Sneaky Sounds
A Non-Threatening Introduction to Tlingit Sounds and Spelling

Sneaky Sounds, A Non Threatening Introduction to Tlingit Sounds and Spelling, takes a humorous approach to teaching tricky sounds; the book’s second subtitle is Fun with Phonology, Fonology with Phun.

Tlingit is famous for having one of the most difficult and complex sound systems in the world. Tlingit presents about two dozen sounds not shared with English. Four of these sounds are unique to Tlingit – not shared with any other language on Earth (as far as linguists know). This complexity can prove discouraging for beginners and presents a major barrier to learning.

The idea behind the book is to introduce students to the sounds of the language in as non-threatening a manner as possible. The book also will help fluent speakers learn to write Tlingit. The language historically was not written and the orthography used today was developed by linguists in the late 20^th century.  Consequently, many Elders fluent in Tlingit do not know the writing system. By listening to the CD and following along with the text, fluent speakers will be able to learn which symbols correspond to which sounds.

The book was written by Richard and Nora Marks Dauenhauer. The CD, produced by Edwards and Albert McDonnell, was recorded by fluent speakers John Marks and June Pegues. The project was six years in the making and received support from SHI, the Juneau School District and the University of Alaska Southeast. The materials were vetted by numerous language students, auditors and community Elders.

Sneaky Sounds
$20.00
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