Language learning is something most missionaries will deal with at some point in their cross cultural journey.  When you have children to consider as a part of the process, it can be more complicated. 

I was recently pointed to some resources that you may find helpful for your children, and for yourself.

The first one is a series of books from the Usborne Book Company, called

The First Thousand Words in… and you can choose from English, French, Russian, Japanese, Italian, Portuguese, German, Polish, Hebrew, Latin, Chinese or Spanish.  Several of the books can be found on Amazon for around $20, and they also come with internet links for pronunciation of the words, printable puzzles, and other links to cultural information.  These would be great for younger children.

Another resource that was recommended to me was the new book Language Learning in Ministry by Jan Edwards Dormer.  She is a professor of TESOL at Messiah University, is a Third Culture Kid and has served as a missionary.  Her book is a practical guide for adults and children, and covers such topics as misconceptions about learning language, and also has a chapter on children’s language and educational needs.  She also gives many practical suggestions for ministry opportunities while you are learning the language.  It is a very detailed book, with many resources in the appendix section.  She even has ideas for language learning resources you can create to make language learning more fun for you and your family.  This book is available on Amazon for around $13.

I also came across a blog post this week dealing with language learning and children entitled “When My Child’s Fluency=My Success” which I thought was interesting.  You can find it at www.goservelove.net.   

Language learning is something that takes a lot of time and patience. It’s a marathon, not a sprint.  I hope these resources will be something to make the process a little easier for you and your family!