The Richness of Bilingualism
by Ted Slater on 02/18/2009 at 4:30 PM
I'm listening to Salvador's best album, "Que Tan Lejos Está el Cielo," resonating with songs "Alegría," "Con Poder," "La Palabra," "Estaré Con El" and even the traditional-sounding "Un Día a la Vez."
The salsa grooves drive me wild -- love the piano hooks, the alternately glistening and grinding B3, the choral breaks, the bumpy bass, the ripping brass, the plucky acoustic guitars, the syncopated percussion. Love it!
The thing is, I'm not just enjoying the music, but engaging with the lyrics as well, since I am fluent in Spanish. I studied the language in high school, practiced it some in Houston, was immersed in it during my nine-month stay in central Mexico, went on to earn an undergrad degree in Spanish, volunteered a couple of months in Colombia, and enjoyed friendships with Latinos during grad school.
I have great memories asking my employees in that Houston Burger King how to say the names of condiments in Spanish, being silly with Pablo in the little village outside Xicótepec de Juarez, talking about girls with Melqui in Bogotá, worshiping the Lord in a church in Mexico City (Centro de Fe, Alabanza y Esperanza) with a guy I met on a stroll, translating for a patient who only spoke Totonac (I was working with another translator who spoke both Spanish and Totonac), preaching to a gathered crowd in Papantla, dancing with gringo friends to mariachi accompaniment near the Zócalo, praying with Manuel in La Unión -- rich living made possible because I had learned a second language.
This morning during devotions, Tim asked Daniél if he would close us in prayer. In Spanish. A few of us in the room could pray along with Daniél, but most couldn't. I can't put my finger on it, but it seems that praying in a second language seems to cover ground that praying in English just can't.
If you speak another language, I'd love to hear how it's enriched your life. If you don't yet speak another language, please don't be discouraged. It may take a bit of work, but you can do it. And I'm confident it'll prove a blessing to you, as well as to that person whom you'll meet down the road who doesn't yet speak English.
1. Elizabeth said the following at 4:55 PM on Feb 18:
This isn't exactly speaking another language, but learning to read some Greek has sometimes helped me learn more when listening to somebody preach from the New Testament. If they start saying, "The Greek word means this..." I can check up on them! Also, the grammar and connotations of the original language just don't always translate too well.
2. Al said the following at 5:07 PM on Feb 18:
Though English is my primary language, sometimes hearing certain passages of scripture in Chinese seems to hit me harder. Maybe it's because the translation is more expressive and works better, as I've always found most English translations of the bible stilted and awkward to varying degrees.
3. BDB said the following at 5:16 PM on Feb 18:
I kind of like Asian praying - which operates on the theory that God, being omnipotent, can hear everyone's prayers simultaneously, therefore all the humans can pray simultaneously in their preferred language. It also solves one of the weaknesses in the American custom of going-around-the-circle-and-everyone-thinking-up-the-most-spiritual-prayer-they-can-for-the-group. See also Luke 20:46-47
4. Annabelle said the following at 5:36 PM on Feb 18:
I studied in Austria for about six months this past year, and I attended a German-speaking church. It was fairly international-friendly, and some of the songs were in English, but most were in German, and the messages were always in German. It was unbelievable to sing songs to Christ in German. The knowledge of God's infinite ability to understand me no matter what just hit me between the eyes every week. I thoroughly enjoyed learning how to worship my King in another language. He really does surpass all boundaries, and I can't wait for the day I see the multitude of nations praising Him together!
5. Amanda .L. said the following at 5:40 PM on Feb 18:
My first language is English, but I was born in Montreal to a French-Canadian dad and an English-Canadian(don't know if that's a real term, but it fits) mother. For the first five years of my life I was entirely bilingual and though for many years I barely spoke French, I remembered certain words.
When I got to highschool, I chose to take French courses for language credits. I ministered in a French church and learned to worship and pray in that language.
Now, though I use the language less than I should, I love that at random moments it comes to mind.
I find myself speaking to beloved friends, singing lines of worship songs,translating certain phrases, praying and praising God in French.
I may not have mastered the language, but it enriches my life in indescribable ways.
6. DannieA said the following at 5:45 PM on Feb 18:
Spanish definately is a richer descriptive language...It was my first language and now I'm fluent in both...reading/writing included.
But I have to say....Poems...poetry is very rich and to the heart in Spanish, I'm glad to have grown up with those in my family
7. Marilyn said the following at 6:45 PM on Feb 18:
Ahhh...and then there is Luis Miguel...his song "Mexico en la Piel" moves me to tears!
My husband is bilingual English/Spanish, grew up speaking Spanish in his home. I am working to learn. I speak some, but am not nearly fluent. It is definitely good for the brain and the soul! I love to read my Spanish-language Bible though it is tough going. I use the "La Biblia de las Américas". It reads like the New American Standard except in Spanish.
8. farmer Tom said the following at 7:38 PM on Feb 18:
I would like to learn Spanish, any suggestions.
I've thought about trying Rosetta Stone.
9. Leah said the following at 8:07 PM on Feb 18:
I agreed with pretty much all you said until it seems that praying in a second language seems to cover ground that praying in English just can't.
I couldn't help but feel that was just a bit rude. People who can only pray in English (the most common language in the whole world) are not somehow having an inferior experience to anyone else.
I'm not fluent in any other languages, but I know the basics (and I mean basics) of French and a phrase or two or three of Afrikaans. My husband (for whom English is a second language) has not lost his native tongue of Afrikaans, but he now often has to mentally translate things from English into Afrikaans. He can understand Afrikaans but has to mentally translate before he speaks it back. He can still do it incredibly fast though, and can still fluently converse with someone speaking in Afrikaans (with the odd pause or two when he becomes stuck on a word). There are occasions though where he'll pause, turn to his mother or father and ask them "what's English for xyz?" It will usually be a very ambiguous word, for which English has no equivalent, and it will take them a few moments to figure out the closest translation.
