OU graduate student establishes Chaldean Language Workshop

Oakland University students interested in learning more about the Chaldean language have a new resource available on campus.

The Chaldean Language Workshop, founded by OU Graduate Student Stephen Hannawi, currently meets twice a week on campus and invites participants to come learn about the Chaldean alphabet, grammar, and pronunciation in an engaging and academic setting.

“I founded the CLW to preserve and revive one of the world’s oldest and most influential languages — the Chaldean language — which once served as the language of Babylonian science and later became the language of the Word of God in early Christianity,” said Hannawi, who is pursuing a master’s degree in artificial intelligence at OU.

“My goal was to create a space at Oakland University where students can connect with their heritage, rediscover linguistic beauty, and gain a sense of cultural identity and pride through learning this ancient language,” he added, noting that Chaldean has been classified as an endangered language by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).

Hannawi, whose interests include law, technology and linguistics, began reading and writing Chaldean at 8 years old, a foundation that deeply influenced his lifelong commitment to cultural and linguistic preservation. He was inspired to create the CLW while attending Cooley Law School.

“I was fascinated by how Latin and Old French terms — languages that once defined Western thought — still echo throughout the American legal system today,” he said. “That realization showed me how a language can outlive its spoken era and continue to shape the world’s legal and cultural frameworks. In the same way, the Chaldean language served as the intellectual and spiritual foundation of the East — the language of scholars, scientists, and early Christians. Preserving it means preserving a vital piece of humanity’s shared civilization.”

Participation in the CLW is open to all OU students, and meetings are currently held twice a week on campus — at 6 p.m. on Tuesdays at Kresge Library or the Oakland Center, and at 6 p.m. on Wednesdays at the Oakland Center. No registration is required.

“In addition to our regular sessions, I also have a few students who come on Wednesdays for extra help, practice, and to assist with recording lessons for our online learning materials,” Hannawi said. “It has been a great way to support students who want to go deeper and to create resources for those who cannot always attend in person.”

Thanks to social media, the CLW’s outreach efforts have extended far beyond campus.

“Through social media platforms such as Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube, our educational clips have reached thousands of viewers worldwide,” Hannawi said. “These efforts have made Oakland University more visible among Chaldeans across the globe, positioning OU as a center for cultural preservation, diversity, and academic excellence.”

For more information, including videos of previous workshops, you can follow the CLW on Instagram (@ou_chaldean_language_workshop) or learn more on OU’s MySail platform.