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Pathways to Creating Speakers of Onkwehonwehneha at Six Nations

This published report contains the results of a year-long study conducted by Six Nations Polytechnic at Six Nations of the Grand River Territory from March 22nd, 2016 to February 2nd, 2017. The study titled, "The Path to Creating A Critical Mass of Onkwehonwehnéha Speakers at Six Nations of the Grand River Territory" was made possible through an Ontario Trillium Fund grant and support from Six Nations Polytechnic and the Six Nations Language Commission. Key study findings indicate the path to creating a critical mass of speakers of a Rotinonhsyón:nih language focus on building the language proficiency of individual language learners through adult immersion programs with 3600 hours of contact time or the equivalent of 4 years of full-time study to successfully move them through the five stages of Language Acquisition using a structural-functional syllabus, interactionist and communicative approaches to second language instruction, the use of ACTFL Oral Proficiency Interviews and Guidelines to track speaking proficiency, and encouraging language use extending beyond the classroom into real community interactions and functions.