discovering missions - Southern Nazarene University

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245187 Disc Missions ins 9/6/07 1:04 PM Page 116 116 Intercultural Communication flections and accents properly, something that is more difficult for adults. Part of that is because adults tend to try to reproduce what they hear without trying to copy what they saw. 1. Listening 2. Speaking 3. Reading 4. Writing Natural Order of Language Learning A second technique of language acquisition is repetition. One must listen to (and watch) an indigenous informant say things in the target language and then repeat, repeat, and repeat again. There is no way in language learning to bypass the need for repetitive practice. Along the way every language learner will make a lot of mistakes. Because making mistakes is an inescapable part of learning a language, learners must be prepared to laugh at themselves often, something that a missionary to the Xhosa people had to do when he confused ngena (“enter”) and phuma (“leave”) and thus testified that the Holy Spirit had left him! All language learners need to hear what one language teacher used to say, “You’ve got a million mistakes to make. So, let’s get started!” The third technique of good language learning is that of language usage. One does not learn to swim or play basketball by reading books about swimming or basketball even though some things about those sports can be learned that way. It is the same with language acquisition. To learn a language, one must use it in live-language situations. One must speak to people who know only that language, using whatever has been learned to that point, much as a child does. “Learn a little; use it a lot. Learn a bit; use it a bunch,” Tom Brewster used to say. 7 Most linguists say that total immersion is the best way to learn a language. In total immersion, the target language itself is used as the vehicle of instruction. In total immersion, English speakers learning Spanish never have Spanish explained to them in English. Everything is done in Spanish. To adult learners, total immersion learning may seem like it is going very slowly at the beginning, but in the end the actual acquisition of the language will be more rapid than with any other method. Communicating Nonverbally Communication is, of course, about more than just words, sentences, and even tone of voice. In fact, Albert Mehrabian, psychology professor at UCLA,
245187 Disc Missions ins 9/6/07 1:04 PM Page 117 asserted that 55 percent of face-to-face communication is done nonverbally through facial expression, gestures, eye contact, silence, posture, physical closeness or distance, and various other actions. 8 Nonverbal communication is more than body language; it can include other things in the context, such as seating arrangements, attire, and arrival times. Nonverbal communication both enriches and complicates communication. Indeed, what is expressed nonverbally can cause as many problems as things expressed by verbal language. As was noted in the chapter on culture, what is being communicated through particular actions will differ from culture to culture. The need to learn nonverbal communication is another reason why language learning is best done in livelanguage situations. Using Words Every Sunday, churches around the world worship in what could be a Day of Pentecost scene: “Praise be to the LORD,” “Bendito sea Jehová,” “Béni soit l’Éternel,” “Binecuvîntat să fie Domnul,” “Kia whakapaingia a Ihowa,” “Ann fè lwanj Senyè a,” and on and on in hundreds of different languages. 9 When God hears people praising Him in all of those languages, He understands perfectly and is delighted (Psalm 67:5; 117:1; Romans 15:11). Francis of Assisi has often been quoted as saying, “Preach the gospel always; use words when necessary.” 10 Believers do need to win credibility through actions demonstrating the presence of the transforming Christ. However, what Francis said must not be used to downplay how powerful words can be since language is the main tool humans use to communicate. Because the task of Christian mission is to communicate the gospel, those involved in it must be willing to pay the price to become incarnational enough to acquire fluency in people’s heart languages. Questions for Reflection 1. How, in your own words, would you define language? Intercultural Communication 117 2. What is a good principle to follow regarding the use of labels for people? 3. What would be some negatives for the use of an interpreter by a full-time missionary? 4. How does the embracing of the dynamic equivalence principles of Bible translation depend on one’s doctrine of the inspiration of Scripture? 5. What is the most effective order of things to do in language learning? 6. From what you know about infants, how is mimicry a useful principle for adults in language learning?
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