A somewhat interesting difference: my husband's family mainly speaks English at home. Another Afrikaans family we know speaks mainly Afrikaans at home. Even the youngest girls who were born in Australia (I think) speak perfect Afrikaans (and perfect, accent-less english!), while my husband speaks it with a slight Australian accent. (Definitely not as bad as a native Australian learning Afrikaans!)
As a result, one of my best friends (who is married into the other Afrikaans-speaking family) has picked up a lot more Afrikaans than I have, and can pretty much understand anything that gets said in her husband's family's house.
I've certainly never heard any of them suggest that their prayer/spiritual life is any different between either of the languages. The only issue that's ever been raised is the word "love"; Afrikaans has multiple words for "love". For example, you'd not use the same word for "I love you" as for "I love spaghetti" or "I love U2".
10. Elizabeth H. said the following at 8:21 PM on Feb 18:
I'm fluent in Russian. As others have noted, it can enrich understanding of the Scripture. The popular Russian translation is actually fairly archaic, but it still makes things pop out that I wouldn't otherwise notice.
It is becoming another heart language for me. I don't know how else to describe it. I think, dream, converse in Russian.
But in the past when I couldn't understand Russian very well, the Holy Spirit helped me agree in prayer with people. I could not interpret the words they were saying, yet my heart understood. God uses situations like that to enrich our communion with the Holy Spirit.
11. composer girl said the following at 8:45 PM on Feb 18:
I have noticed that music that is not in my primary language of English is often more poignant to me. I do not speak any other languages fluently, but as a classical musician, have often sung music in languages that I do not speak.
To be a responsible singer, one is supposed to thoroughly research the translation of the text that one is singing, and some of my favorite music with which to worship is consequently in different languages.
I love Barber's Agnus Dei in Latin, Rachmaninoff's Bogoroditse Devo in Russian, and Bernstein's Chichester Psalms, settings of three to four psalms in the original Hebrew (just to name a few :). It's almost like I focus more on what I am singing when I'm singing music in other languages, because I actively think, not just of the sounds that I am producing, but of the meaning of all the different words and of the song as a whole. I internalize it more and end up being more sincere about what I am singing than when I praise the Lord in English.
All this to say that praising the Lord in a different language is indeed very enriching to me. Even if one does not speak a second language, he can still learn the meaning of a foreign language song and worship sincerely with those for whom it is their native tongue.
12. Becky said the following at 8:58 PM on Feb 18:
I loved this post! I wouldn't say (at all) that i am fluent in Spanish, but in December i returned to Canada from a five month teaching stint in Peru. I miss it alot, language included. This may be strange, but sometimes i talk spanish in my dreams now. Hearing someone pray in Spanish really warms my heart, but when i was over there what i really found effected me strongly was singing worship songs in Spanish, when i finally did learn enough of the language to understand them. For me at that time, it seemed that, like you mentioned, it was worshiping in Spanish that covered a ground that English could not.
13. Jacob said the following at 9:13 PM on Feb 18:
There is nothing like singing "A Mighty Fortress" in Luther's original German "Ein Feste Burg."
14. composer girl said the following at 9:24 PM on Feb 18:
Hopefully I'm not being uneccesarily contentious, but I think the most common language in the world is actually Mandarin.
15. Denise said the following at 9:35 PM on Feb 18:
Very interesting. I too am fluent in Spanish and LOVE Spanish worship music so much! I attend a bilingual Spanish/English church and always sing in Spanish!
However your line "I can't put my finger on it, but it seems that praying in a second language seems to cover ground that praying in English just can't." threw me a little bit. I am quite fluent in Spanish. I have a B.A. and a M.A. in Spanish and have lived in Costa Rica, Guatemala, and Bolivia but even with all that fluency in Spanish I still feel FAR more comfortable praying in English. I can express myself in ANY situation in Spanish except for prayer. It is just such an intimate time with God that I don't feel like I can get the words out in my second language, Spanish, even though I am quite good at Spanish.
Does anyone else feel this way or have any thoughts? If so I'd LOVE to hear them!
16. ptschett said the following at 10:25 PM on Feb 18:
It doesn't cover much ground for the people who aren't familiar with the other language.
In high school I went to my church's youth missions conference. A Korean minister gave the closing prayer in his own tongue as a nod to the Korean churches in our denomination. Most of us in the room would have been hopelessly lost without the guy who was on stage translating.
17. Netanya said the following at 10:53 PM on Feb 18:
Farmer Tom (#8):
Sorry this is so long, but Rosetta Stone really does work very well. It has weaknesses -- I find it helpful to read a little grammar on the side (there are plenty free online resources so you can be thrifty).
Basically what Rosetta Stone does is pair up pictures with the audio of what's going on in the picture. It starts out very basic, and (with no prior background in the language) you can start to piece together more complicated phrases and sentences -- the same way young children learn a new language.
In my opinion, the interactive watch and listen aspect makes it just as good if not better than taking *Beginner-Level* college courses. The reason is that Rosetta improves pronuncation, reading, and vocabulary intuitively -- it's better when grammar constructions just "sound natural" than when you have to think...um, well the noun comes first, and then the verb.... Even if you take a college course, you won't get as much hearing/listening time unless CDs are provided. And even with CDs to listen to, you really miss out on the richness that watching the picture adds to learning.
If you plan on continuing your studies past the beginner/intermediate level, you will almost certainly have to supplement your learning with other resources -- either free online ones or college courses/grammar worksheets/books. Some of the more complex structures are just easier to learn after you've read an explanation.
By the way, I'm trying to learn Arabic and Spanish with Rosetta Stone. Spanish would be possible to learn through other methods (though my speaking/listening ability would be hampered w/o Rosetta), but Arabic would be completely impossible without it. The script is just simply too hard for me to grasp (a new alphabet *and* no vowels!) -- but because I can learn the spoken language first, I can then apply that to help myself along with written text.
