Language acquisition...

September 23, 2007

Two weeks ago, our Boot Camp class went to an Asian district in downtown Oklahoma City. Our task was to learn some phrases in Vietnamese and find certain ethnic foods in the markets. P. achieved the assigned goals, but L.A. found something else! At the third stop, a pottery market, some friends told me (L.A.) that they couldn't speak to the owner, because he knew only Chinese. A friend urged me to ask him about the origin of the beautiful pots. I am trying to overcome my timidness regarding speaking in a language I'm not too good in, because I'll need to just be bold once we get overseas! I went up to the man and asked, in Chinese, "Do you speak Mandarin (Chinese)?" He said yes, and stood up to talk. From then on, my timidness was gone! I asked him about the pots, which are made in China, and eventually found out that he painted them all! I asked about his time in Oklahoma; he's been in the United States for two months and does not have much business because people just drive by, whereas in China everyone walks and so they would at least see his wares. Eventually, it was time to meet P. and the rest of the team for lunch, so I had to say bye, but I went through the rest of the day excited that I was able to begin a friendship in a foreign language!

I just wanted to use that story to introduce this update, because P. and I are currently preparing for what I think will be the most exciting part of our training: language acquisition! Beginning Monday, we will take a course on the "Language Acquisition Made Practical" method. When we move across the ocean in January, we will use this method to learn the local language of the people to whom we want to tell about our loving Father! A week from today, we will leave Oklahoma for our 5 weeks of language learning in Mexico. We will learn a few phrases at a time through talking to people whom we meet walking around our villages. We're excited!

L.A. & P.