Improving Mvskoke (Creek) language learning outcomes: a frequency-based approach

Abstract

This thesis looks at second language learning from a Mvskoke perspective in an effort to improve Mvskoke language learning outcomes. This approach contrasts with the current approach in use at both the Seminole and the Muscogee (Creek) Nations, which involves translating English pedagogical texts into Mvskoke. In this paper I outline a new approach to Mvskoke language pedagogy that makes use of current research in language acquisition and focuses on providing learners early and regular exposure to the words that appear most frequently in Creek discourse. Research in language acquisition has emphasized the importance of quality and quantity, where the higher the quality and amount of input provided in the target language, the more likely it is that it will be acquired. Research additionally shows that the distribution of word frequency in every language follows Zipf’s Law, such that a fairly small number of words are highly frequent in everyday speech. Knowledge of these words is incredibly important, particularly for second language learners, where the goal is to achieve conversational proficiency as quickly as possible. To identify the most frequent words in Mvskoke, I use nine transcribed interviews in Mvskoke from the Vpoket ‘Punahoyvkēts! (Let’s sit and talk!) Mvskoke documentation project (Grant PD-230660-15, PI Jack Martin, the College of William and Mary) to create a corpus. I then used this corpus to map Mvskoke word frequencies. I also created verb and noun root frequency distributions in order to identify which common verbs and nouns should be taught early on. Finally, I applied my findings by creating a sample lesson plan that teaches some of these key frequent elements in Mvskoke that can be used by Mvskoke language teachers.