18. Jorden said the following at 11:09 PM on Feb 18:
I attended a Spanish church in Houston TX on a mission trip a few years ago and it was cool because we sang some english songs, but the church members were singing them in Spanish while we sang in english. And then we also sang a few songs in Spanish. That was odd since I'm not fluent at all, but it was a cool experience to praise God with a song I didn't even know what the words I was saying were.
19. Danielle Hersey said the following at 12:09 AM on Feb 19:
I went to Italy to do a discipleship training school with YWAM a few years back, and was blown away by how much Italian I picked up. My high school Spanish experience was a disaster, mostly because we never actually spoke the language in the classroom. But somehow, being in the culture, having to use the language with non-English speakers, and having fellowship with believers stirred something in me. Some of my most touching moments of that 5 month period were praying aloud in front of a group in Italian (which was terrifying, but so rewarding for group unity), sharing my testimony in Italian with three Egyptian guys in Rome (Italian was not our native language, but the only one we had in common!), and sharing the Gospel in Italian with multiple people.
That experience made me fall in love with the Romance languages. After returning to Boston, and hearing Spanish spoken a lot, I was amazed to find out how much I actually understood! Then I met some Brazilian friends and started picking up Portuguese! These experiences eventually led me to become an ESL teacher, and I absolutely LOVE my job and see it as an exciting international mission field that comes to me, rather than me going to it!
I can definitely identify with the connection through prayer in the second language and with certain things in scripture jumping out more when read in a language that's not my own.
When the time is right, I hope the Lord will take me overseas again, because I still have lots to learn in both Italian and Portuguese, and I've developed a curiosity for German and Chinese...haven't given up on Spanish, either...O for a thousand tongues...
20. Nicole said the following at 12:21 AM on Feb 19:
It's not just the language that matters, it's the fact that the language provides a way into the culture. God made no mistake in creating different cultures and ethnicities. We have a lot to learn from each other.
21. Iris said the following at 1:47 AM on Feb 19:
I grew up bilingual but ended up speaking English much better then Dutch. After moving to Holland I've become almost as fluent in Dutch as English, but notice that my heart language is still Enligh. Whenever I get emotional (and prayer often is) I always switch over to Enligh automatically.
Music, however, is another story. I enjoy hymns and praise and worship songs in many different languages.
22. Michelle (in the UK) said the following at 1:59 AM on Feb 19:
LOVE LOVE LOVE this post!
I speak Spanish, but I must say i'm still learning...My dad is German, but from Argentina and my mum is German so I grew up bi-lingual in German but have lost a lot of vocabulary when I speak it. I then learned Spanish later on...However, I now work in a very international company so not only do I have to understand, but start speaking French and Dutch too...
Now, these are all in the beginning stages but it's amazing how God can use us when we're willing to learn.
I live in London and my church has the most incredible mix of people...I was at the connect group (small groups) connection point when this guy Daniel came up to me. We were chatting and I asked him where he was from (Romania) and I laughed and said, too bad you don't speak Spanish or German...well turns out he lived in Barcelona so he and I were able to chat away in Spanish (although mildly awkwardly as I'm still practicing) but the JOY that I saw in his face because he felt more comfortable! How awesome is God!
And I'll agree about singing...I was at our Paris campus of church and we've started translating some of our songs...singing in French was just a new experience. I had to concentrate MORE on the words so that I didn't feel like I was singing emptily to God...I had to understand the meaning and it made me more expressive in worship and calling out to Him differently.
I encourage everyone to try and learn another language or three! Like someone said about Rosetta Stone is good, but I also found some good daily podcasts on iTunes :)
Hasta Luego, yo necesito trabajar ahora!
x
23. Joanna said the following at 3:15 AM on Feb 19:
I can speak some Indonesian and mandarin Chinese at a conversational level. Unfortunately i've lost all of the German i learnt except a few useless words and a poem about a rabbit.
i have found that learning languages really helps in connecting with people from the countries whose language you speak, even if almost all of your interaction is in english. People warm to you more when you have shown through your learning of their language (even if you are not very good at it) that you consider their language & culture as valuable and worth your effort to study.
24. Adam T. said the following at 5:16 AM on Feb 19:
Speaking French allows me to more fully appreciate the depth and richness of Celine Dion.
Wait, no it doesn't. It did help me get around in France, though.
25. Shannon F said the following at 5:45 AM on Feb 19:
I totally agree! I grew up in Indonesia and learned to speak it. There are many words that you just can't translate into English. I think that's cool because it shows the diversity of God's creation and helps me to realize that it takes all the languages of the world to describe and praise our God!
26. Anthony said the following at 5:49 AM on Feb 19:
I'm learning/speaking Egyptian and Modern Standard Arabic now. It's wonderful to begin to understand Arab culture and Islam. Our ideas of these are so easily morphed by prejudice.
I have academic proficiency in Latin and can't wait to start intensive French this fall.
27. Jo said the following at 5:54 AM on Feb 19:
We have a number of people in my church from Mauritius who speak Creole (very similar to French), and there are a couple who pray in Creole during the service sometimes. I think that's brilliant, but it does throw me when the rest of the church agree and say Amen, when most of them don't understand the words that have been spoken. I find it a bit tricky myself, because on the one hand I want to affirm them and agree, but on the other hand I have a bit of a problem agreeing with something I don't understand. Sometimes one of the other Mauritians will translate, and that I think always works best. Any thoughts on that...?
28. Michelle said the following at 6:00 AM on Feb 19:
Amen! There's just nothing like cross-cultural worship. I speak some Spanish and some Romanian, and it has been such a blessing to me to network with God's people all over the world.
