You might know that I really like languages and studying the structures and sounds that make them unique. You might also be aware that I love the way that cultures and language intersect. So, sociolinguistics is one of my favorite topics to talk about and study. In iDELTA this year, I am also so glad that I was able to teach, as part of a great team, in the introductory course of sociolinguistics. Some of the lessons that I taught focused on language and how it interacts with identity and culture.

For homework, the students shared about their own languages and communities. Reading about the taboos and euphemismes from over 40 different language groups and how they view and name colors in different ways is super interesting. Many indigineous languages in Africa only have a few colors that they actually name: white, black, and red, for instance. Other colors are comparisons, like “the color of the sky”, or “the color of the grass”, or “the color of mangos”.

The different ways of naming things can have an impact on Bible translation and especially on understanding of the Word of God by a community. This is one of the reasons why it is so special to be part of iDELTA and helping train those who are working in Bible translation and engaging their communities.