There are certain times in my life where I feel like I’m a sponge. Moments or seasons where my eyes are open wider than usual, my ears hear more, and my awareness of what’s going on around me is heightened. Sometimes it’s because of my circumstances, but sometimes I don’t really know why I’m so “absorptive.”
Last summer at SIL, never fell asleep during my 8:00 class. (I didn’t fall asleep during any of my classes, but I wasn’t even tempted from 8-9!) In fact, my brain was somehow remarkable open to absorbing each concept. I left each class session simply in awe of the material.
Thus began my journey into the area of Second Language Acquisition. The method we learned at SIL is “learner-directed” and “comprehension-based.” That is to say, we learned the strategies for acquiring language without a “teacher” or classroom – and rather than focusing on speaking, we focused on listening and understanding. During the summer, we had a one-hour lecture on theory and a one-hour “lab” session where we had an opportunity, along with 2 or 3 classmates and a “coach,” to meet with a native speaker and practice what we learned in class.
Not only did I enjoy the lab sessions, but I was absolutely fascinated by the theory. I hardly had to study for tests because my brain simply absorbed the information and I remembered it clearly. Why does this come so easily for me? Why am I so excited about it? These were questions I had to ask myself, considering that my sentiments toward the theory were very different from many of my classmates.
I’m now seeing part of the answer. God was simply “opening my toolbox” to fill it with tools that I would be able to use down the road… like now. I am thrilled to have the opportunity to share what I’ve learned about this method and help the students here in Venezuela through the process of their own lab time. Not only that, but I look forward to working as a teacher’s assistant this summer at SIL in the Second Language Acquisition class – this means I get to serve as coach for a group of new students! I’m very excited about this opportunity.
God always gives us the tools we need for the future He has prepared for us.