Sketchbook: Telemundo

We've been watching the World Cup games on Telemundo. For one thing, there are way fewer commercials. The announcers are way more enthusiastic. And I'm pretty sure I'm learning vocabulary they'd never teach on Duolingo!
 

Sketchbook: Intensity

 

I’m sure I’ve mentioned this before, but I won’t let that stop me from repeating myself. After I got my call to Korea, I had time to take some language classes at BYU before I went into the MTC. I studied diligently, got an A. 

By day two in the MYC we surpassed everything I had learned in my six week course. 

Ready for an upgrade

As a new missionary, when someone asked me a question, my mind went through a process.

1. Translate the words I heard into something I could understand.
2. Formulate a response based on my understanding of the question.
3. Translate my response into my limited vocabulary.
4. Speak my response and hope that my pronunciation was close enough for the questioner to understand.

That, my friends, is lag time.

 

Sketchbook: Words get in the way

This is the first and only time you will find the words “skibidi toilet” on this site. The way to eliminate use of popular slang is to have the older generations use it. This is my hope.

No cap.

 

Speak Their Language: Furry friends

Our missionaries always say that they want to see our dog — a Great Pyrenees. Sometimes I can tell they don't really want to, but they're good sports.
 

Speak Their Language: There's some place like home

Our missionaries schedule member appointments for 8 p.m. each evening so that they can close out the day with a friendly face and a good experience. It usually works.
 

Speak Their Language: Foiled again

Although I've heard that they often use Tupperware to ensure a return appointment.

Watch what you say

I'll bet it's even more difficult with face masks.
 

Their smiles aren't just painted on

I'm pretty sure I brought a lot of healing to the people in my mission.

Each in her own language

That's one of the most difficult things when one returns from a mission — no one else seems to speak the same language. Whether it's missionary jargon, carry-over colloquialisms, accents or language blends, it's challenging when nobody gets what you're saying.

Sketchbook: Speak your language

We were happy to make it back to the USA, where we understood everything. Maybe a little bit too much!

It took a few days to readjust. Still working on it, actually.

And that brings us to the end of the trip cartoons! We're back to our regularly scheduled programming tomorrow. Thanks for the indulgence!

Plain language, people!

I've just been translating stuff from jargon into English for our procurement section. I wonder if that had any influence in the creation of this cartoon?

No holding back

If missionaries studying a language couldn't leave until they had sufficient vocabulary to teach and get along, there would be a lot of missionaries who spent a good chunk of their missions at the MTC!

Besides, we've seen over and over again that the language a missionary learns in the MTC isn't necessarily the same one they speak in the mission field!

Sketchbook: What's that word?

I ran across my missionary journal the other day and read about some of my struggles with the language. One of the things I wrote about was how difficult it was to remember all the right words when praying in my mission language, yet it was spiritually satisfying.

Amen.

The loss of a letter

This story is based on an actual event. It didn't happen to me, but it did happen to some sister missionaries that I know.

By definition

The eyes of his understanding were opened...

Study habits

For some things, there aren't any shortcuts.

Confusing language

Sis. Kerry Jo is at it again!

Lessons from the mission field: speak their language

One of the best feelings I ever experienced as a missionary was the first time I spoke to someone and they understood what I was trying to say right away, no further translation required.

One of the gifts of the spirit is speaking in tongues. To me that means speaking in a voice or using the words and phrases that an individual will understand or respond to — be that in whatever language it may.

Conversation limitations

That's one of the hardest parts of being new to a language — you can think of a hundred things you'd like to say, but getting the words out is an entirely different story!