At first, it can feel intimidating or frustrating when you understand very little. But immersing yourself in native speech from the beginning is crucial. It helps you internalize rhythm, tone, and flow—elements you can’t fully learn from text alone—and ultimately makes you a stronger speaker. It also familiarizes you with how Chamorro really sounds, reducing the “shock factor” many learners experience when moving from classroom exercises to real-world conversations.
8. Focus on Your Own Journey, Don’t Compare
Every learner’s path is unique. Comparing yourself to others—especially learners who have been studying longer or speak more fluently—can be discouraging. I’ve seen learners quit entirely despite making excellent progress, or else they convince themselves they’ll “never” become fluent because their progress looks different from their peers’.
Instead, focus on your own journey and growth. Keep showing up, even when progress feels slow. Celebrate every win, no matter how small, and remember that everyone’s learning path will look different. Embrace your own journey with patience, kindness, and confidence in the progress you’re making.
9. Learn in Community
Learning Chamorro as an adult is a long and challenging journey, but it becomes far more rewarding when done in community. Whether it’s speaking with elders, practicing with family and friends, joining a study group, or creating your own, learning alongside others provides encouragement, accountability, and reinforcement.
Language thrives through connection. When you learn in community, you not only improve your skills faster, but you also develop a more natural, culturally grounded way of speaking. By contrast, studying in isolation—relying solely on books—can result in language that feels unnatural or overly influenced by an English grammar mindset. Connecting with others helps you internalize the rhythms, expressions, and patterns that make Chamorro truly come alive.
Summary
In this post, we’ve explored 9 key things to keep in mind before starting your Chamorro language journey. As you prepare to begin, remember these guiding principles:
- It’s Not Too Late: Learning Chamorro as an adult is absolutely possible—it just looks different from learning as a child.
- Family May Be Resistant: Some family members may feel uncomfortable or even discourage your learning. This is common—try not to take it personally.
- Learning Can Stir Emotions: Studying Chamorro as an adult can bring up unexpected feelings. Give yourself space and empathy when this happens.
- Approach Learning Differently: Let go of traditional classroom expectations. Use modern tools and strategies that fit your lifestyle.
- Consistency Determines Your Success: Showing up consistently is the single most important factor in becoming a speaker. Small, regular efforts outweigh sporadic intensive study.
- Master the Basics First: Build a strong foundation in pronunciation, vocabulary, and simple phrases. Mastering the basics makes it easier to absorb more complex language later.
- Listen to Native Speakers: From day one, immerse yourself in native speech. Listening helps you internalize rhythm, tone, and natural patterns—things books alone cannot teach.
- Don’t Compare Yourself to Others: Every learner’s journey is unique. Focus on your own progress and celebrate your own wins.
- Learn in Community: Practicing with others—whether family, friends, or study groups—makes learning more enjoyable, motivating, and effective.
Lengguahi-ta 