Learning Karen Sgaw: Looking For Language Resources

[canuckamuck]

It is time I learned the language of my village. Is there any useful language resources on the web?

O perhaps a book.

[Johpa]

There used to be a small simple dictionary around that you could use as a basis.. Perhaps look in the bookshops or maybe the bookstore at Payap or ask the NGO workers down in Mae Sot or Mae Sariang whether their organizations have compiled a dictionary or phrase book. The problem is that some of the older dictionaries used a Burmese transcription to write the Karen and needless to say Thai Karens do not read Burmese. And of course Karen has a few consonants that don't appear in either English or Thai. I have been living with the Sgaw off and on for decades and still don't speak Karen outside a limited basic vocabulary.

By the way, which district are you living in? Perhaps I have some in-laws in your village as my wife always seems to be related to someone when we visit within the Karen community. She even has a cousin living in Canada.

[canuckamuck]

I am up in Chiang Rai, near Wawee. Pong klang nam is the village. Yes I am sure we could find a connection, my wife seems to be related to everybody.

I found 2 websites about Karen language, but they didn't specify which dialect of Karen they are teaching. Since Karen Po and Karen Sgaw are very different from each other; you think they would mention which one they are talking about after going through the effort to make a website. I'll get my wife to help when we are less busy.