Language....a Life's Work

ESL students from 2002.

It occurred to me the other day that I have been dabbling in language learning in one way or another for more than half of my life. Between learning new languages and teaching English, I have some how made language my life's work. I certainly never intended to go down this path, in fact, I'm really not a very good linguist. I say that I didn't choose this path, but I do believe that the Lord set me on it a long time ago. I often wonder why He would have chosen for me a field that I find so difficult, but I can't pretend to not understand. When I step out into the unknown of yet another language learning adventure, it keeps me humble, and I learn over and over again to lean on Him rather than my own understanding.

That, believe it or not, was a side note. I've been teaching beginner English for the last several weeks to a group who has never studied English, and even struggles with the official language of French. I've been challenged to dig deep into my Wolof (language) bag of tricks to explain vocabulary and grammar. I've even sprinkled a little Pulaar into the mix. It has been a rewarding experience, and reminds me why I enjoy teaching ESL (English as a Second Language). At the end of our last session, the group left the class chanting, "we are going, we are going". An exciting indication to me that they are making progress.

The biggest language learning blessing for me recently has been my ability to really connect with a female student through my interest in studying Pulaar. She told me that she has been holding on to my phone number for 3 years in hopes that I would offer a class simple enough for her to learn English. God led her to call me at just the right time. To top it off, she is a Pulaar speaking Tukalor from the very region where we hope to build a new school. When I began speaking Pulaar to her she was beside herself, and told me she knew it had been worth the wait.

Never doubt that God has a reason for everything! Even language learning.

A Little Romance?

Valentine’s Day is just around the corner and while it isn’t really a holiday that is celebrated in this culture, I did come across an interesting Pulaar vocabulary tidbit that is a little romantic.

The term for being married, resde, applies to men and it also means to guard or set aside. The term for women is in the passive form, reseede, and it means one who is being set aside or guarded. Looking at these double meanings through a cultural lens gives such a powerful idea of how they view marriage. 

To be set aside for another person as their mate. It almost seems Biblical to me. However, most of the Tukolor are Muslims and I know that this twist of meaning has less to do with marriage as I understand it from a Biblical sense, and more to do with the practicalities of living in an uncertain world. A world where women need to be protected and have someone to look after them. They are literally set aside for the men to take responsibility.

A Pulaar speaking friend of mine told me that after her first marriage ended she found herself alone for more than a decade. She knew she needed someone to take care of her, so she married a man who already had other wives. In this culture, men can have up to 4 wives according to their religion. Love was not the deciding factor for her, she wanted the security of marriage; to be set aside and gaurded.

It's not our western idea of chocolates, flowers and sappy love letters, but it is still what God intended. Men and women together, setting themselves aside for one another in order to have a life and family together.

Happy Valentine's Day

The Curve Ball

In the early stages of language learning your vocabulary is very limited. One of the first plateaus for me is where my knowledge of vocabulary and grammar start to merge, and I itch to speak in complete phrases. Of course those are limited as well, so when I throw out one of my well practiced phrases, but get a curve ball in response (something unexpected), I tend to strike out. I stutter, flounder, and search for where to pick up the conversation.

On the other hand there are those times like today where I feel like I knocked it out of the park. It was more like a bunt, but I hit it none the less. I recognized a word that I wasn't expecting and gave a satisfactory response. The fans went wild (in my head) and I ran the bases to another (very small) language learning victory. It doesn't take much to make or break the language game on a day to day basis.

Until my next home run!

Lions, Goats, and Clocks.....oh MY!

Language learning is like a cultural tour through the past and present. Our professor loves to share the back stories of words and phrases, and it helps us better understand their meaning and use. One of my favorites is the word for lion which is “taktakiri”. They are named after the sound their claws make; tak tak, tak. I can just hear the sound in my mind.

The word for clock is “yeewirgel waktu”. This is derived from their verb to look, “yeewde,” and means the thing you look at to see the hour (waktu). The story behind this term is that before there were such things as clocks to tell time, the shepherds would use the shadow made by their staff to give them an approximate time of day. 

A goat is  “mbeewa” and it is a very important word to know, first because the Tukolor are a nomadic people who tend flocks of goats, sheep, and cows. Second, everywhere you look you see goats, you hear goats, and you step on goat droppings. Every home comes with a choir of goats who sing to the inhabitants night and day. The interesting tidbit that our professor shared is that a person who talks too much is called a goat! Living amongst the noisy, every present sound of goats gives this idiom powerful and hilarious meaning.

Until next time - Nallen e Jam!

Jody is a Sitting Debbo

One Hundred Ninety Two pages of Pulaar. That’s the number of pages in my well-worn, green notebook that I filled with Pulaar notes. As I crack open another new notebook, this time with 288 pages and a map of Senegal on the cover, I wonder how well I’ll be able to communicate in Pulaar at the end of this notebook. I’ve said it many times, but with every lesson it becomes more clear, learning a language is like playing with building blocks. One word builds on another and another until a phrase is formed. Phrases build into paragraphs, which give way to complete ideas, and finally communication is the result. It may seem a small victory, but I can tell you that a man is standing, sitting, walking, running, laying, stopping, arriving, and jumping…….in Pulaar.

