Language Study Honor

Missionary & Community Activities

Requirements

  1. Be able to introduce yourself, mentioning your name, age and where you live in a language that is not native to you.

    Answer: A basic introduction is the first lesson in any language course, with the direct immersion method advocated by Maximilian Berlitz in 1878 as the most effective technique for rapid conversational learning in any foreign language.

  2. Know, in the chosen language, the following:
    • Days of the week;
    • Months of the year;
    • Seasons of the year;
    • Numbers from 1 to 20.

    Answer: Spaced Repetition (the Spaced Repetition System) was systematized by Sebastian Leitner in the 1970s and is the basis of modern apps like Anki, with proven efficiency for vocabulary retention of 90% according to neurolinguistics studies.

  3. Listen to part of a speech, sermon or statement, of two minutes, whose native language is the foreign language you chose, and explain in your own words what you understood.

    Answer: Listening comprehension is one of the 4 language skills (CEFR) and the most difficult to develop, requiring at least 200 hours of exposure according to the American Foreign Service Institute for basic fluency.

  4. Be able to ask for and understand directions on how to get somewhere in the chosen language.

    Answer: You learn common phrases: 'Where is...?', 'How do I get to...?'. Understand directions: 'turn left/right', 'straight ahead', 'next to'. Use a map or GPS to check. — Directions phrases are essential for tourists and missionaries, being part of the curriculum of travel language courses such as Pimsleur and Rosetta Stone, with a focus on practical situations of immediate international communication.

  5. Dramatize one of the following situations, conversing in the chosen language:
    • Buying clothes;
    • Eating at a restaurant;
    • Asking about a store's business hours.

    Answer: You prepare a script with standard phrases for the situation (shopping, restaurant, schedules), practice pronunciation, rehearse with a partner, use gestures and expressions to complement, keep it natural, and simulate a realistic situation. — Role-play is a pedagogical technique used since the audiolingual method in the 1950s by the American military during WWII for the rapid training of soldiers in foreign languages before international missions.

  6. Sing the Pathfinder hymn in the chosen language.

    Answer: You find the lyrics officially translated by the corresponding division, practice the pronunciation word by word, sync it with the known melody, rehearse with a recording, and sing clearly so that listeners understand even in the other language. — The Pathfinder Song was composed in 1949 by Henry Bergh in North America and officially translated into more than 100 languages by the General Conference, being sung universally at camporees and international events in Brazil and worldwide.