
Online Classes: FAQs
ONLINE CLASS QUESTIONS
How are the classes taught?
Each 15-week course will cover four mokuna or chapters in the
textbook Nā Kai ‘Ewalu. Students work independently, logging into the course at their
convenience to complete their lessons. However, students are expected to meet
specific deadlines which are posted at the beginning of each course.
The curriculum focuses on the acquisition of the four skills necessary for language learning; reading, writing, listening and speaking. The curriculum is presented in many formats; text, audio files and interactive learning games. Students have many opportunities to practice the four skills and benefit from valuable instructor feedback to clarify and expand on concepts presented during the course.
How much time do I need to spend per day or week
in order to succeed in the online class?
We recommend that students spend at least eight to ten hours per
week working through the lessons, assignments, and practice exercises.
Also we highly recommend that students practice at least five days a week.
You cannot cram language acquisition, so please do not think you can spend
all ten hours on weekends to become proficient in the language.
Do I need to be online at a particular time?
No. The class is asynchronous in nature, that is, students can work on
the lessons any time of the day or night. As we have students in many different
time zones, it would be very difficult to coordinate times for everyone
to meet online. There is an online chat room within the class, so students
can interact with each other and their instructor if they do find themselves
online at the same time. From time to time, instructors may schedule real-time
audio chat meeting with students via Skype.
What Hawaiian Language classes will be taught?
We will teach Beginning Hawaiian and Intermediate Hawaiian classes. The coursework will cover the material in Chapters 1 - 20 of
the textbook Nā Kai ʻEwalu Beginning Lessons and Chapters 1 - 8 of Nā Kai ‘Ewalu Intermediate Lessons written by Dr. William H. “Pila” Wilson and Professor
Kauanoe Kamanā of Ka Haka ‘Ula o Ke’elikōlani College of Hawaiian Language
of the University of Hawai‘i at Hilo.
TECHNOLOGY REQUIREMENT QUESTIONS
What are the technology requirements for the
classes?
All students will need a microphone and headset to complete assignments.
You can find the hardware and software requirements for Macintosh and Windows
users here.
Are classes conducted on the World-Wide Web?
Some of the curriculum will be posted on WebCT, and some assignment
submissions will be posted our FirstClass Intranet system, called Leokī.
The Leokī client is free, as are the fonts, Hawaiian keyboard and other
resources you need. If you have a LAN, DSL, cable modem or regular modem
connection to the Internet, and have used a web browser such as Netscape
Navigator or Internet Explorer on your computer, you will be able to connect
to Leokī.
Who can I contact if I have additional questions?
Email papapunaewele@ahapunanaleo.org with any additional questions
regarding the course content or technology requirements.
ENROLLMENT QUESTIONS
Who takes these classes?
While a wide range
of students have taken these classes, the bulk of the students have been
what are commonly referred to as "non-traditional" students,
that is, people who have raised or are raising families and already have
careers or are retired. While we have had younger students who were concurrently
attending classes at mainland universities, they have not been as common
as the non-traditional students. All of the students did share a common
trait — a strong desire to learn the Hawaiian language.
Can non-Hawaiians enroll in the class? Do non-Hawaiian students
have more problems with learning the language?
Everyone is welcome to enroll! Students of many ethnicities, some with
Hawaiian ancestry and others without, enroll in the classes. Students who
have lived in Hawai‘i for any length of time, or have had exposure to the
language in other ways, through listening to Hawaiian music or participating
in a hālau hula (hula school) or other cultural activity have a bit of
an advantage as they are already familiar with some of the pronunciation
and grammatical aspects of the language. Lack of this kind of exposure
or lack of Hawaiian ancestry does not mean you cannot succeed in class.
It simply means you will need to spend time working on those aspects of
the lessons, perhaps more so than someone who is more familiar with the
language.
Will you accept Hawai‘i residents into the class?
We have accepted Hawai‘i residents into our previous classes, but encourage
students who can attend language classes at a community college or university
campus to do so. The online classes were designed to provide the opportunity
to learn Hawaiian to those living in areas where there are no qualified Hawaiian
language instructors. If your work schedule or location precludes you from
attending traditional classes, you are welcome to register.
Why are the classes so expensive?
When compared to other classes offered at the University of Hawai‘i
at Hilo, the classes are only slightly more expensive than comparable credit
classes at the resident tuition. When compared to out-of-state tuition, they
are much less expensive.
The classes do require a considerable amount of effort on the part of your instructor, even more so than an on-campus class. You will receive much personalized feedback from your instructor. For these reasons, we believe the tuition is quite reasonable.
GENERAL QUESTIONS
When did you begin online instruction in Hawaiian language?
Our consortium partner, Ka Haka ‘Ula o Ke‘elikōlani College of Hawaiian
Language of the University of Hawai’i at Hilo, began teaching these classes
in August 2002. The ‘Aha Pūnana Leo began pilot Elementary Hawaiian Language
classes in January 2006. Since January 2007, ‘Aha Pūnana Leo offers classes in both beginning and intermediate level Hawaiian language.
Will you teach higher levels of language as well?
We
plan to offer classes in Advanced Hawaiian Language as
well. However, we can only do so when there is a sufficient number of students
and an instructor available to teach these courses. The Intermediate classes have been offered since January 2007. However, applicants must first complete all Beginning
Level classes before qualifying for Intermediate classes. Check our course
offerings for upcoming classes.
Are the classes for-credit or non-credit?
While previous classes taught under our consortium partner Ka Haka ‘Ula
o Ke‘elikōlani were all for college credit, classes taught by ‘Aha Pūnana
Leo are non credit classes.