"Bless me, what do they teach them at these schools?" (Prof. Kirke, The Last Battle, 'Further Up and Further In')
Every day these this week, and the last few weeks, I've gone to language school to, as my team leader likes to say, "play with dolls!" I'm at a fully immersive, speaking, and listening-based school. (No English is allowed in class!) So far we are focusing on listening. Our teacher gives us vocabulary by putting down objects (a toy car, dolls representing family members, or pictures of places or things) or by acting things out (run, jump, sit, pay, etc.). Then we point at the object when he says the word, and we keep adding words into the mix so we have to distinguish between the words he is saying. It's kind of like kindergarten--we play with dolls and toys and learn our ABCs! Then, we record him saying each word and take it home to practice. It seems silly, but it keeps the learning fun, and it is very effective!
I am already surprised at how much I can understand. I am starting to get a feel for sentences, and the sounds of Arabic being spoken around me when I walk around my city are occasionally broken up with words I can understand. I can ask how the produce seller is doing when I buy my fruit and veggies instead of just smiling. I've been encouraged to celebrate language wins often, even small things. Arabic is one of the top three hardest languages for English speakers to learn, and it will take years---so it is important to celebrate little milestones!
I'm really blessed to have a teammate who is helping me as my language coach, and a team who for the most part are still learning language to some degree. Having community to learn alongside and be encouraged by is life-changing. Even having their study tips or learning helpful words from them helps move me along.
Some days I come home exhausted and can't get much else done in the day (four hours of language a day is a lot!). Some days I come home energized because I saw progress or learned a word I want to use. I know there's a long language road ahead of me, but I'm so excited to see how it pays off. I can't wait to be able to express myself in the heart langage of the people around me. And, of course, I can't wait to be able to share the gospel with them and read the Bible together in their own language. I know that is a long time coming, and there is a lot of work between now and then, but it helps me even now to remember the goal.