The Language Onion

Our Pulaar professor, Mussa Tall

Language learning is like an onion. You pull back comprehension of the first layer to find another layer underneath that is even more complicated, and so on. With each layer there is the hope that better understanding will follow, but there always seems to be yet another layer. I could make reference to onions, tears, and language learning as well, but I won't go that far.

My husband and I had our first Pulaar lesson this morning. Our professor has such a sweet and patient spirit about him that we were immediately put at ease. As the notes went flying past us on our little white board situated in our living room, my brain tried to process and store the information. Information is best stored and remembered when there is a previous "knowledge folder", so the information can be filed and attached to something we already know. To be fair, most of what we learned today was a review for me because I have studied Pulaar before. Even though those "knowledge folders" exist, it was just as bizarre the second time around.

African language learning is a challenge. I remember being so petrified the first time I was put on the spot in Wolof class, hoping I would understand the questions being thrown at me. Seventeen years later, our Pulaar class was a strange mix of the use of French, Wolof, and English languages blending together. Our professor compared the French alphabet sounds with Pulaar and gave Wolof and English definitions of Pulaar words in hopes of making the concepts clear. I couldn't help but think of how far we have come in language learning, and thanking God for His
grace in granting us the opportunity.

They say that learning language is good food for your brain. As far as I'm concerned, the jury is still out on that because my brain just feels like mush.

Till next time......