LIIDLII KUE/FORT SIMPSON
When it comes to language, instructor Sharon Allen finds it is usually best to start with the basics.

Fort Simpson's Sharon Allen is running a free language class for parents who have family members attending the high school. - April Hudson/NNSL photo

That's why she runs her Dene Zhatie classes to teach the language also known as South Slavey based on practical language skills - conversation over a cup of tea, introductions and language immersion.

Allen, the language instructor at Thomas Simpson Secondary School, is now offering a free class to family members of students on Thursdays.

The goal is to get them conversing so they can be on the same page as their children, siblings and friends.

"I want to fuse the parents and kids together, because we're losing (our language)," Allen said.

The free language classes were supposed to kick off April 28 but the start date has now been postponed to May 5 so as not to conflict with other events happening in the community.

Allen said the class will focus first on the basics of language: introductions. It will be geared toward complete beginners who do not speak the language at all.

Her method is complete immersion - meaning those who attend can only speak in Dene Zhatie while there.

But while that may seem daunting to first-time speakers, Allen said the class can be helped along by gestures to indicate what someone is trying to say.

"A lot of the time, motioning helps," she said.

She has also found that students who were exposed to Dene Zhatie in their homes - even if they do not speak the language themselves - often pick it up quickly.

Another challenge to learning Dene Zhatie are the different sounds the language requires speakers to make.

That can be particularly difficult for people who have not learned phonetics or had voice training but Allen says practice makes perfect.

Another hurdle learners can expect is learning how many dialects of the language there are, as speakers from different communities in the Deh Cho have different words for the same thing.

Although Allen was exposed to Dene Zhatie growing up, she says learning the language is a lifelong pursuit.

"My godparents spoke to me a lot in Slavey," she said.

"When I came here for school, my parents spoke English but my dad spoke to us (in Slavey)."

That laid the foundation for a life dedicated to Dene Zhatie. Now, Allen says she wants to play an active role in revitalizing her language and develop modern curriculum for teaching Dene Zhatie that can be picked up by other communities and regions.

"There are still things I learn. I really believe in lifelong learning; everybody has the desire for more," she said.

"Speak, speak, speak - and listen. It's the only way."

The classes will run each Thursday until the end of the school year, barring holidays, at the school's culture room from 7 to 9 p.m.