Language Games

In addition to the adjusting discussed in a previous post there is, of course, the adjustment to life in a culture that speaks a different language. Each of us negotiates this differently.

For Stephen all those years of teaching Spanish have been extremely helpful in communication. That said, he regularly finds himself in conversations where his knowledge of vocabulary is insufficient, e.g. when discussing a repair project to keep the church from flooding again. He also pretty regularly discovers that the word he knows for something is not the common word here. When approached in Spanish unexpectedly (like at the store) it sometimes takes him a bit to get his bearings in the conversation. All in all he seems to understand and make himself understood. He visits www.wordreference.com frequently.

Debbie has a good ear for language (must be all that music). So if she knows what a conversation is about she follows along pretty well. When addressed in Spanish by someone who doesn't know that she doesn't speak it (again, as in the grocery store) it is not uncommon for it to just seem like a buzz with no discernible words. A friend at church who has worked with a tutor has already approached her tutor about adding Debbie to her schedule. Once life gets settled a bit she will likely pursue that avenue. Most importantly she is game to learn.

And then there is Ellyn. Like most things 3 year olds do Ellyn does not approach the language issue in a straight line. One morning she was eagerly pointing out items at the breakfast table and asking how they say that in Honduras. In those moments she actually repeats words quite well. She unwittingly tries to replicate what she has heard especially with names. "Barahona" become "B'dona" and "Efraín" becomes "Efadín" which are closer than many English speakers would come reading those names. Frequently, however, she just lapses into Elly-speak whenever she hears people speaking Spanish which is just making up words. (She responded similarly to hearing her friends' mother addressing them in Hindi).

It would be possible to dwell in an English bubble probably and not get beyond much more than the basics to negotiate life. But knowing more opens up other opportunities. Even within the congregation there are several people for whom Spanish is much more comfortable than English. It is an act of love and respect to learn and use the language of our brothers and sisters in Christ to whom and with whom we minister.