The new Sealaska Heritage Institute language apps, available on Apple and Google phone, are called SHI: Learning Haida and SHI: Learning Shm�algyack.
Sealaska Heritage Institute�s new language games app. (Photo by Yvonne Krumrey/KTOO)
Sealaska Heritage Institute released new language learning apps in X?aad K�l and Shm�algyack this month. The apps are the first of their kind and are meant to open doors for learning the endangered Indigenous languages.�
Leah Urbanski with Sealaska Heritage Institute recently demonstrated a new game app. It let�s you choose which language you want to practice � Ling�t, X?aad K�l or Shm�algyack.
Urbanski picked X?aad K�l, the Haida language. Her phone screen filled with animated sea creatures.
�So it�s all kind of live animals floating around the screen,� Urbanski said. �And then whenever you click on it, this guy just pops up out of nowhere.��
A harbor seal appeared in the corner of the screen, looking at us. When Urbanski tapped on it, its X?aad K�l name appeared: X?�ud.
There�s also a game with a forest full of birds native to Southeast Alaska, a quiz game and more options on the Ling�t side. The app is called SHI Language Games.
This app and two others released this month are SHI�s first attempt at putting X?aad K�l or Shm�algyack, the Tsimshian language, in app form.�
The new language apps, much like the Ling�t one SHI released several years ago, are called SHI: Learning Haida and SHI: Learning Shm�algyack.
They have phrases, vocabulary and a breakdown of the alphabet, with recordings to help learners pronounce each sound right.�
The X?aad K�l voice users hear is Sk�l J�adei Linda Schrack, and the Shm�algyack is Shiggoap Alfie Price. Price and Schrack worked with a team of language experts to create the apps.�
The X?aad K�l and Shm�algyack apps are a bit thinner in content than the Ling�t app right now, but Urbanski said that will change.�
�For right now, this is what we have,� she said. �But we�re going to continuously keep adding to this as we go along, just gathering all the kinds of vocab that we need.�
She said these apps are another way learners can engage with X?aad K�l and Shm�algyack.�
�I think getting language out there and in as many ways as possible is important, especially with our ever-evolving world,� Urbanski said. �Technology is one of the things that a lot of people use.�
Apps are especially helpful for younger learners, she said, and they�re all free to download from app stores on iPhones and Android devices.
