What it looks like

As you know I am a second language learner. I have committed myself to studying Chahta Anumpa for a minimum of 2 hours each day for the next 30+ months.

What do I do? I have many language materials but what I generally use each day is:
Choctaw language dictionary by Cyrus Byington
and
Choctaw Language and Culture by Marcia Haag and Henry Willis

I keep a copy of Chahta Anumpa Vmmona (a small book of vocabulary) with me and review when I have spare time in addition to regular studying

I have many 3x5 index cards which are color coded

a notebook

stickers (this is a little cheesy, but I add a sticker to new words. My kids think it's pretty great to remove these star stickers when I fully understand a new word)

I use flashcards for vocabulary. I find the color coded ones to be helpful and use them for nouns, verbs, adjectives etc. My kids don't know it, but it was for them, and I have noticed that as they go over flashcards with me their vocabulary is increasing. It also gets them involved which is priceless. They know words and statements, but they are using the new words that they are learning, and their vocabulary is increasing right along with mine.

Each day I study and add to my vocabulary. On a normal day I add a minimum of ten and usually many more words to my stack of cards. I will translate several paragraphs that I want to understand. I will for sentences and statements. Every time I see a number I will say it it myself in Chahta. Same for sentences and phrases. If I can translate it I will.

I make set of flashcards about seasons, parts of the body, items we regularly use in our home or things that we do. We then add sentences to these new words.  I often cross reference vocabulary as I add it because Choctaw is such a descriptive language. One word will sometimes take me in a rabbit trail that fuels my language study. As I search through the dictionary to see another tense of a word new words or phrases jumps out at me and I add it to my stack. I will quickly review these flashcards several times a day which takes very little time. I find it to be very helpful to do this several times a day. I don't think this is necessary, I just know it helps me to remember.

Often I will find a saying, or see something written by others in Chahta and I will translate it or a song. I translate something every day. My ancestral language is so beautiful. So expressive. English pales in comparison. You don't really translate Chahta word for word, but I write out a paragraph with spaces underneath and translate it literally until I know and understand it and the vocabulary.

That is all for now. It's time for me to study.

Chi pisa la chike!

Nanaiya