29. Bek said the following at 6:07 AM on Feb 19:
I speak enough spanish to get by, but will hopefully be fluent soon because (God willing) I'm going to Spain in September to study abroad for a year. I spent a couple of months in South America in 2006 and still remember the English church service I went to in Quito after about 7 weeks there. When they started singing in English I just started to cry because it was so wonderful to have communal worship in my native tongue again. However, I do like to pray and sing worship songs in Spanish even when I'm at home. It reminds me to expand my view of God. I also find it helpful to pray in simple Spanish in those times when I find it hard to express my heart - kind of like speaking in tongues I guess - it reminds me just how little I am compared to God, and to trust in Him to know what I need even when I can't describe it.
30. Dan Gill said the following at 6:32 AM on Feb 19:
Salvador is great. I love their music.
I love hearing Spanish because it seems so lyrical to me. I love singing songs in Spanish, especially when I know the song, because it deepens my rather shallow understanding of Spanish. I dislike public prayers in Spanish or any other language I don't understand, unless someone is translating. Public prayer is prayer to God, but it is also encouragement and exhortation for those present.
31. Kate said the following at 6:53 AM on Feb 19:
Je parle francais... as an American. Studying a second language was probably one of the most enriching things I could have possibly done in my education. Not only does it open a whole world of literature, poetry and such in its original language (I do not believe even good translations are quite the same), but through learning a language you become more familiar with different cultures/history from an angle that is different and I believe more personal than just reading about them in the NYT, a history class or in a "cultural competency" training. Ummmm also, this is when I learned about English grammar too, since it was totally not covered in my K-12 education.
I would love to learn more languages! In particular Spanish since that is the easiest place to go do to "foreign missions." On a mission trip to Mexico, I was so frustrated by not being able to talk to the people we went there to serve!
I think it is so fascinating how different languages can have words for concepts or senses that don't have words in other languages, and I am so fascinated to learn/think about how language reflects or shapes people's varying mental constructs/understandings of life and the world etc.
I particularly like reading Scripture in French and thinking in French at times, but I don't know quite what you meant by your comment that has bothered others here, "I can't put my finger on it, but it seems that praying in a second language seems to cover ground that praying in English just can't." But maybe what you mean is about how different languages can provide words and concepts that don't exist consciously in other languages... but are still very real and part of the experience of life and knowing God?
I do find myself being amused by the French names for Bible characters... like Peter is Pierre, which is the literal name for rock in normal French language... whereas I doubt most people understand the connection between the name Peter and rock in English unless they look into the etymology. Of course, I don't think people need to understand that to remember Peter as "the rock." But in any event, I don't think that is what you are talking about with that comment!
32. Kate said the following at 7:06 AM on Feb 19:
To Farmer Tom #8
I can't say I have tried Rosetta Stone or any other language learning computer programs. I have thought about trying something like that for Spanish or German but I go back and forth because when I studied French in college the way I really learned it was through having conversations with people and having active instruction/correction about the subtleties of pronunciation, idioms and grammatical construction, etc. I am not sure a computer program can truly be that interactive. I guess I end up seeing the computer program as more as a supplement that would allow extra practice than a primary mode of instruction, if that makes sense.
I am not sure what kind of community you live in/how much extra time or money you have so these suggestions may not be readily accessible to you... but you may be able to find community education classes for beginner Spanish or try a community college. You would probably have to pay more for these than a computer program, but they may be less expensive than attending university courses or hiring a private tutor. You also might be able to find a conversation partner who is not a formal tutor to go with the computer program instruction?
I just can't quite imagine learning a language without human interaction, though you might be able to memorize enough with the computer program to get by in a rudimentary fashion when traveling/have enough of a start that you could become fluent in the language if you become immersed in a setting where that's all people speak?
33. Nancy said the following at 7:38 AM on Feb 19:
If any of you have interpretation for the deaf at your church, I encourage you to watch the signs during worship songs (it's much easier to match the signs with words than during the sermon).
The sign for "Jesus" is touching the center of the one palm with the middle finger of the opposite hand, then doing the reverse with the other hand. I started to weep the first time I saw this -- His name is synonymous with the nail marks He endured for us.
34. Tehilah said the following at 7:39 AM on Feb 19:
Speaking and reading Modern Hebrew has certainly helped me understand the Bible better. (Did you know that the phrase "Grace and Truth" is far more common in the Hebrew OT and is often creatively translated in various English ones?) Ironically, it is my knowledge of English that makes it fully comprehendible. Ancient Hebrew is difficult to cipher, often has grammatical shifts in personal pronouns, and includes many words that we've lost. Sometimes my Hebrew reading friends ask me to read them the English version - so they can understand what the author is getting at.
Having said that, I have to admit that living among Israelis all my life hasn't exactly closed all the gaps in my understanding of the Jewish mind. I will have to study commentary to figure out how Paul, for instance, uses Halachic argumentation in his letters to convince the Hebrews, as opposed to Greek argumentation for the Romans.
And if speaking the language makes me no expert on the mindset of ancient Israelites, being fluent doesn't indicate I excel at translation. I work on a magazine that publishes in three languages and am struck each time anew with how complex the issue of translation is. In effect, it requires that a person be able to completely understand and be comfortable in two different mindsets, with different cultural subtexts, and differing expressions - and be able to tell them apart. It makes me realize how much of language is not just words, but meaning derived from shared experiences. That's why I can't translate well into Hebrew - I can't identify the Americanisms in my speech. In my opinion, it is nearly impossible for someone who did not grow up inside the culture of a language to fully grasp it.
Which brings me to one of the most amusing parts of knowing several languages - confused idioms. I used to say "don't look at me as though I fell off the moon"... a pretty self-explanatory phrase that has English speakers chuckling and raising eyebrows at me, but really, it's a direct translation from a common Hebrew phrase, not a unique figment of my imagination.
What's interesting to me about language is that God Himself created it - to restrict man's achievement. (see Gen. 11:4-8) And indeed, my heart goes out to every minister out there who struggles to convey the message of God's love in a language not his own. I know how frustrating that is.
