It supports scientific research on the Navajo language and on teaching Navajo people, especially language teachers, how to carry out linguistic research and to use existing reference materials.
[2] This focus is a difference from related organizations as the Navajo Nation Division of Diné Education, Diné College, and the Navajo Language Teachers Association.
The NLA organizes efforts of linguists and language instructors to train teachers of Navajo.
[citation needed] The Board of Directors of the NLA includes Navajo linguist Ellavina Perkins.
The NLA maintains a comprehensive bibliography on Navajo linguistics, available on its web site, and holds the archive of the Navajo material of linguist Ken Hale.