There was a time when speaking these words in a class would have been impossible, even dangerous.

But one result of the bloody Syrian civil war: it liberated Syrian Kurds to learn and teach their language free from government persecution.

And in eight years of conflict, a generation of young Kurds have grown up not only learning Kurdish but also enjoying a degree of national autonomy their ancestors could only imagine.

(SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) CO-CHAIR OF EDUCATION BOARD IN NORTHEAST SYRIA, SEMIRA HAJ ALI, SAYING: "Honestly, this was a dream for us, to learn our language.

We used to sing sometimes in Newroz and other celebrations.

I always wanted to know how to write the songs in my (Kurdish) language.

I used to know how to write the words.

It was a dream for all Kurds to learn in their own language.

We have achieved this dream." Kurdish groups now hold about a quarter of Syria, the biggest chunk outside the control of Damascus.

However, their grip on power - in a region rich in oil, farmland and water -- remains vulnerable.

President Bashar al-Assad wants all of Syria, Turkey threatens to crush them and U.S. support is wavering.

And the Kurdish steps toward self-governance in Syria are alarming neighboring states.

Millions of Kurds live in Turkey, Iran, and Iraq.

And those countries are worried their Kurdish minorities might try to follow suit.

In Syria, Kurds are relishing a respite from government control.

Kurdish activists who could not protest without risking arrest now have printing presses, festivals and television channels - unimaginable before the war.

In the past, people burnt Kurdish books out of fear or buried them in their villages to keep them safe.

(SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) BOOKSHOP OWNER, ABDALLAH SHEKHO, SAYING: "This region, God forbid, if there is an attack from the (Syrian) regime or the opposition side, either we will escape and leave it (books) or we will have to burn these books or bury them underground again".

But the future is uncertain.

Schools here are not recognized officially by the state or the outside world.

And Kurdish authorities have so far failed to negotiate a political deal with Syria's government.