Plan
Create a short list of example words from other languages that don’t have a direct English translation (they may instead require a phrase to explain the concept). For example: "Tartle" in Scotland means that moment of hesitance before introducing someone because you can't remember their name
Do
- Start by checking in with the youth on whether/how many other languages are known within their Patrol
- Have a Scouter share a short list of words from any of the known languages that don’t have a direct English translation
- Take some time to consider and discuss why one culture has a word for a certain concept. Some languages have a unique way to describe or categorize each word (i.e., the Mi'kmaq language uses animate vs inanimate words; some languages such as French uses feminine vs. masculine words, etc.)
- Why might some cultures have a word for a particular concept, yet no word exists in another language to carry the same meaning?
- Speak about the meaning of the Scouting song, “Ging Gang Goolie” - a song with a made-up language to be universal to all Scouts of the world. “What does this song mean to you?”
- Now it’s your Patrol’s turn to develop some words in a new language that convey specific values/concepts/traditions that may be unique to your Section. For Example: “Webeopen” – meaning – “We are open to everyone else’s ideas in our section” or “Samitrol” – meaning a “Patrol with multiple people named Sam”.
- Have each Patrol share their new words and have the other youth and Scouters guess what their word might mean.
Review
- “How does it feel to have a word that is unique to your culture/our group?”
- “Do you know of any English words that derive from Indigenous languages?”
- How does this change the way you view languages around the world?
Keep it Simple
- Share a list of examples of words from any of the identified languages that don’t have a direct translation. (I.e., Search the web for “concepts that don't exist in English”)
- Develop some words in a new language that convey specific values/concepts/traditions that may be unique to your Section
Take it Further
- Have the youth develop a short list of words from any of the known languages that don’t have a direct English translation (some words may require a whole English phrase to explain the concept - for example: "Tartle" in Scotland means that moment of hesitance before introducing someone because you can't remember their name.)
- Now that we all understand that language can help to convey values and concepts that are unique, how does this relate to restoring Indigenous place names?... to some of Scouts Canada’s properties/camp names?
