Learning from native speech
Reading texts from native speakers is one of the best ways to acquire vocabulary and learn to speak like a native yourself.
Here, you will find some texts taken from various sources, primarily Ted Couro and Margaret Langdon's Let's Talk 'Iipay Aa (1975).
See the Notes after each text for an explanation of grammatical details and a full glossary.
Tip: It might be a good idea to have the same page open on two different tabs so you can read the text on one and scroll through the notes on another. Or, read through the notes the first time, and reread the original text later to see if you still understand it. The notes are my personal assessment and will not be 100% accurate. If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions, please contact me.
Here, you will find some texts taken from various sources, primarily Ted Couro and Margaret Langdon's Let's Talk 'Iipay Aa (1975).
See the Notes after each text for an explanation of grammatical details and a full glossary.
Tip: It might be a good idea to have the same page open on two different tabs so you can read the text on one and scroll through the notes on another. Or, read through the notes the first time, and reread the original text later to see if you still understand it. The notes are my personal assessment and will not be 100% accurate. If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions, please contact me.
From Let's Talk 'Iipay Aa:
Conversations
Coyote and Wolf
Fiesta at Mesa Grande
The Old Horse
Coyote and Rooster
Gathering Acorns
Ricky's Trip to Mesa Grande
The Woman from the Moon
Sandra's Story
Pat's Story
Brave Little Man
The Sick Man
Praying for Rain
Mr. Bowen's Story
Poems and Songs:
By Ted Couro, also from Let's Talk 'Iipay Aa
Poems:
Gold
Mountain
The Barren Desert
Beneath the Midnight Sky
Songs:
Songs in Kumeyaay
By Ted Couro, also from Let's Talk 'Iipay Aa
Poems:
Gold
Mountain
The Barren Desert
Beneath the Midnight Sky
Songs:
Songs in Kumeyaay
Other 'Iipay Texts:
Taken from other sources, such as recordings.
Text Fragments
Red Sky*
Chaawp*
A Story From the Creation*
The Flute Player*
*These texts have audio!
Taken from other sources, such as recordings.
Text Fragments
Red Sky*
Chaawp*
A Story From the Creation*
The Flute Player*
*These texts have audio!
Non-native Texts:
The following texts are here to provide supplemental vocabulary-building reading practice.
Written by a non-native speaker, they may contain errors!
The following texts are here to provide supplemental vocabulary-building reading practice.
Written by a non-native speaker, they may contain errors!
Coyote and Stinkbug Based on a Kumeyaay story
Frogs in Love Interpretation of a story by Stan Rodriguez
Brer Rabbit and Brer Tortoise
Hunting for Bighorn Sheep
Journals
Let my writing practice be your reading practice.
Let my writing practice be your reading practice.