Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 21, Number 9, 1 September 2004 — CD set teaches 'ōlelo [ARTICLE]

CD set teaches 'ōlelo

By Sterling Kini Wong Anew software and audio CD set is expanding the Hawaiian language revitalization movement by making it easier for people to learn the native language of the state, whieh just 20 years ago was considered nearly extinct. "Instant Immersion Hawaiian," a package of three CD-ROMs and eight audio CDs released in January,

allows people who don't have time to attend formal Hawaiian courses to learn the language at their own paee. The $30 set, whieh is produced by Topics Entertainment, a leading publisher of language learning software, builds on the success of Hawaiian language immersion schools. The software package seeks to gradually introduce people to 'ōlelo Hawai'i by immersing the user in the language and culture while encouraging them to speak Hawaiian on an everyday basis. The first two CD-ROMs in the set guide students through the beginning and intermediate levels of Hawaiian using quizzes, games and stories to teach the user the basics

of the language and how to build sentences. The third CD-ROM is a vocabulary builder that employs picture association and other memory activities to expand the student's knowledge of Hawaiian words. Also included in the package is a set of eight audio CDs developed by university professors and linguistic experts, whieh teach the fundamental principles of the language and basic everyday greetings. The software set has been selling at a rate of 25,000 copies a month, with most sales coming from Hawai'i, Washington State, California and Las Vegas. "Instant Immersion Hawaiian" is available at Costco and Borders stores, and online at www.topics-ent.com. ■