Virtual Classroom Offerings

Live Weekly Classes Via Zoom

Join kumu Kaliko Beamer-Trapp for an 8-week Zoom-based online session focusing on Hawaiian language and culture.

Introduction

Kaliko will lead you through both easy and difficult lessons in his typical lighthearted and fun-loving fashion, making sure you really enjoy learning Hawaiian language in ʻŌlelo Online’s “Virtual Classroom”.

Classroom size is generally limited to 18 students, and registrations are taken on a first-come first-served basis. You attend your class once a week and each class is an hour long. There is always lots to study on your own between classes, and if you find you have friends in class, then make a small study group and enjoy working on lessons together. Kumu Kaliko will email the class notes as well as a link to the video recording of the class to you as soon as possible after your class is done.

Multiple Sections

Several classes have separate “sections”, for example “CH2A Section 1” and “CH2A Section 2”. They are both the same class, just offered at different times of the day or week. We cover the same content in each section and you can generally jump between sections on a weekly basis if something in your schedule precludes you from attending the section you signed up for.

Session Sampler

If you would like to see an example of a class from each level, please visit the ʻŌlelo Online Session Sampler Page. You can use the Sampler Page to help you assess the best level for you to attend, should you need help deciding.

Past Session: MAR 13 to MAY 12, 2023

The past March to May 2023 session started Monday Mar 13th and ran through Friday May 12th with a one week break at the end of March. We are currently in a two-week inter-session break.

Upcoming Session: May 29th to July 28th, 2023

The Registration Signup Form is now available for the courses shown in the Class Schedule (see below). You can use the online Session Registration Form to sign up any time, even while the Session is in progress.

All of the Conversational Hawaiian and Mele classes will be taught by kumu (instructor) Kaliko Beamer-Trapp. The HM2 and HM3 practice classes on Fridays will be taught by kumu Kawehi Zoller. We are still hoping kumu Kailin Kim will be able to return later this year.

Class Schedule / Timetable

The Instructional Approach

Beginner classes in conversational Hawaiian language (CH1A, CH1B, CH2A, and CH2B) are taught through a combination of the grammar-based approach and the communicative approach, and emphasize skills in reading, writing, listening, and speaking at the basic level. Instruction also incorporates lessons about, and discussion of, Hawaiian culture and history.

Fluency-level conversational Hawaiian language classes (CH3A, CH3B, CH4A, and CH4B) are taught increasingly in Hawaiian and rely on discussion of various topics to improve competency. We often use traditional literature or recordings of native speakers to improve every aspect of our Hawaiian language: cultural understandings, speaking, listening, reading, and writing.

The “Papa Hoʻomaʻamaʻa” practice classes (HM2, HM3, and HM4) are taught as much as possible in Hawaiian and rely on discussion of specific weekly topics to improve competency in areas such as working in the garden, taking care of children at home, going fishing, going shopping, camping, and so on.

Mele Hawaiʻi classes (MH1) focus on Hawaiian language as used in Hawaiian mele, or poetic compositions. Song, vocabulary, and grammatical analysis, as well as class discussion, allow for a deeper understanding and appreciation of Hawaiian language and Hawaiian music. The Hawaiian language lyrics, comments, and song example performances are sent to the students before class each week via email.

Choose Your Level

Level One: Beginners (CH1A, CH1B)

Have you been thinking about learning the Hawaiian language and been looking for a friendly absolute beginner class? Do you have children or grandchildren with whom you want to speak Hawaiian at home, or who are just starting out in Hawaiian immersion education? Or perhaps you want to learn the basics so you can improve your singing or your understanding of hula. Then choose the Level I Absolute Beginner course. We cover the basics including the alphabet and pronunciation, five useful sentence patterns, pronouns, modifiers, and lots of other interesting “building blocks” needed to start reading and communicating in Hawaiian.

If you already have taken an introductory course in Hawaiian or have done some study on your own, then you are welcome to come to the CH1B class which is where CH1A students move into after their first eight weeks of class.
Registration Page

Level Two: Beginner Speakers (CH2A, CH2B)

Do you already have the ability to pronounce Hawaiian words and want to learn how to string them together to make useful phrases and sentences? Do you already know some basic Hawaiian language sentence patterns and want to start using them in real life? Or perhaps you have a child already in immersion education and you are trying to keep up with your little genius! Then Level Two Beginner Speakers is the level for you! There are two steps to choose from: CH2A which is for those who have just completed the basics; and CH2B for those who are wanting to get a little deeper into how to the language works.

The first step, “CH2A”, is for those students who have just recently attained the basics of Hawaiian pronunciation, numbers, and sentence patterns from a class such as our “CH1 Absolute Beginners” course. Kumu Kaliko will take you from this entry level and teach you several more sentence patterns, get your ear used to listening to short phrases, and get your tongue untied so you can easily produce short sentences reliably and intelligibly. (CH2A is taught using Hawaiian as the language of instruction about 5% of the time.)

