Dealing with the language barrier

 

Missionaries must often deal with the "language barrier" problem.  This issue did not exist in the first century because God gave His spiritual gifts such as tongues, but now this gift has long since passed and missionaries must sometimes depend on translators.

 

Here are some helpful insights about dealing with language barriers on the mission field.

 

                  Dealing with the Language Barrier

Introduction: If we are going to communicate the gospel, obviously people have to understand our words and we have to understand theirs. If your target population speaks a different language than yours, language becomes a major concern.


1. Scripture principles

A. Paul was willing to use the language of the Greeks even though it wasn't as natural for him as his native language - 2 Corinthians 10:10.

B. People cannot be built up in Christ where there is not clear language communication - 1 Corinthians 14:11,12,26.

C. Speaking in people's own language makes them listen - Acts 21:37-40; 22:1,2 - and demonstrates to them that you love them and that they are important to you.


2. The importance of learning language:

A. You never really know people and their needs until you can speak to them in their language.

B. People listen to and respect a person who speaks their language.

C. It is very hard to communicate through an interpreter - much is lost both in content and in accuracy.


3. Notes on the use of interpreters:

A. At first the use of interpreters will be necessary, but this is risky and definitely inferior to speaking the language itself.

1) Even the well-educated interpreter, while able to handle secular words, may confuse religious terms which are not a part of ordinary conversation.

2) Many interpreters will have been educated in various religious schools and will interpret religious terms according to the understanding they have received in their training. For example, one missionary used the term "baptism" in his lessons, meaning immersion in water, but later found that for months his Oriental interpreter had been interpreting "baptism" as "sprinkling," thinking that was what the missionary meant. Without knowing it, the missionary was teaching contrary to the belief and practice of his church.

3) An interpreter may be tempted to guess at meaning when he is not sure of a word, and to "embroider" your teaching or statements with some of his own thoughts. Even if he doesn't do so consciously, his own theological and spiritual conditioning may determine how he hears and passes on your thoughts.

4) It is difficult for the missionary to avoid colloquialisms and out-of-the-way English usages that throw the interpreter off. Even if the interpreter accurately gives a literal translation of a colloquialism or figure of speech, it will be nonsense to an audience who is unfamiliar with that figure of speech.

5) With the very best interpreter, the listener probably receives only 85% of what the missionary puts out. And the emotional power of preaching is cut to a minimum.


B. Rules for speaking through an interpreter:

1) Don't overestimate an interpreter's ability just because he or she seems to speak well in English. You may have a vocabulary of 20,000 English words, while he has 2,000. Because he uses his 2,000 well, you assume that he can interpret. Yet when you speak from your vocabulary, up to 90% may be words he doesn't know.

2) Choose your interpreter for sincerity, Bible knowledge, and evangelistic experience, as well as for knowledge of language. All depends on the interpreter.

3) Preview with the interpreter all written material you intend to follow and confer on the rendering of doubtful words.

4) Have all written translated material checked and rechecked by more than one person.

5) Discipline yourself to avoid any but the simplest and most straightforward expressions. Avoid colloquialisms and American slang.

6) Speak with exaggerated deliberateness and enunciation.

7) Listen to the interpreter. Soon you can catch mistakes, even if you are not fluent in the language.

8) Have the interpreter to read all Scripture references in the local language Bible rather than interpreting your readings from the English Bible.

9) Compile a list of religious terms and their accurate renderings in the local language..

10) Develop more than one dependable interpreter. Where necessary you can fall back on the second one and not have to depend on an untried interpreter in an emergency. If you use only one interpreter, he/she may become self-important as the only "doorway" to the missionaries, and you are at the interpreter's mercy.


4. Learning the language:

A. There are language schools here in the U.S. and abroad, and also tutors. The U.S. Foreign Service Institute has tape language courses for many languages around the world.

B. It is best to study language intensively before becoming involved in much other work. One might teach a little within 6 months.

C. Above all, language is learned by getting away from English and the interpreter, and spending time among the people.

D. You have reached a milestone when you catch yourself thinking in the other language.

E. Don't be afraid of making mistakes. The local people will be thrilled that you are learning their language. They would rather you try, even with mistakes, than not to try at all.

Conclusion: A missionary should not consider any long-term work without learning the local language. Though learning another language seems a formidable challenge when you first think about it, it is something that can be done. You can make surprising progress in a short time if you will approach the task seriously, and the rewards and satisfaction will be great.


by G.B. Shelburne, III (except for any graphics and scripture quotations). May be reproduced for non-profit, non-publishing instructional purposes provided document content is not altered and this copyright notice is included in full. Format may be altered. South Houston Bible Institute, 14325 Crescent Landing, Houston, TX 77062-2178, U.S.A., tel. 281-990-8899, email <shbi@shbi.org>, web site <www.shbi.org>. Scriptures, unless otherwise noted, are taken from the HOLY BIBLE: NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION 8 1978 and 1984 by the New York International Bible Society, used by permission of Zondervan Bible Publishers.