This is Pannha (pronounced Pahn-nyah). This picture is from one of the Friendship Camps we led for the English students and it was in the middle of a game. I am hoping he is not so tired-looking when he teaches me. Pannha is my Khmer tutor and my friend. He also is the pastor's cousin and he comes to eat dinner at the house pretty much every night. And since I live with the pastor, I have had countless meals with him and a few other people. I think part of the beauty of our friendship is that we laugh and joke around with each other, which makes learning all the more fun...ok, not painful is maybe a better way to put it ;-)
Some days I read in Khmer and then I have to translate into English. Some days we learn vocabulary lists (that is NOT my favorite). Some days we do a grammar lesson from my book. Some days we just talk about random stuff. Some days...we do all the above. And all of the days require perseverance from both of us!! I have been very impressed with him as I struggle through words. He has to repeat himself a lot...partly because I don't know the words and partly because he SO speaks fast and I don't listen quite that fast.
The new method of learning is actually getting me to speak Khmer to more than just him! This is helpful since there are a lot more people to talk to than Pannha ;-) On Sunday afternoons, I teach a small group. Up 'til now, I have done the lessons and Sophea, the pastor, has translated for me. From here on out, though, I am going to be leading the group without him.
{{insert a wee bit of panic}}
In an effort to prepare myself for this...and to accomplish the goal I set out to getting over my fear and being able to speak the language...I decided that I would start teaching part of my lesson in Khmer. We read a Bible passage and I ask some processing questions to get the students to think and answer. My idea was to at least ask the questions in Khmer.
So Pannha and I worked on translating the questions during my tutoring times and come Sunday, I told them at the beginning of the meeting that I was going to ask the questions in Khmer. I had to tell them ahead of time or I would chicken out and not actually do it. I would be frustrated and disappointed in myself that I didn't try. Thus the announcement. Because then they would hold me accountable. It came time for the questions and I did it!! They didn't sound pretty or eloquent, but they were in Khmer and they all understood what I was asking!
Mini success!
I have since prepared the questions for this coming Sunday's lesson...and have upped the ante by writing out the closing prayer too. I have to practice reading the stuff a lot before Sunday. I write it all out in Khmer rather than phonetically -- which I must say is a skill in and of itself. So since my reading takes a little effort, I need to prepare a little more than usual.
I realize this picture isn't the clearest (I used my phone), but I will take other pictures of my writing another time. This just gives you an idea of what I am working with here ;-)
Thank you for your continued prayers for my language skills...I need them!!
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