35. David said the following at 7:54 AM on Feb 19:
I spent 2 years in Germany as a youth worker and it was such a rich experience to learn another language. Singing and praying...There was just something very special about it.
It just made my world seem so much smaller. It was of great encouragement.
36. Ambrosia said the following at 8:07 AM on Feb 19:
Nice Post Ted!.
I have to agree with you about the effectiveness of praying in another language. I speak Yoruba, a nigerian language and decent french. My fiance and I occasionally pray in yoruba because at times, prayer in english can become words that roll of the tongue. You can be so quick to say a "Thank you Jesus" and 10 "Amens" without realizing what you just said or giving much thought to it.
Praying in another tongue helps "shake" me up and prevents me from using the words ritualistically because it requires much more concentration due to the intonation and richness of the language.( My fiancee also prays in yoruba if he starts dozing while trying to pray..lol!).
37. composer girl said the following at 8:53 AM on Feb 19:
Leah (#9):
I thought about this last night, and I don't think that Ted is necessarily implying that English is a limited language. I think what he's getting at is what Kate (#31) mentioned briefly:
"...maybe what you mean is about how different languages can provide words and concepts that don't exist consciously in other languages... but are still very real and part of the experience of life and knowing God?"
One example that I discovered in Latin is the word "saeculorum." The words "saecula saeculorum" are usually translated as "forever and ever" in English. But saeculorum has a deeper meaning that can't be effectively translated into English: "saecula" means forever, but "saeculorum" means forever-and-ever-and-ever-and-ever-and-ever-times-infinity-far-beyond-the-limits-of-our-imaginations-not-really-communicable-by-one-word-forever. I love singing the "Gloria Patri" in Latin, because I become overwhelmed by the infinity of God.
English probably has some words that cannot effectively be translated into other languages, because the full meaning will be lost. One might be able to communicate an idea of what one means, but be unable to communicate the full depth of the word. The only reason why I can't give an example of an English word is because I am not really fluent in any other language. As primarily an English speaker, it is much easier for me to realize the limitations of my own language than for me to realize the limitations of others with which I am less familiar.
I think that's what Ted was probably implying.
38. May-Ann said the following at 9:09 AM on Feb 19:
Hearing the gospel in multiple languages really gives you an insight into how certain attributes of God are perceived - and can bring attention to how cheap you've made certain words in your own native language.
Take, for example, the word "glory". CS Lewis has a whole treatise on this (see "Weight of Glory") and how lowly we view this English word, but its equivalent in Mandarin (荣耀/rong yao) gives you two words/ideograms/characters, both which bring different sets of word-associations with them. Mandarin/Chinese is a language where character-association is very important, which is what makes the language extremely dense with meaning.
Looking at the first word: "荣/rong". This word is always associated with lofty, honourable words (see http://www.chinese-tools.com/tools/sinograms.html?q=%E8%8D%A3). "耀/yao", the second word, is also associated with other compound words meaning brilliance and dazzling (see http://www.chinese-tools.com/tools/sinograms.html). Read together in Mandarin, the word conveys a lot more than just "glory" - it brings with itself the other word-associations that they both have intrinsically. How could anyone praising God in Mandarin NOT have some fuzzy idea of just exactly how great and how brilliant God's glory is?
Apart from the attributes of the language itself, the other benefit of a 2nd language (or 3rd, or Nth) is that usually you're not as familiar with the other language - and thus, you're forced to be very careful with what you hear and use, or you're very aware of which word you hear or pick to use. As a result of this, when you're worshipping God in that language, you're very attuned to the actual words that you're using, rather than just coasting through service in a daze of hearing words (as opposed to listening to God's message.)
I find that this much is true when I attend services in other languages anyhow. My Mandarin isn't the greatest, but I would like to imagine that I do have a deep respect for the depth of emotions and expression that it conveys.
[Incidentally, I serve in a church which has four services in three languages (English, Teochew (dialect of mandarin), and Mandarin), while also housing Burmese and Korean churches, making it a wonderful five languages under one roof.]
39. asianfoodie said the following at 9:24 AM on Feb 19:
I remember when I was in China, worshipping in services that were all in Mandarin and talking with fellow believers who had limited command of English... these times certainly made me consider & "savor" the words of praise songs, of the messages and scriptural passages more deeply. It's not as if it's my mother tongue; rather the total concentration required in listening & understanding in a different language gave new meaning to the phrase "open the eyes of my heart, Lord"
40. Thea said the following at 9:28 AM on Feb 19:
English is my first language, but I also speak Spanish and Dutch, I can read some ancient and koine Greek, and I'm learning to read and speak French. I also understand some Latin and German, and I'd like to learn Hebrew, too!
I think learning a second language was really one of the best things I've ever done. Leaving the conversation and benefits of scholarship aside, I can all kinds of new perspectives on different texts. I think it also forces you to be more attentive--I read my Bible in Dutch, and sometimes I think I pick up more from it then I do from an English Bible, to be honest. When we have Latin services in my church, I feel connected to the thousands of years of tradition that go into the liturgy, and it makes it more meaningful. And being able to pray *with* a congregation in the native language makes me feel connected to the church around me.
41. Michelle (in the UK) said the following at 9:54 AM on Feb 19:
just another comment...I'm at work so I don't have a lot of time to look it up, but I challenge ya'll to look into this.
At our staff meeting this week my flatmate (and one of the Pastors) learned that during the time of Babel, when God split all the nations that some of the people went to China before the written language was put into place. Anyway, if you look at these words: http://www.answersingenesis.org/docs/388.asp
This is just ONE site...then you'll see it shows the story of Creation...it's quite cool!
And Joseph Prince did a teaching at conference this year where he looked at Hebrew, I believe and showed how in picture form you can see how God has put himself in certain sentances, so when you look at it in original language you discover so much more!
