The Karen language hasn’t been taught in schools anywhere in the world since the 1960s in Burma. The St. Paul public schools in Minnesota, however, have set out to change that.
Karen, which is indigenous to southern Burma (now called Myanmar) and bordering regions of Thailand, is the home language of several families in the district. But while those who speak the language at home, known as heritage speakers, could claim fluency in speaking and listening, some students lacked reading and writing skills in the language, said Megan Budke, the district’s immersion, indigenous, and world language coordinator.
Thanks to the state’s seal of biliteracy program, the district worked to develop a Karen language assessment that allows students to earn the distinction on their high school diploma that shows they’re proficient in English and at least one other world language. And the district created a Karen-language program to help students earn higher levels of the seal.
For students and educators alike, the programming has helped them validate their language and culture.
