Language Learning Challenges

When a person attempts to communicate a concept from one language to another language there is a potential for errors to occur. For example, the following sign was posted in a Norwegian cocktail lounge for their English speaking customers:

Ladies are requested not to have children in the bar.

In Norwegian the phrase "to have children" has nothing to do with giving birth. It is a perfectly legitimate way of telling ladies to keep their children out of the bar. But in English that phrase has another meaning.
Missionaries are face with these types of communication problems when trying to translate God's Word into another language.

A former student wrote, "The goal is to make sure that the meaning of God's communication with man stays the same, despite the fact that each missionary will be working in a language that is not their own, possibly an unwritten one. Every language has a way to communicate meaning, but the forms are so very different."
He gave this example. "In English, if we begin a story with a character named Joseph, then the hearer knows that unless otherwise specified, every time Joseph is mentioned, it is the same person."

But in some languages, every time a proper name is mentioned, it means that there is a new character being introduced. If you didn't understand this, you could tell your audience the story of Joseph and find out when you were finished, that they understood very little of what you had told them, because they were unable to keep track of how many Josephs there were in the story.

God certainly did a good job when He confused the languages. Who would have ever thought that in some languages when a proper name is mentioned it means that person is a new character in the story.
Not only is it important for the missionary overseas to communicate correctly, the same is true for us here at home. Please pray for me to be clear in communicating as I teach phonetics and other classes related to language and culture.

We currently have only nine first semester students. This is the smallest class I have ever seen here. We really need God's wisdom in how to present lessons that were designed for larger groups. Your prayers are much appreciated.

Bob

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  Hold Tight to Jesus

 

It appears almost impossible that those who have been redeemed by the blood of the dying Lamb and loved with an everlasting love by the eternal Son of God could forget that gracious Savior; but if startling to the ear, sadly it is too apparent to the eye to allow us to deny the crime. Some other love steals away your heart, and you are unmindful of Him upon whom your affection ought to be set. Some earthly business engrosses your attention when you ought to be fixed steadily upon the cross. It is the incessant turmoil of the world, the constant attraction of earthly things that takes the soul away from Christ. While memory works to preserve a poisonous weed, it allows the rose of Sharon (Christ) to wither. Let us charge ourselves to tie a heavenly forget-me-not around our hearts for Jesus our Beloved, and whatever else we let slip, let us hold tight to Him. — Charles Spurgeon