Native speakers: Difference between revisions
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The existence of '''native speakers of Toki Pona''' is a contentious issue. Since the language was only completed in 2014, it is questionable whether there has been enough time for native speakers to emerge. Still, there are some claims to native speakers.
==Erik Sealander==
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{{w|Reddit}} user u/eriksealander, referred to '''Erik Sealander''' throughout the rest of the article, is a language teacher, and is controversially considered the father of the first native speakers of Toki Pona. In an interview with {{tok|[[Aronora]]}}, he stated that he started teaching his children Toki Pona as he is a language enthusiast and for the benefits of {{w|multilingualism}} at a young age. His children are also multilingual in both English and Arabic.<ref>{{cite YouTube|id=iZ2zBQbqKB8|title=INTERVIEW {{!}} The First Toki Pona Natives|author={{tok|jan Alonola}}|channel=Aronora|handle=Aronora|date=2020-11-29|access-date=2024-01-02}}</ref><ref>{{tok|jan Alonola}} (5 April 2021). "{{tok|toki tawa jan Elike (mama pi jan lili pi toki pona)}}". In [https://liputenpo.org/lipu-tenpo-nanpa-soweli/ {{tp|lipu tenpo nanpa soweli}}] (in Toki Pona). {{tp|lipu tenpo}}.</ref>
Sealander has stated that his older daughter, called {{tok|jan Lililan}}, can understand the basics of Toki Pona, answering prompts and producing speech. The first unprompted phrase from her, according to him, was "{{tp|ni li palisa}}", when pointing to an electric pole.<ref name="sealander2020" /> In 2021, he posted a picture of her {{tp|sitelen pona}} writing practice claiming that she could recognize 43 glyphs with flash cards at only four-years old.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.reddit.com/r/tokipona/comments/paxi8z/tenpo_ni_la_jan_lili_wan_pi_toki_pona_li_kama/|title={{tok|tenpo ni la, jan lili wan pi toki pona li kama sona e sitelen!}}|website=Reddit|name=u/eriksealander|date=2021-08-24|access-date=2024-01-02}}</ref>
However, these claims has come into scrutiny by others. In 2023, after meeting in person with both Sealander and his family, {{tok|jan Kekan San}} noted that the children did not speak Toki Pona to him and could not answer questions when prompted, only .<ref name="kekan2023" /> He later on went to call this "at best stretching the truth and at worst a hoax".<ref name="olipija2023">{{cite web|url=https://lukapona.blogspot.com/2023/02/native-speakers-pi-toki-ponali-lon-ala.html|title=Native Speakers {{tok|pi toki pona li lon ala lon}}?|website=lukapona.blogpost.com|author={{tok|jan Olipija}}|date=2023-02-12|access-date=2024-01-21}}</ref> In a blog post, {{tok|jan Olijpija}} suggested that the children may have learnt Toki Pona, but failed to maintain it as they grew up. She compared this example to children in Wales learning {{w|Welsh language|Welsh}}, where because of the lack of prestige of the language, speakers tend to have insufficient skills in it.<ref name="olipija2023" />
== Jokes ==
On April 15 2022, Oziji uploaded a joke video titled “[https://youtube.com/watch?v=gwBYGtUcxR4 English with a toki pona accent]” in which he acts a native Toki Pona speaker and tries to pronounce certain English sentences.
==References==
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==External links==
* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iZ2zBQbqKB8 Interview with Erik Sealander]
* [https://youtube.com/watch?v=gwBYGtUcxR4 English with a toki pona accent]
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