OU workshop helps keep the Chaldean language alive

When Stephen Hannawi began teaching Chaldean, his goal went beyond words and letters. He wanted to preserve a language that carries thousands of years of history and culture while giving a new generation the opportunity to learn and speak it.

That mission led Hannawi to establish the Chaldean Language Workshop at Oakland University. Students learn the alphabet, vocabulary, pronunciation and grammar while exploring the language’s connections to Mesopotamian history.

The Chaldean people have historical ties to Mesopotamia, in what is now Iraq. Ancient Chaldea was located in southern Mesopotamia, a region where civilizations made lasting contributions to fields such as astronomy, mathematics, timekeeping, writing and architecture. 

“I want to give students that aspect of history,” said Hannawi, who is pursuing a master’s degree in artificial intelligence at OU. “It isn’t well known, and I want to shine a light on it.”

Connecting with a heritage

Nicholas Saffo practices writing Chaldean letters, a skill he developed while taking part in OU's Chaldean Language Workshop.

For student Nicholas Saffo, the workshop offered a way to strengthen his language skills and connect more deeply with his Chaldean heritage. 

Since joining the workshop when it launched last fall, the senior mathematics major has completed the introductory course and continued into the intermediate level.

He learned the Chaldean alphabet, vocabulary and the language’s system of dots, which indicate vowels and can change the meaning or pronunciation of words. He also became more comfortable speaking the language.

“Before I joined the workshop, I didn’t know much Chaldean,” Saffo said. “But with each session, I started to understand the language more, I started to speak it more and share it with people around me.”

Learning from the ground up

Hannawi’s approach to teaching begins with the fundamentals.

He introduces students to the Chaldean alphabet before moving into short words and vocabulary lessons. Students practice writing the letters while repeating words after him to develop proper pronunciation.

Because many of his students were born in the United States, Hannawi pays particular attention to sounds and vowels that may be unfamiliar to English speakers.

“The way of expression is different, so it’s a different way of thinking,” Hannawi explained. “It requires the use of different parts of the brain.”

The Chaldean writing system also presents students with a different visual and linguistic structure. The language is written from right to left and uses dots to signify vowels and other sounds.

Hannawi teaches students not only what the letters look like, but also how to form them. His “flow method” encourages students to keep their hand moving rather than repeatedly lifting the pen from the page.

“I want them to enjoy writing,” he said.

A lifelong pursuit

As part of the workshop he founded, Stephen Hannawi shares his knowledge of Chaldean language, history and culture.

Hannawi’s commitment to preserving the language began when he was growing up in Tel Kepe, a town in northern Iraq with a longstanding Chaldean Catholic community.

Chaldean was his first language. He learned to read and write it at age 8 and began teaching a Chaldean class at his church when he was 14.

As a teenager, he also began compiling a dictionary. Concerned that Chaldean words were disappearing as Arabic increasingly entered everyday speech and younger generations used fewer traditional Chaldean words, he asked older members of his community for words and expressions that were no longer commonly used. That early effort eventually grew into a large collection of Chaldean vocabulary.

During his teenage years, Hannawi also served as a custodian of the manuscript library at the Tel Kepe church, an experience that deepened his commitment to preserving Chaldean language, history and written heritage.

Building a community at OU and beyond

Hannawi brought that same commitment to language preservation to OU when he established the Chaldean Language Workshop. The workshop now reaches students around the world through the online platform Discord, while OU students can participate on campus.

Hannawi said the group has about 181 students, most of whom are Chaldean. Others have joined to better understand the language and culture, including those who have married into Chaldean families.

“We have people who are married to Chaldeans,” Hannawi said. “They want to communicate with their spouse and in-laws. That will help them strengthen their relations with their family.”

This fall, Hannawi expanded the workshop to include medical terminology and basic clinical conversations, with Arabic terminology also included, to help students and health professionals communicate with Chaldean- and Arabic-speaking patients.

For Saffo, one of the most meaningful parts of the experience has been Hannawi’s willingness to work directly with students.

“I appreciate Stephen being my mentor,” Saffo said. “Even just going up to the board and giving my ideas and opinions — and him helping me with any issues I’m having. It means a lot.”

Learning Chaldean has also influenced the way Saffo thinks about passing the language on to future generations.

“If I get married and have kids, one of the first things I’m going to do is help them learn Chaldean,” he said. “And Arabic too, because my family does speak both languages.”

The Chaldean Language Workshop is held on Wednesdays from 6–7:30 p.m. in the Oakland Center. For more information, follow the Chaldean Language Workshop on Instagram at @ou_chaldean_language_workshop or email shannawi@oakland.edu.