Language Learning

Denanachoo?Denaniῆ, exabieryemescan!  (How are you (plural)?  I’m fine, praise be to God!)

I’ve been taking some language classes and learning some of the basics.  I do not know much yet, but I’m slowly but surely picking it up.  Learning the language of a culture you are living in is much different than learning the language in a high school or college classroom. First, you learn the phrases that you are going to use most often (survival phrases).  Often when you are learning the language in the classroom, you learn verbs that you would never use.  Secondly, you actually get to use the language that you are learning in authentic experiences!

One of the most important things to know about the Ethiopian culture is that greetings are important.  If you walk past someone you work with or know just by acquaintance, and you do not greet them, they might take it personally.  To not greet someone, often implies that you are angry with that person.  So learning the greetings has been first and most important, because I work with many Ethiopians at Bingham.

After greetings, the next important thing to learn is phrases that you use when going out shopping or eating.  Phrases such as “Where is the bathroom?” “How much does it cost?”  “I want x# of those.”  The other day after spending 2 hours in language class, I went to the chimakeebait (juice house).  The juice here is AMAZING.  Many of the little outside shops that sell fruit, also make very yummy juice.  I had just learned the fruits, so I got to use my Amharic.  I got to order my fruit juice, and purchase pineapples with my Amharic.  It was a lot of fun!

From my traveling experiences, I have noticed something to be true in both China and Ethiopia.  The local people LOVE when you try to speak their language.  Their faces light up when you say hello to them in their mother language; they joyfully try to talk to you back.  You only have to know a couple of words and they are happy.  Here in Ethiopia they might say amarinagobez (goodamharic)!

It’s not necessarily like that in the United States.  We tend to lose our patience with people who do not speak our language.  We do not get excited that people have learned a little bit of English; we expect that of them.  Take it from someone who is having to learn a new language while living in a foreign country, it’s not easy!  I make mistakes, I forget how to say something, and then I refer back to my native language.  Thankfully many Ethiopians have learned enough English to communicate with foreigners, but I should not expect that of them.

I want to learn the language; it is fun to go to the market and speak Amharic.  I enjoy communicating with the local people because they are so loving and welcoming.  I also really want to learn the language so that I can get involved in ministry here in Addis.  There are so many ministry opportunities.  I visited one ministry that my friend works with last Saturday.  It was a children’s ministry for some local children.  I wanted so badly to communicate with them, but other than, ‘how are you?’, I could not say very much.  I listened while they had Bible study, and I was only able to understand 2 words: exabier (God) and lala (another).  I can survive with knowing basic Amharic, but that is not good enough for me.

 I want to make the most of my time here.  I want to love on some children who need someone to care for them.  I want to get to know the local people and their customs.  I want to be challenged and stretched.