My boss has included the Swedish language course as part of my work load this first semester. I’m grateful that the school is investing in my language learning and providing more time to work on Swedish. However, I’m still putting in as much time as possible, as Swedish is the main hurdle to my effectiveness in the classroom. Over the years of teaching at Trinity, I’ve honed the content and the pedagogy, so I can draw upon them with some adaptations for this context.
I confirmed with my department head, Jim, that I’ll be front-loading Swedish this term. He had images of a washing machine, but we got it clarified that I’ll be working heavily on the Swedish now, and for the second half of the term I will focus on the course preparations. (My power-point slides will continue to be adapted and become bi-lingual while I learn the language.) So, Jim gave his blessing to go to the “Language Cafe'” at the church attached to the school.
I arrived after lunch, promptly at 1:00 pm, for the language café. There were about 16 volunteers, one of the church staff, and a person who works with the refugee assimilation in Sweden. However, I was the only one who showed up for help on this first day of this new program. While any who don’t have Swedish as their mother tongue are invited, there is an intentional effort to help with the influx of refugees. However, it was the Muslim holiday, Eid al-Adha, and there was some discussion about the challenges of being located a bus ticket away. Therefore, there is an expense to get to the church.
I listened to this discussion, which went on rather long. Because I blended into the Caucasian crowd and the leaders had no clue that I was there to practice speaking, I just sat and listened. (This is a bit disconcerting, as the volunteers were all retired folk and are available to help during the day. Hmm, I usually look a bit younger than my age, not like 65+!) After about 30 or 40 minutes, they decided to have fika (coffee break), and two elder gentlemen–who knew I was there for language learning–came to practice with me.
Hans 1 was a medical physicist. When he found out I’m a widow and my husband died of brain cancer, he asked if it was a glioma. (Yes.) He was instantly empathetic, as his research with radiation treatments had given him experiences with the ravages of glioblastoma multiforme.
Hans 2 had worked on staff with the international InterVarsity group (IFES) and staff with the Swedish Evangelical Mission that owns Johannelund. Both men had been to Tanzania to visit. This was part of our Swedish conversation, figuring out what we all had done there and when. Hans 2 is showing me a crucifix carved by a Tanzanian and brought to the church years ago. It stands on the altar every day. (There are many little connections like this which affirm why I’m here at Johannelund.)
They were both warm, friendly, and excellent in English, which we used sparingly to clarify a few things. This was one of the most helpful times I’ve had in practicing speaking. They were very patient and helped me with my questions without trying to take away the struggle.
We talked for about an hour. Both were encouraging, saying that I was doing so well for someone who has been in Sweden only 1 month. (Thanks Catharina!) However, I have the weekly (and intimidating) challenge of the Friday morning Swedish for Academics class (yes, level 3)! This is my high bar to try to get over each week!
Today (Tuesday), I spent the morning trying to lay out the curriculum for the spring term. That means putting things out in a color coded spreadsheet. I’m fairly competent in Excel for things like this, but now I have Swedish software. The tools are sometimes named quite differently, and there is just enough difference in versions to make me work harder than I’d like getting around in the Swedish version. I just keep telling myself that I’m learning more vocabulary this way!
There is a student here who is on her last semester. She is perhaps a few years younger than me, as this is her second career. She left a teaching position at the agricultural university where she utilized her chemical engineering background. She is a Swede married to a German, and so she had offered to help me, like she has helped her husband learn Swedish. We met today for afternoon fika. I read my class text, while she helped strengthen my pronunciation and helped me with some questions that I had. She is helpful, as she is very careful in listening and patient in correcting me.
I will be able to meet with these conversation partners next week too. So, I have Monday and Tuesday covered. I wonder if I can arrange some help for every day!
One other project for the day is reading the first 3 draft chapters of a colleague’s post-doc research project on Maasai biblical interpretation. I’m honored to be invited to serve as her mid-way evaluator. I’ll be able to encourage and strengthen her project and learn more along the way. Hoyce is Tanzanian and writing in her third language, so I can help nuance the English a bit too. I have great appreciation for trying to communicate in a second or third language. I was so fortunate to be able to write in English, and my empathy has increased as I try to communicate in Swedish!
It also means that I get to have my way paid and visit Stavanger, Norway, next week. I have a friend picking me up from the airport and will host a few of my women friends together in her home. It will be great to catch up with them.
The evening closed with a Skype call with my parents. Its great to see each other.
With blessings,
Beth
I’m so impressed with how managing all the challenges you are running into and sharing them with us, it gives us a picture of what a big transition it to change countries and cultures. You are incouraging us all to pray for all the immigrants around the world when we pray our prayers for you and Anya. Love to you both. Karen
You are a! Keep up the various ways you introduce new language learning. It will all start to click faster and more naturally as you proceed. Even though I’m nowhere near as good in Chinese as you are in Swedish, I had a dream in Chinese the other night! Well, mostly about me struggling to understand it but still, it was in Chinese!