Everyday Chamorro: Chamorro Language Phrases for Beginners

by M.B. Dallocchio

Learning a language isn't an easy task, even if you're the type who's more linguistically inclined. However, when one is learning a rare language such as Chamorro, the indigenous language of the Mariana Islands, using it in everyday conversation can be extremely intimidating. In "Everyday Chamorro Language Phrases for Beginners," you'll find a variety of tips, common phrases, and cultural tidbits that will help you on your way to achieving your language goals.Whether you're learning Chamorro because it's part of your heritage, for pure polyglot curiosity, or just to learn a few phrases to be a polite visitor to the Marianas, "Everyday Chamorro" can be used as a resource in navigating a variety of basic conversation topics from travel and family interaction to everyday tasks and more.

252 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 9, 2015

About the author

MB Dallocchio is an artist, writer, combat veteran, and social worker with 15 years of experience in inpatient and outpatient mental health for both the nonprofit and military mental health sectors. She served in the US Army between 1998-2006 as a medic and mental health sergeant. As a former member of Team Lioness (a team of women attached to Special Forces and Marine infantry units in Iraq) and deployed to Ramadi, Iraq in 2004-2005, she was one of the first women to engage in direct combat operations.

In 2006, she was awarded the David L. Boren NSEP Scholarship, the Massachusetts Outstanding Woman Veteran of the Year award in 2009, and The Distinguished Women in Nevada award in 2014.

MB Dallocchio wrote the “Women Warriors” chapter in War Trauma and Its Wake (Routledge, 2012) and was featured in the San Francisco Chronicle, New York Times, NPR and many other outlets covering the female combat veteran experience. She has also been featured in the documentaries “Lioness” and “The Long Road Home.”

After a long road of post-war reintegration, she received her Master of Social Work degree from University of Southern California in 2016. As both a veteran and social worker, she currently specializes in artistic psychosocial rehabilitation, polytrauma, and sustainable living in the US Southwest.

For more information, please visit www.thedesertwarrior.com.

Reviews

[Kelvin Rodeo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, what a great text this is for learning the Chamorro language! It never markets itself as a standalone Chamorro language textbook, and it technically isn't one. But that doesn't mean that you can't learn a lot of Chamorro from it. The book is "merely" a book of useful Chamorro phrases and words, but it is set up in such a way that by the time you finish reading it the first time, you will undoubtedly have committed to memory at least some of the words and their meanings. There are some sections where the definition of a word hasn't been introduced yet, but you can understand the meaning of the word through the context, and then confirm for yourself its meaning when it is used again in a similar context over the next couple of sentences. It shows that M.B. Dallochio really put a lot of thought into writing this book, into who her audience would be and what subtle techniques to use in structuring the book so as to have the highest chances of retention as the reader goes along. She also understands that language is inseparable from culture, evidenced by the many cultural information tidbits included through the chapters of the book. I particularly love the chapter about customs and culture, which delves into Chamorro traditional spirituality and folklore. That's definitely not something you'd expect to see in a book about learning the Chamorro language, but it's there, and it is REALLY good! The book as a whole is very clear and concise, and very well structured. The order of the chapters makes sense, and each chapter consists of useful phrases. The cool thing is that they aren't all just standalone phrases, either. M.B. Dallochio makes the book entertaining by grouping the phrases into a realistic dialogue, which the reader can follow along with and see just how the phrases are used in an actual conversation. As there is no audio companion to the book, she makes sure that you know how to pronounce the words that you're reading by including a very useful and very straightforward pronunciation guide at the beginning. She even includes helpful tips and pointers for learning a language, to help you set good language learning habits right from the start, if you're serious about leaning the Chamorro language. For those who want to work on building their vocabulary, she includes a thorough (86 pages!) Chamorro-English glossary at the end of the book. If you're interested in learning the Chamorro language, you'll definitely want to grab yourself a copy of this book. Read it once, learn a little bit. And then read it again, and again, and again. If you really want to learn the Chamorro language, and also learn a little bit about the people from the Mariana Islands who speak the language, then this book is a MUST-HAVE. The only thing that would make it even better, is if it came with an audio companion or if the digital version had the option to click on a word and hear its pronunciation, but since it doesn't, the pronunciation guide at the beginning really is good enough. Excellent work, M.B. Dallochio. I am very glad to have had the opportunity to read your book!