Language Learning Theological Takeaway and Plan

[Taliya]

Learning a language is not just to be able to get by. A lot of cultural understanding will also come with learning language which is pretty cool! The best way to do that is through immersion and taking every opportunity to speak and learn from mistakes. A new action step I can take today is start listening to Turkish music. Get used to the sound of the language and make note of any repeated words. Something I’ve already done is learnt a few vocabulary words and use then with Hugh whenever the opportunity comes up. Some mini missions I’m excited for is reading a children’s book, finding 3 favorite Turkish songs/bands, and asking how much a 1 month membership costs at a gym.

[Hugh]

I absolutely believe that language brings people together and that it is the heart of God to create community and love one another well – which is done so effectively through language exchange. I have studied around 10 different languages now and the “breath of fresh air” I recognize people have when I am able to simply say hello or have small talk with someone of a different culture has always stood out to me. People are created for connection and we get excited when that linguistic wall that was separating people of different cultures gets chiseled away. To improve my own language acquisition, I will surround myself as much as I can with people of my target language who do not speak my native languages to force me into a space where I have to use what I know. For mini missions, I have been wanting to be able to use proverbs and idioms in Turkish! I hear native speakers using it often so I want to be able to as well.