Language Learning is tough...

It's over a month since we re-started our language study at the university. We thought we'd take a moment to describe our classes and how we're getting on. I'll be writing in navy blue and Jonathan will write in maroon.

In some ways I've pretty much picked up where I left off last year. My lessons are still between 3pm and 6pm but are now every day. This is the least popular time of the day for the language course, so there are only 4 classes: 2 beginners, 1 intermediate and 1 advanced. I'm VERY glad that I was 2 points off being in the advanced class as I've found the intermediate class enough of a struggle.

There are about 17 of us in our class and almost all have lived in Greece for at least 2 years, most more like 10. Consequently most people can speak quickly and understand most of what is said at whatever speed it is spoken. Most are in the class in order to improve their job prospects as, although they can speak quite well, they know very little Greek grammar and struggle to spell. (Did you know there are at least 5 ways to write the sound 'ee' in Greek? We have endless questions about this as people begin to see and spell words they have been hearing and using for years.)

I felt like I was, once again, drowning in language at the beginning: not understanding most of what was discussed but understanding all of what was taught. As a result of this and my previous experiences of Greek language learning I enjoyed the grammar parts of the lesson and the exercises (when I understood the words!) but completely shied away from speaking and didn't ask questions when I didn't understand. I spent ages in the evening with the dictionary looking up words I'd written down in class. This meant that, in retrospect, I understood the lesson but was not really equipped to take part.

My lowest point was when a very friendly and nice stand-in teacher, Vangelis, asked me to introduce myself and went on to ask me a lot of questions I wasn't quite prepared to answer. My name is top of the register, sadly, so I often get 'picked on' first. I cried. It was SO embarrassing and I couldn't stop. I didn't leave because I knew it would be even harder to go back if I had, so I just sat there. And every time I thought about it I cried again. Wrong. It was wrong. Still, it totally shot down any pride I might have had and helped me to realise how stressed I was by the whole process and how much I just needed to relax and trust the Lord. He knew and knows how this language learning business is going to be for me and we need the language. I got through the rest of the lesson and was ok about going back the next day. I still find the anticipation of the lesson a little stressful but once I'm there it's fine.

That was a couple of weeks ago. Now I'm a bit more confident about speaking, much less bothered about making mistakes and I have quite good relationships with at least some of my classmates. I think that, as we bond a bit more every week, we will help each other to improve. Most of my class struggle with the things I find really easy - correct conjugations and spelling are my speciality (I'm such a loser!) - so we help each other!

As we warm up to each other, the mood of my class is relaxing and improving. My class teachers have changed a little too, which helps (the most austere teacher has gone on paternity leave!). I have Giorgos Mondays and Wednesdays, Aliki (when she's there, family problems have kept her away for a fortnight) Tuesdays and Thursdays and Maria - who is the most gentle teacher! - on Fridays. We both get opportunities to talk about what we're doing here and so pray for us to take them wisely and use them well.

I've taken up watching the odd soap opera on tv (recommended!). I don't understand much of the language but get the gist and it's good for my general listening skills. I'm also reading through 1 Corinthians (VERY slowly) in my Quiet Times with Modern Greek NT in one hand and NIV in the other. I'm also reading Harry Potter 1 in Greek - again VERY slowly, painfully so, but the language isn't TOO difficult and it's good to see how sentences are constructed and translated.

I'm still amazed how, every week at church, I understand more and more of what is said: it might be that I recognise a word or tense that I've learnt in something that Giorgos says in his sermon or something that we sing. I'm encouraged by that and have not lost heart, although I think I was faltering a bit for a while.

I'm extremely glad that I like my classes. If class was onerous or I felt intimidated by it there would be a significant cloud over each day. As it is, I like my three teachers (Vangelis Monday/Friday, Giorgia Tuesday, Menelaus Wednesday/Thursday) and am beginning to get to know my class mates. Each teacher focuses on different things to an extent - vocabulary, verbs, grammar - so we're getting a good variety of input and homework. My spoken Greek is probably only better than one other person in my class - same as with Dawn's group, most have been here for a long time and/or are married to Greeks. They are beginning to be good fun too, and I'm spending more break times chatting with them. The Englishman's disadvantage is that they all speak English so it's way too easy to revert to English when the Greek runs out. I need real discipline to stick with Greek. They are patient with that, so I have no excuse really.

I've found that I have been a little less confident to speak and make mistakes compared to pre-summer. Regarding language study, my main prayer need is to be bold to open my mouth to chat about anything, and be convinced that making mistakes is fine and also a good way to learn. The great thing about Greeks is that they genuinely appreciate foreigners speaking their language, and if asked they will correct us when we speak.

I am on the 9-12 shift so I head up to the university ('up' being the operative word: it's a steep hill from our house to our department) after taking first Joel then Hannah to pre-school. As long as breakfast goes smoothly and I have my bag packed (with my three large books, bible, notepad, coffee flask and water bottle...) and we're all ready in time this is a pleasant journey. The kids are happy on the way and we chat about the things going on around us. Our journey always takes Hannah and I past the DVD shop with a Gollum model crouching by the pavement. She never fails to notice that he's grumpy because he lost his ring.

Like Dawn, I can't keep up with the others in the class in what I say but I struggle far less than some with what's being taught, and don't make the spelling or grammatical mistakes as much. It means that although I am and feel way behind, my language is being built on a good foundation of correct Greek. I really need to find a way to pick up a wide range of vocabulary AND USE IT. I need to watch the news (I can't quite bring myself to watch soaps) and more than anything I need to be in the company of (sympathetic) people speaking Greek around me and to me. I also need to be extremely disciplined in doing homework and looking up the words I don't understand in the evenings so that each day I expand the useful vocabulary. An obvious point struck me today - I need to proactively learn the words and phrases that I want to use, both in conversations with random people I come across, and with believing students that we begin to meet and plan with.

Another thing on my mind about my class is that by May when the course ends we will have spent many hours together and will have had opportunities to talk about many things. I am sure none of the others are Christians and yesterday I had my first mini-opportunity to talk about the gospel - well, the implications of it at any rate - with a French girl of Catholic background. It would be great to build real friendships with these folks and be a light each morning.