The second step in Level Two is “CH2B” which is perfect for students who have learned the five basic “Pepeke” sentence patterns (Pepeke Henua, Pepeke Painu ʻAʻano, Pepeke Painu Hamani/Hehele, Pepeke ʻAike He, and Pepeke ʻAike ʻO) and are ready to start exploring how to string together isolated sentences into paragraphs, use pronouns properly, and the ins and outs of how possession works in Hawaiian language. (CH2B is taught using Hawaiian as the language of instruction about 10% of the time.) Registration Page

Level Three: Continuing Beginner Speakers (CH3A, CH3B)

For those of you who can already understand spoken and written Hawaiian when used in simple and familiar contexts, in short sentences, and spoken with slow cadence, then Level Three Continuing Beginner Speakers will be your level. Take these classes after you have been in Level Two (or equivalent) for several sessions. This class focuses on allowing you to understand and produce more fluid and lengthy sentences. Registration Page

As with Level Two, there are also two steps in the Level Three classes. You can take “CH3A” after you feel you have learned enough vocabulary and grammar in CH2B and you are able to understand spoken Hawaiian at a slow pace and when repeated. CH3A is taught using Hawaiian as the language of instruction about 25% of the time.

Take the “CH3B” class after you feel you have learned enough in CH3A to be able to take the next steps in your journey. CH3B is taught using Hawaiian as the language of instruction about 50% of the time.

Level Four: Elementary Fluency (CH4A, CH4B)

For those students who have taken Level Three classes (or equivalent) several times, it’s time to move into the Level Four CH4A Elementary Fluency class. This class builds your abilities towards being a fluent reader, writer, and speaker of Hawaiian in increasingly complex contexts. Class is taught using Hawaiian as the language of instruction about 85% of the time. The Level Four CH4B Beginner Conversational Speakers class is taught entirely in Hawaiian. Registration Page

No Ka Poʻe ʻŌlelo

Inā e hiki maoli iā ʻoe ke ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi i kēia manawa, a e ake ana e hoʻoponopono i nā hemahema maʻamau e lohe ʻia nei ma waena o ko Hawaiʻi Pae ʻĀina; inā paha e ake ana e kūkākūkā no nā pilinaʻōlelo ʻano pohihihi e huikau ai; inā hoʻi paha ʻoe e ʻimi ana i ka “lawenaleo” (ke kiʻinaleo, ka wikileo, ka panaleo, ka nuileo, a me ke ʻanoleo) o nā kūpuna, a laila ʻo ka papa CH4B Beginner Conversational Speakers kāu papa e komo ai. Aʻo ʻia ka papa holoʻokoʻa ma ka ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi.

Hoʻomaʻamaʻa Practice Classes (Language Labs)

This is a great opportunity for you to practice your Hawaiian in various contexts in an easy-going and fun “immersion” atmosphere. Select the class at your ability level or higher: “HM2” is for all second-level students; “HM3” is for all third-level students; and “CH4” is for all fourth-level students. Each week you will learn new vocabulary and receive the class video and notes to prompt post-class practice and discussion with friends. Instruction and conversation is targeted at 100% in Hawaiian for HM3 and HM4. Class sizes for the Hoʻomaʻamaʻa classes are optimized at 8-10 students per class so that everyone has a chance to speak.

Friday “Papa Makua” Class (CH1B-PM)

This class is designed especially for beginner-level parents or family members of Hawaiian “immersion” school students, especially those associated with Kūlaniākea school in Kāneʻohe, Oʻahu or Ka ʻUmeke Kāʻeo school in Hilo, Hawaiʻi. Since “Hawaiian immersion school” students —also known as “kula kaiapuni” or “kula mauli ola” children— speak Hawaiian in school, it is important to take time out to improve your own understanding of, ability with, Hawaiian language, so that you can communicate meaningfully with them and their friends and bring Hawaiian language into the home.

As parents who are trying to figure out how to talk to children about brushing teeth, getting dressed, doing chores, doing homework, working or playing around the house, and so on, you will probably be wondering what vocabulary to use and how to easily memorize some short sentences in order to be able to talk with your keiki. This class will help you get going in the right direction; any level of experience from absolute beginner on up is fine. If you wish to be placed into a higher level class after the session starts, we can easily move you across.

Mele Hawaiʻi: Hawaiian Song Language Analysis (MH1)

Do you love Hawaiian music and/or hula and wonder what the songs actually mean and how they relate to movement? Do you want to get past simply looking up individual words in a dictionary and then trying to figure out by yourself how they are all working together? This course will help you understand how words are woven together to create meaning in phrases and verses. Kumu Kaliko will guide you, line-by-line, through each of the mele and teach the techniques you can use on your own with any other song. You will learn vocabulary, basic Hawaiian grammar, and delve into the kaona, or layers of meaning, in Hawaiian poetic compositions. To learn more about this course, read the full course description. Registration Page

How It Works

Each class is one hour in length. Class size is generally limited to 18 students unless otherwise stated in the class description (above).

No textbook is required for any of the courses; all materials will be provided by the instructors. Generally, the instructor’s screen is be recorded and the resulting video is made available to students as soon as possible following the class along with class notes and/or other materials.

The fee for any 8-week session is $80. This includes the weekly class notes and video recordings, member access to ʻŌlelo Online, as well as access to the ʻŌlelo Online Virtual Classroom Archive Library.

Virtual Classroom courses are held via Zoom and it is recommended that you use a tablet, laptop, or desktop computer with a screen at least 9.7″ in size – the larger the better. The Meeting ID and passcode will be provided before the first class starts and will remain the same throughout the session.

Learn More & Registration

We look forward to having you in a future class. You can register for any class on the Registration Page. If you would like to find out a little more about your head instructor, Kaliko Beamer-Trapp, please see the About page here on ʻŌlelo Online. Aloha!

Rev. 2023-05-13