Beginning Your Learning Journey
sngä'i nivume
The process of learning a language is a long journey, and like any adventure, preparing is an important step. Here's a guide on the most common methods how to learn Na'vi!
What You Will Need
aysä'o lekin
Grammar Resource
You will need a way of learning about grammar concepts. Kelutral has several document resources aimed at learners of a variety of backgrounds. You can find several great resources in our Resources directory.
Searchable Dictionary Tool
The Na'vi Language features many affixes and other word modificiations. It is unlikely that you will encounter a word in its raw dictionary form, so searching a dictionary PDF may not yield results. The community has developed a variety of tools to look up words that can automatically identify these affixes and find important information such as a word's part of speech and infixing patterns. Some recommendations include:
Reykunyu
Dict-Navi
Others to Practice With
Languages are fundamentally about communication- so finding others to chat with is essential! Working with other learners has a host of benefits, such as double checking your work, sharing advice, encouraging practice, and of course the awesome feeling of being understood and holding a conversation! We highly recommend joining the Kelutral Discord Community as great starting point!
Where to Start
tìnvi a'awve
While the order you encounter and learn about language topics may vary, this checklist is a good outline for where to start studying. Consult your preferred grammar resource for these topics first, or click the links to visit our grammar references:
- Alphabet and Pronunciation
- Case Endings
- Verb Transitivity
- Adjectives
- Verb Infixes
- Adpositions
- Descriptive Clauses
Tips from the Pros
mowar tsulfätuä
Consistency beats volume
The learner that spends 10 minutes a day, every day for a week will see much more rapid progress than someone who crams for 3 hours. This is because repeated use is the key to building long-term memory. If you can spend more time per day, that's great, but focus on creating a consistent study schedule rather than a certain number of minutes.
Don't be afraid to ask questions
Everyone who speaks a word of Na'vi is not a native, so nobody takes their ability for granted. Everyone was helped by someone else, and knows how important that is to the learning process. Ask questions around other Na'vi speakers, and seek their guidance. Most would be excited to help out. This is a hobby, after all!
Help others if you know an answer
Hand in hand with the previous idea, help out others who ask about something you know! If you understand something that someone else doesn't, you can teach- that's the only qualification. Additionally, by helping others you improve and strengthen your own understanding. It's a win-win!
Be patient!
This isn't a race. Everyone learns at their own pace and struggles with different things. Don't beat yourself up for making mistakes- see them for what they are: opportunities to grow and learn! It's easy to remember the times we mess up, but that's because our brains identify mistakes as things to avoid in the future, and by making mistakes you are actually improving your ability to speak the Na'vi language.