under the surface

During my language orientation the first week I got to Kenya, I was introduced to the iceberg theory of language learning. It goes something like this... the tip of the iceberg or what is seen from above the water is the words/phrases you can easily recall. But under the surface is a huge amount of knowledge that you have taken in. Those closest to the water are more easily recallable and words toward the bottom you've heard but can't recall or don't remember the meaning.

I have to say at this point I have a ridiculous amount of words and phrases at the bottom of the iceberg and I so badly want to have greater access to them! I have finished 8 days of language study and here are some statistics for you on what I'm being challenged with. Hopefully this will give you a great insight into how real the iceberg theory is to me and also how much I truly appreciate your prayers during this intense time.

I have learned 68 verbs as well as how to make them in the present, near past, past and future tenses and how to say them about me, you, us, and they. (and that's just the one's we have written down!)

I have learned 24 animal names, the names for 8 people, family members and some extended family, 24 things that can be found in a living room, singular and plural names for 16 body parts, 18 kitchen utensils, 40 different types of foods (and many of these have multiple names), 25 articles of clothing, 21 places,  10 colors and 10 phrases to welcome and politely greet people in Nairobi and at the coast (because of course it's different!). That's a total of 196 nouns, and that's just what I have pictures for! That's not including those in the stories that I can say or one's I've picked up on outside of language study.

I can also comfortably, yet not perfectly, explain three stories in Swahili using story pictures and sentences to describe what is going on. I can say what the person/persons are doing and why they are doing it. And with some effort, I can say whether it is happening now, in the near past, past or future.

I guess when I put it that way I have taken in quite a bit! I'm definitely hard on myself and want to get it  even more quicker than I am, but this is a very humbling process and my language helper and I have quite a few laughs at my expense each day. We have gotten very comfortable with each other and she is not afraid to push me to make me say it correctly. I so appreciate that about her as well as how much she challenges me.

 Today, as I was reviewing the words I learned yesterday out loud to her, I got to one word and I changed the last letter in my pronunciation from one vowel to another. (to my defense- I knew right away I said it wrong, but sometimes I just can't control how it comes out the first time!) She almost fell out of her chair laughing! She wouldn't even tell me what I said, (and I'm not sure I want to know), and I'm sure it won't be the last time. :)

Another funny story, yesterday, as I was finishing up my language lesson, I received a text from another person on the compound asking me a question. After 3 hours of only thinking and speaking in swahili I was not able to form a sentence in English in my head to be able to respond. I looked at my language helper and said, "I really don't know the words in English to what I want to say"... I ended up putting my shoes on and walking a few doors down, smiling at my friend and explaining that I just couldn't respond in English! She laughed with me as she is too in language study and I figured out what I wanted to say with probably way more words than I needed. My brain is a little fuzzy these days. :)

But oh the joys of language learning! Overall it's a fun process and I can't wait to be more fluent, to be able to hold a conversation with someone and not just understand but be able to quickly respond appropriately. In just 8 days, I will say goodbye to my language helper, take an 8-10 hour bus ride to the coast and settle into a completely immersed culture of swahili speaking people. I pray that God keeps me humbly in this process and that I will learn what I can while I'm here in Nairobi and then trust Him to speak through me when I just can't pull a word out from under the water.

Thank you so much for your prayers, they mean the world to me right now and I know they are the only thing keeping me from drowning in the pool of words, phrases and culture that I'm taking in!