Eyak i Fino’-ta: Developing A Bilingual School Model for Guam

The Commission on CHamoru Language and the History and Culture of the Indigenous People of Guam (Kumisión) will work in conjunction with the Saint Frances Catholic School (SFCS) as leading support agencies to establish a bilingual school model for Guam. The CHamoru language is critically endangered. Currently SFCS is an “English only” school and, there is no classtime allocated for the use of CHamoru language learning resources. The Eyak I Fino’-ta project will provide CHamoru specific language learning resource stations in 14 classrooms of SFCS. The goal of this project will increase proficiency among students and teachers at the SFCS project site. By increasing the use of CHamoru in the classroom, language proficiency will increase within households throughout the community. The goal of the Eyak I Fino’-ta project is to help maintain the CHamoru language as the first language of the people of Guam.