CHo’gue Ha’
Adult Immersion Classes
Next session opening soon!
It’s never too late.
CHo’gue Ha’ is a CHamoru language learning program for adults who have a desire to increase their CHamoru fluency and ground themselves in our hinengge (values) and culture.
At Chief Hurao Academy, we are committed to creating a safe, comfortable, and nurturing environment for individuals to learn CHamoru at any stage of fluency.
It is never too late to plant the seed and reroot yourself.
At Hurao, learning goes beyond the classroom. Students are encouraged to take their lessons everywhere they go.
Student Experiences:
"A year ago, I knew the bare minimum of Chamoru but always had a desire to learn our language and pass it on to my future children. Hurão has been helping me to fill in the parts that I felt were missing from my cultural identity. We can cast blame for the many reasons that we can't speak our language or we can get out there and do something about it!”
- Amber ‘Nina’siña’ Ritter
I started Hurao because I wanted to learn how to sing CHamoru music and I feel it’s been a really good experience. I had sort of a self-identity crisis, you know that little spot that needs to be filled. I’ve just been searching for that recently and I finally found that here at Hurao. My favorite part of Hurao is that I’m able to come here with people that are already encouraging me to learn. If you are able to witness children speaking our native tongue its the best feeling in the world. Maila’ ya ta faneyak i fino’-ta!”
- Peter ‘Bråbu’ Carbullido
“Before I started going to Hurão, thought knew a lot of Chamoru. But I was very wrong! Hurao has helped me to understand what it really means to be Chamoru. I've learned about our language and our culture that I never knew about. After 2 years of attending classes at Hurao, I feel more complete in identifying myself as Chamoru".
- John ‘Tåno’’Caminga
"I love Guam! It is who I am and where am from, I want my children to know this and love this as it is in them everything between the stars and the sands. Hurao is the tool that provides the environment, enthusiasm, and encouragement to live through the CHamoru language; and teaches us to treasure and protect this perspective for our future generations. We LOVE you, Hurao!"
- Erisa ‘Fiet’ Cristobal
I’ve been living on this island, I was raised here almost all my life and I feel like if you’re going to be living on this island - even if I’m not ethnically CHamoru - I have to learn it’s culture, including the language. That’s why I wanted to learn CHamoru. Since I’ve been coming to Hurao, I always feel welcome like I’m at home with my own family. You just have to come to class in order to experience the whole thing. That’s the only way you’ll learn language. That’s the only way you’ll learn more about Guam and it’s people and the home that you’re living in. And it’s not just about learning the language, it’s also learning about sharing, giving, and you just learn so many things about being a family here.”
