5 languages, 11 students, 2 weeks
This week and next our family is in Vila Ulongwe... near the Malawi border in Mozambique. Mikael and I are teaching at Hefsiba Bible College. I'm teaching Literacy Principles for Mozambican Churches for the 5th time. It is always a joy... and this time it is especially easy. I have only 5 languages to deal with, the course materials are already developed, and the big project will have to wait for the next part of the course. That is where all the hard work and late night consulting sessions come in. But, that is next time.
We are talking about why churches in Mozambique should be interested in their local languages. Why should they develop materials that are easy to read in churches? Why should they struggle through the process of writing in a language usually only used orally? What is the point if Portuguese is the official language anyway?
There are theories for all these issues and more. Only about 30% of the population that can read or understand Portuguese well. The rest struggle to get anything out of anything written at all. We talk about what language they "cry" in. When things get serious and emotions heat up, if there is important news to share that you want to make sure everyone understands, you use the local language.
Wednesday they got their "alphabets" for Nyanja, Sena, Lomwe, Takwane, and Lolo. They wrote their testimonies in their own languages for the first time. They struggled with representing their languages' unique sounds with letters available from the alphabet. Not as easy as it looked, they found. Was it worth it?
"I wrote my testimony for the first time in my language. I read it out loud to my wife. She read it too. She told me that this is the first time I have written something that she understands. This is good."
His wife is "literate" in Portuguese, but she doesn't really understand what she reads. She read with understanding for the first time Wednesday. I think that is pretty cool. That is why I am here.
We are talking about why churches in Mozambique should be interested in their local languages. Why should they develop materials that are easy to read in churches? Why should they struggle through the process of writing in a language usually only used orally? What is the point if Portuguese is the official language anyway?
There are theories for all these issues and more. Only about 30% of the population that can read or understand Portuguese well. The rest struggle to get anything out of anything written at all. We talk about what language they "cry" in. When things get serious and emotions heat up, if there is important news to share that you want to make sure everyone understands, you use the local language.
Wednesday they got their "alphabets" for Nyanja, Sena, Lomwe, Takwane, and Lolo. They wrote their testimonies in their own languages for the first time. They struggled with representing their languages' unique sounds with letters available from the alphabet. Not as easy as it looked, they found. Was it worth it?
"I wrote my testimony for the first time in my language. I read it out loud to my wife. She read it too. She told me that this is the first time I have written something that she understands. This is good."
His wife is "literate" in Portuguese, but she doesn't really understand what she reads. She read with understanding for the first time Wednesday. I think that is pretty cool. That is why I am here.
Awesome!
ReplyDeleteHej Jeni!
ReplyDeleteUnderbar beskrivning, att det är språket de gråter med! Tror jag absolut på som du säger. Särskilt ordet som ska komma från Gud måste kunna nå människors hjärtan! Hoppas att allt gått bra i Vila. Tack för fina bilder från skolan - jättesöta och vad smal du har blivit! Hoppas att ni inte har dåligt med mat därborta. Kram Kristina
hi jeni its elaina shirley your website looks awesome sure do miss you guys
ReplyDelete