“In our language, it is embedded, our philosophy of life and our technologies. There is a reason why we want our languages preserved and taught to our children – it is our survival.”
-- Dr. Burt McKay, former FPHLC Council member, Nisga’a language teacher and Elder.

FIRSTVOICES TRAINING

FirstVoices Help Quick Start Select a Language You will need to select a language before beginning a search through a word or phrase list. Two separate links provide access to the individual language archives. Option 1. Click the Choose a Language button at the top of the page and select a language from the drop-down menu. Option 2. Scroll over maps and click on the darkened portion to open a more detailed map, displaying all of the languages contained within that region. Click the highlighted language of your choice. Note: Displayed Languages Languages underlined in bold text on the map or in the list are currently archived at FirstVoices. Languages which appear 'greyed-out' have yet to be archived at FirstVoices, or may be private dictionaries that are not accessible to the public without a password provided by the Language Administrator. Language Welcome Page When arriving at a language welcome page, you are greeted in the chosen language. Each language community identifies its archive with the name of the language in the banner heading and a picture or logo in the side bar. The welcome page of each Indigenous language provides information about the language community. The alphabet grid displays an easy reference guide to the character set used by the language community. You are able to print a copy of the alphabet using the link at the bottom of the grid. When an alphabet grid is displayed or printed, a sample word accompanies each letter. Large alphabets may exceed one letter size page. In these cases, select a larger paper size in Page Setup. Note: Alphabet Grid You can listen to recorded sounds for each letter of the alphabet by clicking on the speaker icon accompanying each letter. Click the accompanying each letter in the grid to open the list of words in the archive for that letter. Letters that are not accompanied by a speaker icon have yet to have their sound recorded. Search Word Entries When searching word entries at FirstVoices, you can type an English or Indigenous word in the 'search' window and see the records for that entry. Once the word has been entered in the window, click on the search word list button. Use the 'Display' button to select the language you wish to search in. It is possible to search in the Indigenous language or English. Option 1. Search All Words It is possible to view all word entries in a language archive, potentially resulting in a long list of words! Click the WORD LIST icon or click the window above the search word list button. Option 2. Search by Initial Letter For searches in an Indigenous language, it is possible to narrow the viewable word list by choosing an initial letter from a drop-down alphabet. Note: Search by Initial Letter in English For searches in English, simply type the word you are searching for using the regular keyboard. Option 3. Search Using Alphabet Grid It is possible to search by initial letter from the Alphabet Grid on the Welcome Page. Simply click on any letter on the grid to see a list of words for that letter displayed in the word list. Option 4. Search by Category To view words by category, click on the drop-down category list and choose one from the list. Search Phrase Entries To search the phrase list, first select a phrase book topic from the drop-down menu. This will display all the phrases listed under the chosen topic. You can then scroll through the phrases appearing in the window, or chose another topic from the drop-down menu. An alternate search method enables you to type the initial word of a phrase, or the entire phrase, in the 'search phrase book' window and click the search phrase book button. Playing Multimedia To play an available video, double click on the video window. To start audio, click the start button on the left of the sound bar. Return to Welcome Page You can return to the Welcome page by clicking on the logo for the language community or by clicking the Return to Welcome Page link located below the language community art or logo. Register to Become a Member FirstVoices membership provides for a choice of display preferences, as well as access to private language archives when approved by the Language Administrator.