Now, I know this is slightly messy, apologies, but the point I want to illustrate is that God can use languages to reveal deeper level of who He is!
It's quite cool eh?
42. Carrie (the original) said the following at 10:40 AM on Feb 19:
I studied spanish for over 8 years. I went and studied abroad in China.
I love languages!!
After studying abroad I began to realize that language is merely a finite label on the deep abyss of emotion.
We are created in God's image. God "spoke" and creation happened. Language is necessary, but often confusing. Lately, words have been failing me.
I love languages. I really love languages.
I wish I could afford to do graduate studies in linguistics.
43. Melissa said the following at 10:50 AM on Feb 19:
I'm fluent in French, and there are some prayers that just have a deeper meaning to me in that language, I don't know why. There's a particular prayer during the Catholic mass ("Lord, I am not worthy to receive you, but only say the word and I shall be healed.") that always comes from my mouth in French, even when everyone else around me is praying in English!
44. Heidi Marie said the following at 11:14 AM on Feb 19:
My parents are missionaries in Germany. We moved there when I was 6, and I lived there till I started college when I was 18. I went to 10 years of school there, so I kind of had to be fluent in German. :)
I too have been absolutely amazed at the awesomeness of God in my realization that he really does understand every person in the world. He speaks all languages, and no matter what language you're speaking, he always understands, even if no one around you does. In my prayer group here at college we once had an international night in which we tried to have prayer in as many different languages as we could. That was really cool. :)
Although I must add that as cool as it is that God understands all langagues, and I can pray in German or in English and he'll hear me, I notice a huge difference when I'm praying in English. I can just communicate my feelings and thoughts and desires much more effectively in my mother tongue than I ever could in any other language.
45. Mike Theemling said the following at 11:19 AM on Feb 19:
I love learning foreign languages, but unfortunately being more left-brained, have an extremely difficult time learning them.
I too appreciate a lot of the metaphors in certain languages like Mandarin Chinese. For example the word for "ugly" is literally "difficult to look at".
Although I don't know any, Hebrew is also interesting as many of the "important" words begin with the first letter in their alphabet (Aleth?). Mother, Father, Earth, God, etc.
It's fortunate for Americans that English is currently the de facto "universal language" (or closest to it). At the same time however, it means that most Americans have little motivation to learn another language which is unfortunate.
46. Rachael said the following at 11:22 AM on Feb 19:
I'm not fluent in another language, but, I've taken classes in various languages. Foreign languages used to be a big interest of mine, though at the moment I'm not studying any of them.
When a college student, it was fun to get together with international people for the sake of learning bits of the languages represented. I recommend it. It's just fun.
The language I suppose I'm strongest in is Japanese. It was helpful at times when I lived there, though a lot of the time at the places I worked I used English.
I especially appreciate it when someone is willing to speak to me in Japanese. So many people use English these days. I have a particular friend who has spoken to me in Japanese when she visits the U.S., and I appreciate that she did that. And I think the first secretary at the school I taught at during my second stint in Japan usually used Japanese with me. I appreciate that. In that case it was probably because it may have been more efficient than if we had communicated in English.
When my parents came to visit Japan, I think they were impressed with my Japanese, but I think it would be easy for people who don't know a language to think one is good when they don't know the language, when in reality the person is not very good. I believe during their visit I used Japanese to get us out of some kind of train problem issue...
So knowing a foreign language can be useful. But so many people are learning English these days and are often very eager to speak it.
47. michaela said the following at 11:58 AM on Feb 19:
I've found that hearing hymns and Scripture in Spanish after being familiar with them in English gives me a better understanding of what is being said since many words or phrases can't translate directly. It adds another perspective!
48. Rachael said the following at 11:58 AM on Feb 19:
re: God understanding all languages (#44)
In an international Bible study I used to be a part of, the concept of God speaking all languages stood out to her as she wrote that down in her notes.
It's interesting how amazing things can so easily be overlooked or unnoticed by me, and possibly others who have grown up in Christian environments.
What? A donkey talked? What, a big fish swallowed Jonah and he lived? Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego lived through a fire? Jesus rose from the dead?! (Of course the latter is NOT on an equal level to all the others).
But there really are so amazing things in the Bible; it would be a lot to chew I bet for an adult who first embraced the faith as an adult and who had never heard Biblical stories. But if God made the world and allowed us access to Him through Jesus, He can do anything, so, maybe that mindset makes it not so 'weird' for someone to accept first as an adult. Perhaps if we accept Biblical wonders first as children, though, there may not always be as much awe that might be displayed by an adult who first heard everything for the first time. But I don't know...
49. Renee said the following at 12:14 PM on Feb 19:
I studied Arabic, and am now working with refugees in Denver, they are from all over the world. Some came in from Iraq, some Catholics who have lost family members, and I didn't want them to know I spoke Arabic at all, because I'm not very good, and it was embarrassing. But finally they just were NOT understanding something about the school their kid was going to, so I threw up my hands and said it in Arabic. I know go over to their apartments for hours on the weekends, learn how to cook their food, help them with English, and learn Arabic from them. It's so cool.
50. viola said the following at 12:26 PM on Feb 19:
i speak both catonese and english fluently and have studied both written chinese and english.
i find being bilingual help me to reach out to more people, esp the second generation immigrant kids here who haven't grown up in the same culture as their parents. having gone down that road myself, i am actively encouraged to help those behind me, to encourage them to seek God no matter how 'english' or how 'chinese' they are.
you can have best of both worlds, have different insights from scriptures due to different translations. i think it's great.
plus, it shows to others it doesn't matter who you are, what you speak, God loves you and you can enjoy your christian life. :)
51. kimberly e said the following at 1:07 PM on Feb 19:
Farmer Tom (and everyone), I don't really like Rosetta Stone, but I did post on how to learn another language at my blog (the post is here: http://www.joyfulmomma.org/2009/01/learning-and-teaching-languages.html). I just am not impressed with Rosetta, though I do know others like it.
