The Diploma is aimed at the graduates of the Onkwawenna Kentyohkwa Adult Immersion Program, that is, a uniquely successful program in achieving the objective of creating highly proficient speakers of an endangered language, Mohawk. The Program has had a major impact on the Six Nations Grand River Territory. Its innovative curriculum is now being used to teach adult immersion programs in four sister languages. Program graduates established a Mohawk immersion elementary school and a Mohawk-speaking longhouse in which traditional ceremonies are conducted entirely in the language. Program graduates are now teaching the language at all levels across southern Ontario.
The diploma has three principal objectives:
- to recognize formally the pedagogically rigorous Indigenous language training (Mohawk language) that is offered by an Indigenous community partner, the Onkwawenna Kentyohkwa Adult Immersion Program;
- to connect this intensive language training to a linguistic framework that can support and enhance community-based Indigenous language revitalization efforts;
- to open a post-secondary pathway for adult learners in this language training program who wish to pursue degree studies at McMaster.
Registration information
The Diploma registration is open to all students who successfully completed the two-year Onkwawenna Kentyohkwa Adult Immersion Program.
A letter from Onkwawenna Kentyohkwa attesting that the prospective student successfuly completed the program should be sent directly to lingdept@mcmaster.ca and kucerov@mcmaster.ca.
Diploma requirements
The diploma consists of 30 units: 24 units are in recognition of two years of full-time intensive training in Mohawk, in the form of credit for two 12-unit course equivalencies. 6 units of linguistics degree-credit courses complete the diploma.
Required courses
LINGUIST 1LR12 Indigenous language proficiency and revitalization 1 (12 units)
This course is for students admitted and registered in Year 1 (1000 hours) of the Onkwawenna Kentyohkwa Adult Immersion Program, which focuses on the development of spoken language fluency, including the development of appropriate vocabulary and grammatical structures to ensure successful basic communication for daily conversations. Students must demonstrate successful completion of Year 1 and fluency in Mohawk equivalent to CLB 4, as determined by the Onkwawenna Kentyohkwa Adult Immersion Program.
LINGUIST 2LR12 Indigenous language proficiency and revitalization 2 (12 units)
This course is for students admitted and registered in Year 2 (1000 hours) of the Onkwawenna Kentyohkwa Adult Immersion Program, which focuses on the development of language fluency at the high-intermediate/preliminary advanced level, including the development of appropriate vocabulary, non-verbal signals, and complex grammatical structures for moderately-demanding communicative contexts, and the ability to style and register-shift. Students must demonstrate successful completion of Year 2 and fluency in Mohawk equivalent to CLB 7, as determined by the Onkwawenna Kentyohkwa Adult Immersion Program.
LINGUIST 2RP3 Individual Practicum in Indigenous language revitalization (3 units)
In this Experiential Learning course, students learn hands-on skills either by working on a research project (e.g., running experiments, conducting fieldwork, reviewing literature) or on a pedagogical project with a focus on Indigenous language revitalization. Students can collaborate on a faculty member’s research project or propose a project to be supervised by a faculty member or jointly by an Indigenous community leader and a faculty member.
You will also be expected to take one of the following courses (3 units in total):
- LINGUIST 2LL3 Introduction to Linguistic Typology (3 units)
- LINGUIST 2S03 Language and Society (3 units)
- LINGUIST 2D03 Research Methods (3 units)
- LINGUIST 2PS3 Psycholinguistics (3 units)
- LINGUIST 3RP3 Individual Research Practicum (3 units)