Young Men's League urges mayors to act now to stem Chamorro-language decline
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Summary
Young Men's League of Guam presenters presented census-based estimates of Chamorro-speaker decline, urged one-on-one village meetings and proposed programs including master-apprentice pairings and community language spaces.
The Young Men's League of Guam told municipal leaders at the Mayor's Council meeting that Chamorro (Finu Chamorro) faces a rapid decline and urged mayors to convene village-level meetings to take local action.
Dr. Kenneth Cooper, who the group described as an expert in language revitalization, and other Young Men's League presenters showed census-based trends and said the 2020 U.S. Census indicates roughly 21,000 Chamorro speakers remain on Guam and that an estimated large share of those speakers are older adults. The presenters warned that, if current trends continue, the number of speakers could drop sharply as elder fluent speakers pass away and that the community has roughly five to 10 years to increase intergenerational transmission of the language.
The Young Men's League outlined two broad goals: increase the number of people actively using Chamorro and create more everyday spaces where Chamorro is spoken. Programs and steps the presenters recommended include: - Master-apprentice programs that pair fluent elder speakers with committed learners (the group said pilot efforts with the University of Guam have produced fluent students); - Community classes held at churches and village centers to reintroduce the language to families; - Village-level, one-on-one planning meetings so the League and other organizations can tailor strategies to local needs; - Public-facing uses of Chamorro: signage, street names and festivals, and more frequent use in ceremonies instead of routine bilingual repetition.
Mayors from multiple villages told presenters they will arrange one-on-one meetings and described local steps already under way: immersion programs at some elementary schools, after-school programs with Chamorro components, and community classes that draw both youth and older speakers.
The presenters asked mayors to help host community sessions and provide logistical support; they also offered to bring their presentation to villages to spur local planning.
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Presenters left handouts and contact information and invited mayors to schedule meetings so villages can discuss tailored strategies and partnerships for language revitalization.