I am not just bilingual but trilingual (English, German, and French), and I have some smatterings of other languages here in my brain as well (very basic Czech, Mandarin Chinese, New Testament Greek, Latin).
When I was 20 years old, I took off backpacking around Europe, and in the process I got saved in Prague, Czech Republic. Had I not known French, I am not sure I would have gotten saved that day, as the girl who led me to Christ was Czech and spoke a little French, and I also spoke French, and that was the only language we had in common. She told me of my need for a savior in a language that was not native to either one of us. And to think I nearly failed French ;)
I lived in Austria for a while, working, studying art, and growing in Christ. For the longest time I had a hard time praying in English because German seemed to express my heart better, and I am not sure why. Many times when I am reading the Bible, i will pull out a Martin Luther translation to read a passage, as often it is clearer to me, which is pretty strange when you think of it. I spent my spiritual infancy first getting saved in French, and then growing in Christ in German.
Being a trilingual American is also insightful. Most people don't expect Americans to speak a 2nd (or 3rd) language, and so you get to hear all sorts of things eavesdropping ;). I have dear friends in Austria that used to resort to French when they wanted to talk privately, not realizing that I also understood french (though not as well as German) and it was not for many years that I finally told them I understood what they were saying!
In that vein, though, I have found that many people are much more friendly and more accepting of us when we travel when we make an effort to speak their language. Even if we are only saying "Please" and "Thank You" in the local language (that is the minimum, people), it shows respect to them and their culture, as guests in their land. I have found, in backpacking all over Europe, and traveling in parts of North Africa, Turkey, and Israel, that people are much more willing to help the lost and confused traveler when you are first trying to communicate in their language. It really does open doors.
52. Rachel A. said the following at 1:25 PM on Feb 19:
I completely agree with Ted's sentiments. I don't think that praying or having the opportunity to worship God in another language is somehow necessarily "better" than doing the same in English. I think it tends to seem more fulfilling because it in part mirrors the way that the body of Christ is supposed to look: a compilation of people from every tribe, nation, and tongue. When we get to experience a little bit of the atmosphere we will experience in heaven, it's bound to be inspiring.
P.S. I grew up with parents from Nigeria and although I don't speak the language, listening to them pray and others chime in at family gatherings is one of the most beautiful things I think I have ever heard :).
53. mary kate said the following at 2:22 PM on Feb 19:
great post!
i took 5 and a half years of latin in school, and then italian in college, and spent a year in rome with campus crusade. sadly, i'm not so good with the italian any more, but i understand and speak enough to be dangerous. i wish i were still fluent! it's such a beautiful language, and so fun to speak. strangely enough, i've always wanted to be fluent in german, too. maybe some day.
ps adam t.... i was laughing out loud at your post!
54. BDB said the following at 3:36 PM on Feb 19:
Being conversant in Spanish was very handy when working at an English-language school.
At one school, we had some Japanese high school students who routinely disregarded the rule to speak only English in the school office. After all, their parents were paying for them to come to the U.S. to be immersed in English. (Our graduate students from Malaysia were much better a following this rule - they were there because their company was paying.) Anyway, when students would go off in Japanese, my boss and I would switch to Spanish, which always immediately got the attention of the Japanese students.
At a summer English-language school, we had a few Italian high school students on study-vacation who didn't have strong English skills. But one of them spoke Spanish pretty well. So, when we needed something done, I would explain it to him in Spanish, and he would explain it to the other guys in Italian.
One day, he disappeared. He discovered that the L.A. Bus System has an entire Spanish-language route planning service. He had some tourist sites he wanted to see. So one day, he just left on the bus.
Since he was normally quite responsible, we didn't call his parents immediately. Sure enough, about 10pm he made it back. He had gone to Redondo Beach and it took something like three hours on the bus each way. We had to admonish him not to do things like that. But I secretly admired his resourcefulness!
One time I asked my boss at the English-language school what the fastest way to learn a language was. Without missing a beat she said, "Get a girlfriend who speaks the language you want to learn." Not sure that would work for Farmer Tom though...
55. Grace said the following at 4:02 PM on Feb 19:
I have had an understanding of French for the entirety of my life because Grandmother is from France. I grew up with her babysitting me and many of my nursery songs and earliest memories of stories were in French. I actually had no concept of the difference in the language. Now I'm in College ready to graduate with a degree in French with a knowledge of Spanish and a smattering of Arabic (I can sound out words like a small child learning to read but have no idea what I'm saying). I'm about to graduate with a degree in French from university and I know that it's expanded my understanding of people in general and my understanding of words. I can find the meaning of words much better than before and find a greater community available to me. I think that learning new languages is incredibly helpful in learning compassion with people who don't understand. I took Arabic so that I could understand what it is to be illiterate so that I can better teach my children when that time comes.
56. Krista said the following at 5:19 PM on Feb 19:
I LOVE my Spanish and wish I had more opportunities to use it. I spend a semester in Costa Rica and towards the end of the semester I could finally really follow along in church and understand what they were talking about. It was awesome! Some of the worship songs that were popular at that time I learned first in Spanish and to this day I prefer to sing them that way in my church. I think the people around me think I'm weird! ;)
57. Leah said the following at 6:50 PM on Feb 19:
Composer girl - there are different estimates of language usage. According to one, English is the most common, with Chinese (all dialects- not differentiating Mandarin specifically) coming second. On another estimate, Chinese (all dialects) is first with English second. Mandarin on its own is not rated in these estimates.
It then also depends if you are looking at native languages or people who know several. If you're going on native languages, English is third (to Chinese and Arabic) but of course many Arabic- and Chinese-speaking people also know English.
(These stats also come from slightly different times, eg. from the 80s to the late 90s, so it's likely to change a little).
