03-15-2014, 08:30 AM
Hawaiian is so rarely spoken in Hawaii that it also surprises me a little when I hear it. It is sung more than it is spoken. Listen to KAPA FM and then support the musicians who are keeping the Hawaiian language alive. You hear more French in South Louisiana (and that is fairly rare) than you do Hawaiian in Hawaii. It is a dead language that is in the process of revival, like Hebrew was (not sure how dead Hebrew was, but it was on life support).
It is difficult to find a Hawaiian language class that does not require a commitment of 15 class hours per week. Listening to music until you understand it is the best way to learn Hawaiian for the casual learner in my view.
Don't confuse Pidgin with Hawaiian. Pidgin is widespread and a GREAT dialect. I love the accent. It is hard to emulate because you have to talk very, very fast. But it is a fun, sing-song dialect of ENGLISH (not Hawaiian --English). When I hear pidgin I get all weak-kneed.
I am not one of those who thinks that you sound stupid if you emulate Pidgin. I respectfully disagree. Like ANY dialect or language, you sound stupid at first, but if you keep at it, it is conceivable to pass -- not for purposes of deception, but for purposes of perpetuating the dialect. I am not adept at it but I do apply it lightly. If I am being spoken to in pidgin, I change my inflection a little. Inflection is about all I can give right now, but it is important and I think my own speech has changed as a result. I LIKE the local dialect. If you don't change a little linguistically, that's when you stick out like a sore thumb. People from India move to Texas.....and then adopt what remains of the fast-vanishing Texas accent when they speak English. This is no different, except you are learning a new dialect and NOT a new language (again, spoken Hawaiian is rare except in schools).
A language is not just different words -- it is also a different take on life. Language is a product of thought. And locals think differently than mainlanders. That's the charm. It is expressed in the local English dialect.
It is difficult to find a Hawaiian language class that does not require a commitment of 15 class hours per week. Listening to music until you understand it is the best way to learn Hawaiian for the casual learner in my view.
Don't confuse Pidgin with Hawaiian. Pidgin is widespread and a GREAT dialect. I love the accent. It is hard to emulate because you have to talk very, very fast. But it is a fun, sing-song dialect of ENGLISH (not Hawaiian --English). When I hear pidgin I get all weak-kneed.
I am not one of those who thinks that you sound stupid if you emulate Pidgin. I respectfully disagree. Like ANY dialect or language, you sound stupid at first, but if you keep at it, it is conceivable to pass -- not for purposes of deception, but for purposes of perpetuating the dialect. I am not adept at it but I do apply it lightly. If I am being spoken to in pidgin, I change my inflection a little. Inflection is about all I can give right now, but it is important and I think my own speech has changed as a result. I LIKE the local dialect. If you don't change a little linguistically, that's when you stick out like a sore thumb. People from India move to Texas.....and then adopt what remains of the fast-vanishing Texas accent when they speak English. This is no different, except you are learning a new dialect and NOT a new language (again, spoken Hawaiian is rare except in schools).
A language is not just different words -- it is also a different take on life. Language is a product of thought. And locals think differently than mainlanders. That's the charm. It is expressed in the local English dialect.