Hmong learning resources

This is a spot I'm going to put all of the resources I've used in my journey to learning Hmong. Once I get it down, I'll update with what worked best for me! Information here is still in progress... 🙂

Websites:

• studyhmong.com

  • Hmong for Beginners - https://studyhmong.com/hmong-for-beginners-by-annie-jaisser/

  • Useful wordlist - https://studyhmong.com/english-hmong-phrasebook-with-useful-word-list/

  • Prepositions of place - https://studyhmong.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Direction-words-English.pdf

  • Hmong White Lessons - https://studyhmong.com/white-hmong-language-lessons/

• English-Hmong Daw phrasebook - http://www.davecurtis.net/phrasebook/phrasebook.en.mww.html

Short stories:

• Nkauj Zua Paj - Finished reading 10/7/2022

• Tus Tsov thiab tus qav (The tiger and the frog) - Finished idk when, a while ago

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Books:

Dictionaries:

• Google Translate

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Learning plan updates

10/7/2022 - Plan

Changing how I do things, because that's what they say right? If some thing isn't working, try something new. This spot will be my dump for Hmong resources and for updating how learning is going. I'm hoping this gets me more consistent, as I can type forever but writing really makes my hand sore. I just finished reading Nkauj Zua Paj yesterday, and I don't know how helpful reading and translating has been for me. I think I need to focus more on listening and watching. I feel like my Hmong has only gotten worse since getting married, since Kong only talks to me in English. I don't have my grandma around to hear talk Hmong now. I feel like when I hear Hmong, I barely understand anything which I guess is maybe the same as before. But my goal is for this to change! By the end of the year might be aggressive. But if I'm doing a little each day, there should be progress, right?

For Hmong, I don't think Anki and goldlists worked very well.

Reason

I want to understand Hmong and speak with elders and friends :)

• It'll make me feel more connected with those that speak the language and connected with my heritage.

• I'll be happy that I can understand jokes and stories first-hand without someone else translating for me, and happy that I can communicate with those who speak mainly Hmong (my grandmas, my mother in laws, father in law, wives of Kong's friends, etc.).

• I won't be nervous when I meet those who mainly speak Hmong, and I won't have to give them the talk of shame "Kuv yog hmoob, tab sim kuv tsis nkaj siab lub Hmoob zoo. Kuv paub me me xwb."

• I'll be proud that I know the Hmong language and can say I learned a language as an adult.

Goal

By the end of this year, I'll be able to understand Hmong. To test my understanding, I'll watch General Vang Pao's speech to the youth. This gives me 3 months.

Right now, I only understand words here and there (if that even). When people speak fast, I barely understand anything, and I only understand the very common words that have been spoken at me.

Plan

Month 1 -

• Focus on vocabulary I can use in my everyday life. Use the language as a tool to communicate from day one.

• Translate normal Q+A.

• Build the habit of opening the books, listening to language, finding people to follow that speak the language (with subtitles hopefully?)

• Listen to the language as much as I can - radio, music, videos, etc.

• Read stories out loud - Find commonly used words.

Month 2 -

• Be able to communicate like a baby (you/that/me/give/hot/this/etc.)

• Watch more videos - Listen a lot - Listen to the rhythm and patterns that repeat. Focus on understanding the meaning first before I understand the words.

• Try shadowing - mimic videos of native speakers.

Month 3 -

• Understand how to connect words (e.g., but, and, even though, etc.) together.

• Practice sentence structure (like in elementary school)

• Try to speak everyday!

10/31/2022 - Reflecting on October

Looking over this past month, I mostly just kept up with doing daily sentences about my day. I finished up Zoua Paj, and then didn't really read much else. I started listening to my Hmong Spotify playlist about mid-October, but I stil don't listen to it much. I've started listening to the Tones video in the background sometimes, but I'm not really listening to it usually. Looking at my "Month 1" from my plan above, I don't think I really achieved a lot of the things from it.

This next month of November, I think I want to concentrate on watching more videos with subtitles and using more usable daily sentences. My notion is pretty much set up now for this, so hopefully it helps me!