58. Cassie said the following at 8:23 PM on Feb 19:
I totally agree with how praying in another language is on a totally different level. I will sing or pray in Spanish at church and it seems like it goes deeper than just doing it in English. I have studied Spanish since the 8th grade and am now doing my masters in teaching for elementary school. I can't wait to have my own bilingual classroom in which I can share the amazingness of learning another language to connect with other people. :)
59. Claudia said the following at 1:09 PM on Feb 20:
I speak both English and Spanish fluently, although Spanish is my first language. I agree with you on the praying part. I read my bible in English, I preach in English, but when it comes down to praying, I just have to switch to Spanish because for me, it's more intimate. Personally, I think I have a deeper intimacy with God and it's easier to pour out my heart with a more rich and descriptive language as Spanish. So, I'd have to agree, prayer for me, has to be in Spanish for it to be more intimate. Thanks for sharing with us your experience. I truly enjoy the articles on this site and can relate to them. Thank you, thank you.
60. Christine said the following at 2:10 PM on Feb 20:
I recently became fluent (mostly) in Portuguese, as my fiancé is Brazilian and most of his family knows no English. I love how so often common expressions or phrases still catch me off guard. For instance, the first time I saw "cachorro quente", which means "hot dog", I was startled. These people eat dogs??? Then I realized, we say "hot dog" in English, to describe that popular mystery meat sausage no one can seem to get enough of at baseball games.
I also love reading passages of scripture, or hearing certain expressions that we have in English too, but we take for granted. Plus, speaking with my fiancé in his heart language is a plus too. Everything seems to be more laid back and fun in Portuguese. :)
61. Cameron Enns said the following at 2:12 PM on Feb 21:
Twenty-five years ago I was suffered a head injury from a motorcycle accident and spent three and one half months in a coma. Healed as a result of prayer, on my mother's birthday, twenty years ago I found myself in Mexico City for my third summer mission preaching my first sermon in Spanish in the Centro de Fe, Esperanza y Amor, perhaps the very same church you mentioned you had visited.
Also twenty years ago this June I married my wife in Mexico City and for the first seventeen months of our marriage we spoke only Spanish. I have been reading the Bible daily in Spanish now for over fourteen years the same number of years as have passed since we moved back to Mexico City to plant a church with the Centro de Fe, Esperanza y Amor.
Ninety percent of everything I read, write and speak each year is in Spanish, yet when I came out of the coma I could not remember what I had heard spoken in English just five minutes earlier. There is no doubt in my mind that being bilingual has infinitely enriched my life and contributed to the restoration of my memory and ability to think outside the box. Being fluent in a second language as an obvious foreigner gives me a cultural right to relate with just about the whole Spanish speaking world! I love the Mexican people and many aspects of the Mexican culture!
Thank you for your blog -- and please write if you have an itch for submerging yourself in the language and culture of Mexico City once again; we will love to put you to work in a ministry suited for you!
There are things one simply cannot say
in Spanish that we freely say in English and there are things one cannot express in English that we can freely express from the heart in Spanish. As we say around here, English is the language for making money, but Spanish is the language of heaven!
CUAN BELLO ES MI SENOR!
Tuyo porque Suyo,
Pastor Cameron Donovan
fundador y director
Comunidad Fuente de Vida
Escuela Internacional de Liderazgo
Ministerios Prepara Mi Pueblo Ya!
Get My People Ready Now Ministries
62. Esther said the following at 7:01 PM on Feb 21:
My mom used to sing songs to me in Spanish, as well as teach me basic words and phrases. I've lost most of that (though I'm trying to brush up on it again), but I can still sing the songs pretty well, even not knowing what all the words mean.
One of my best friends has a real gift for languages and speaks several fluently, but has hesitated to teach them to her baby. I don't really understand it, but she feels that it can be a burden to speak certain languages - something about prejudices that people have against other cultures (she speaks Chinese, French, Kazack and Russian, so maybe those have more political implications). Personally, I was always impressed with how she would do her devotions in French, then switch to Chinese with her mom!
63. John said the following at 10:30 AM on Feb 23:
"One time I asked my boss at the English-language school what the fastest way to learn a language was. Without missing a beat she said, "Get a girlfriend who speaks the language you want to learn." Not sure that would work for Farmer Tom though... "
THE fastest way to learn a language...GUARANTEED!!!
64. Sam Brittain said the following at 10:39 AM on Feb 23:
All of my life, I have been curious about other languages (I am a native English speaker). As I grew up, I had the blessing of being able to learn Spanish. I spent part of the summer after my freshman year of college in Honduras working with a Missions Organization which the Lord used to grow me spiritually and to grow my Spanish. For me, acquiring Spanish has demonstrated God's sufficiency, humbled me, and provided me with a new avenue to express my thoughts. There have been several instances where I was sharing with a Spanish speaker, before I was fluent, when I had to mentally stop and ask God for the words. It is amazing to see how faithful He proves Himself to be. Currently, I am in my junior year at the University of Georgia pursuing a double major in Spanish and Linguistics. I am continually amazed at the way the Lord designed us to learn a very complex system with very little effort as very young children but with surprising difficulty as adults (the foolish shaming the wise, 1 Corinthians 1:27). (I am also studying Arabic to fulfill a requirement and to pursue a possible calling to cross-cultural mission service in the Middle East.) I also think being bilingual helps me understand the enormity of the Lord. I can praise and glorify Him in two languages, yet I haven't scratched the surface of who He is.
Si es glorioso el ministerio que trae condenación, ¡cuánto más glorioso será el ministerio que trae la justicia! En efecto, lo que fue glorioso ya no lo es, si se le compara con esta excelsa gloria. Y si vino con gloria lo que ya se estaba extinguiendo, ¡cuánto mayor será la gloria de lo que permanece!
2 Corintios 3:9-11