Photos from where we are training . . . . we are at Mission Training International at a course call P.I.L.A.T. (program in language acquisition and techniques). We are learning principles and techniques that will help us in language learning. Since we are going to a Ugandan tribe that speaks a little known language called Lubwisi, we will not be attending a language school to study. There are only about 100,000 people who speak Lubwisi and it has only recently been turned into a written language. Translators are working with Lubwisi and have translated three books of the Bible so far. We will have to use immersion and work with local language helpers (i.e. anyone who will help us!) to learn Lubwisi since there is so little available. P.I.L.A.T. is designed to help train our ears to hear sounds we are not used to, our mouths to say sounds they are not used to, and our minds to understand how we best acquire languages. So far we have found it VERY helpful. We spend about half our time doing phonetics drills, learning phonetics and making new sounds unknown in the Enlish language. We also listen to lectures meant to help us understand how we acquire language, and work with language helpers to begin acquiring languages as practice for our ultimate language learning. We have been learning the Jah language (a Vietnamese tribal language) and tomorrow David will be learning some Mandarin, and I will learn some German. All of this will help us better understand how to acquire Lubwisi.

where we’re staying our view from the dining area

More on the kids experiences with language school, coming soon!