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Nuance and language learning

Recently I blogged on how language is about rhythm and flow, not just words and grammar. Another aspect of language learning, and one which seems so distant at the moment, is expression and nuance. When someone raises their voice, are they angry or excited? Sometimes it’s hard to tell. We […]

Students speak 6

Tanzania is not highly urbanised, and university students often come from a traditional village context. At university, they find themselves in what is a more plural environment than perhaps anywhere else in the country. Many Christian students will seek out fellowship while they’re away from home, and there’s one ‘tribe’ […]

On dependence: practicalities

In the previous two posts, I’ve raised some issues to do with dependence. In an attempt to avoid fostering dependence, we may too easily become task focused, treating people as projects rather than, well, people. But avoiding dependence is motivated by recognising the full dignity of other believers. So where […]

On dependence: doing yourself out of a job

Yesterday, I observed that the opposite of dependence is not isolation but having something to offer. In our case, that means recognising that national church leaders are often far more effective in mission and ministry in their national context than missionaries. (We are expensive, for a start, and often have […]