Context is Everything

About thirteen years ago our lives were about to dramatically change. After seven years of marriage we had two new additions to our family in one fell swoop, twins. We were living in the U.S. at the time, but all my friends in Senegal were eager to have news of our babies, so I sent a picture of my very pregnant self just before the twins delivery. Upon our return, our American co-workers told us that some of our Senegalese friends had called the picture ugly. On the surface this seemed extremely rude, but I later found out that the Senegalese feel praising a pregnant woman is a sure way of bringing unwanted attention to her and the baby by harmful spirits.

Taken out of context, calling a pregnant woman ugly seems hurtful, but in light of the true meaning it becomes apparent that the exact opposite is true. I've recently been studying Biblical interpretation, and the standout guideline for the most correct interpretation of scripture is to find the author's original meaning within the historical, literary, and proper grammatical context. The Bible is full of poetry, historical narratives, parables and epistles (personal letters) written by about 40 authors over a span of 1600 years. Gibbs (2004) explains, "It is so large and the content so varied that any bright heretic can find one verse among the thousands of verses to support his or her preconceived belief" (98). He goes on to say that nothing in the Bible can mean something in isolation that it doesn't mean in the wider context.

Context is everything in language and culture learning, much like Biblical interpretation. When communication breaks down or there are situational misunderstandings, the first step is to look at the context. Seek to understanding the deeper meaning, the historical or cultural significance, and keep an open mind to ensure full understanding. I may have been extra round, bloated and blotchy at eight months pregnant, but my friends weren't calling me ugly; in their own way they were protecting me.

Haa Gogngal (until next time)!

*Gibbs, Carl B. 2004. Principles of Biblical Interpretation. Springfield, MO: Global University.

Reading, Writing, and Arithmetic

Our Pulaar teacher is in charge of overseeing the Pulaar alphabetization program for the region of Saint-Louis. This program is set up to teach adults and young people how to read, write, and do math in their own language, Pulaar. He visits the classes in Pulaar villages around the region which are held in the local elementary schools. Sometimes these classes meet in proper rooms and others meet in huts or shacks.

We've taken the chance to visit some of these classes with him in the last few weeks. It's been interesting to listen in and participate in these classroom settings. At the end of each class our teacher gives the class the opportunity to ask us questions. It's always a nail bitting experience, but it's fun to finally be putting our hours of study to the test. The other day, one of the students asked why we wanted to learn Pulaar. It was a perfect chance to explain our desire to help the Tukolor people. One young man asked if we learned anything during class. Bryan was able to read the math story problem that was written on the board and the entire class was amazed. Another man said that although he was able to speak Pulaar, he wasn't able to read it as well as we could, even though we are not yet able to speak very well. That's the heart of most of these students, they desire to read and write in their own language.

We are looking forward to getting to know some of these people through our language learning efforts. Real break throughs take no less that complete immersion in real life situations. This is where the rubber meets the road and effort leads to progress.

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…….