GUATEMALAN PICTURE DICTIONARY
This book is a great resource for anyone that wants to learn a little Spanish, English, K’iche’ or Kaqchikel.
As a representative of Guatemala Service Projects, Jennifer Demar wanted to create something that would be of benefit to multiple groups. Literacy is crucial to the ongoing development of a community and nation, so access to books and resources which promote literacy is essential.
In indigenous communities, where the spoken language is a Mayan dialect, young children are at a disadvantage because school subjects are usually taught in Spanish. This book gives K’iche’ and Kaqchikel speakers the opportunity to learn Spanish equivalents for common words and phrases used in an early educational setting.
For Guatemalans living in the city, learning English enables job seekers to apply for positions that require communication with tourists.
And, for tourists and those that volunteer or do mission work in Guatemala, this book helps bridge the gap between English speakers and those that want to try basic communication in the indigenous villages visited.
The Guatemalan Picture Dictionary contains a list of 246 words and phrases spread across 19 categories in four languages, and also includes a CD which offers MP3 files for all dictionary entries so that you can hear how the words are pronounced!
The list of categories featured in the picture dictionary is shown at the bottom of this page. Now, we’d like to share a sample page from the dictionary and sample audio files for a word included.
Within the animals category is a page which features a bird and a dog. The blue border at the top of the page is an example of a category header, along with the translations of the category description in all four languages.
The bird is the first image in the category, and next to it are four translations. The top word is Spanish, followed by English, K’iche’ and Kaqchikel. At the end of the dictionary is a glossary, along with the file name associated with each image in the dictionary.
Click the language links below to hear the word pronounced!
Spanish
English
K’iche’
Kaqchikel
Jennifer Demar and Guatemala Service Projects would like to thank the following individuals for their help with translations and/or audio recordings for this book:
Diego Xirum
Jacobo Castillo
Corinne Choisy-Madon
Manon Choisy-Madon
Esthela Gómez
Sarah Demar
We would also like to thank Paulayna Lefevre for her beautiful illustrations and Dan Miller for providing the funding to publish and print the first small batch of books!
The “right” opportunity arose when I learned about a travel opportunity for adoptive families which would include volunteer work and cultural sightseeing. Being members of that team had a profound impact on me, Lillian and Andrew. Not only were we able to make a real connection to our son’s birthplace, but we met incredibly warm and generous people, all of whom we now consider to be a part of our “family.” In addition to the volunteer work I shared with the Team, I also was able to “give back” by performing as my alter ego, “Farfel the Clown” at a barbecue for children of The Backyard School. It will remain one the proudest and happiest memories of my life.