This is significant to me because it means I’ve managed to learn, not only words, but entire phrases this week. I have a terrible memory so I’m always on the look out for new ways to improve that aspect of my language-learning journey. Word association is one of my favorite methods because it allows me to build a picture in my mind on which to attach new vocabulary. In the GPA language-learning process the first step is to learn simple vocabulary and then build on those words by putting them to action in phrases. 

In my lovely, green notebook there is a picture of a stick figure woman wearing an A-line dress, with two little swoops of hair on either side of her head. Can you picture her? In my head I hear the word “debbo” (woman), when I see this little lady. Next, I see the stick figure woman sitting on a stick figure chair. The verb “to sit one’s self” is “joodaade”. The phrase “the woman is sitting” in Pulaar is "Debbo oo ko joodi.” This is where my imagination and word association kicks in, because I have a very good friend named Jody, which is exactly how “joodi” is pronounced. So now, I have my friend Jody sitting in this stick figure chair, and voila, I can remember the verb to sit, “joodaade”, in Pulaar.

It’s a complicated process if it isn’t hatched out of your own noggin. For example, my husband was learning the word “fotde” which means, “to be equal” in Pulaar. Well, in Wolof the verb “foot” means to wash laundry, so he imagines equal loads of laundry waiting to be washed! Crazy, but it works.

I’m off again, into my imaginary world of vocabulary drawings. Till next time…….

Practice Makes Perfect......Humiliation

Communication is the goal of this language learning adventure, and all adventures have their twists and turns. Some days when I return home from my trek into the jungle of language practice I return without a scratch. The phrases slip off my tongue with ease, and I receive praises for my hard work. There are, however, the wounds of language practice that still sting days after they were inflicted. That sounds so dramatic, but deep in that jungle, when your words are jumbled and your thoughts are lost, the language adventure is not fun or exciting. Those are usually the times when communication is crucial and failure to be understood is discouragingly frustrating.

For now, I'm sticking to the outer edge of that jungle where I can still laugh at myself when I make mistakes. For instance, the other day I was visiting with the lady on the corner who sells fruit. I love to speak Wolof with her because no matter what I say, she thinks it's wonderful. As I was buying apples, another lady approached and greeted us in Pulaar. You can imagine my delight at a chance to practice! However, after the greeting, this woman began a long, lightning fast tirade that left me in the dust. Aside from recognizing a word here or a sound there, I had no idea what she said. Finally the Pulaar speaker turned to go and my fruit selling friend just laughed and said "she is crazy!" At least it wasn't just me.

My next stop was the butcher who is a Pulaar speaker. I was eager to try out some new phrases I had learned, so I swung right into the jungle with greetings. I hit my first stump when he asked me about my husband and I thought he meant my work (there is just a one vowel difference). Continuing down that same path, I asked about his husband (meaning work), and of course I received  a very confused looked. I earnestly explained that I had been studying hard and that I spoke a lot of Pulaar, when I actually meant to say I speak only a little (confusing the words for a lot and a little bit). It wasn't until I returned home that I realized most of my mistakes, but I'm sure my friend the butcher is still scratching his head.

More reports to come as the adventure continues.

The Rhythm of Language

Music is not my strong suit. I'm rhythmically challenged and seem to have a mental block for all things musical. I passed Music Theory in college by the skin of my teeth and would never attempt to sing a solo if my life depended on it. However, it's impossible to avoid the melody of language that surrounds me.

One of my favorite activities in beginner English classes is teaching the alphabet song. My students walk around humming the tune and commit the English sounds to memory much more quickly when it's set to music. Every language has its own natural rhythm. In English, the stress of syllables gives our words a beat and can even change the meaning of words. To go even further, we can say that rhythm and language also help us to more clearly express ourselves and communicate meaning. This can be seen in the lyrics of songs and poetry. The rhythm of the words sets an emotional tone and helps imprint meaning in our minds.

One famous example of this can be found in the Bible in the book of Psalms. This book of poems and songs was used by the Israelites in worship, and is a collection of collections written by Moses, David, Solomon, and others. The meter of the lines, as well as the poetic techniques of the word choice gives each Psalm the emotional punch of meaning its composers were after. In order to fully appreciate these techniques the Psalms need to be heard and understood in their original language. For example, in Psalm 119 the technique of acrostic is used where succeeding letters of the Hebrew alphabet are used to begin each stanza. In numerous Psalms, word pairs are used for emphasis, alliteration and rhyme give rhythm to the lines, and anacrusis (one or more syllables at the beginning of a line of poetry, but not part of the line), draw attention to a thought by causing a pause.

All of these techniques blend together and produce a form of language that gives insight into the history, the culture, the emotions, and the mind set of the authors and those about whom they wrote. Of course poetry and music continues to be as alive today as it was more than a thousand years ago. Every language I've studied has its own music and poetry full of its own emotional rhythm. An essential part of learning the language is becoming familiar with its rhythm.

On a practical note, we ask our language professor to record dialogues which we listen to over and over. This helps us to catch the crazy Pulaar beat, and find the rhythm of their speech. (My own contribution to poetry for the day.)