A 30-year-old Ethiopian woman presented after 2 weeks of generalized headache, accompanied by blurred vision, dizziness and nausea. She explained that since developing the headache, she also struggled to find words to express herself. Over-the-counter medications did not relieve her headaches or other symptoms.

Her medical history included delivery of a fetus that had died 2 months previously. She had no other history of stillbirth or miscarriage. She had not been diagnosed with diabetes, high blood pressure or heart disease. She noted that she was not using oral contraceptives.

On physical examination, clinicians noted that her blood pressure was 130/70 mm Hg, pulse 92 beats per minute, respiratory rate 13 breaths per minute, and temperature 36.5°C (97. 7°F).

Clinicians performed a neurological assessment. The patient was fully conscious and oriented; his coma score in Glasgow was 15/15; and examination of his cranial nerves, motor, and sensory functioning produced no remarkable findings. Fundus ophthalmologic examination identified grade 2 papilledema affecting both eyes.

Cognitive assessment of the patient using a 60-second word generation test indicated significantly impaired performance; she could only name one wild animal in 60 seconds.

Other aspects of the patient’s language skills – including fluency, comprehension, repetition, writing and reading – were normal. Brain imaging findings were suggestive of cerebral venous thrombosis (CVT): magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) revealed left lower temporoparietal ischemia and magnetic resonance venography (MRV) showed thrombosis of the left transverse and sigmoid sinus as well as the corresponding cortical veins.

Routine laboratory test results were unremarkable. The patient declined to have further evaluations recommended due to financial difficulties, so clinicians were unable to perform detailed thrombophilic workups such as factor V, protein C, and protein S.

Clinicians confirmed their diagnosis of CVT and admitted the patient to the medical ward. She started bridging anticoagulation with heparin 17,500 IU subcutaneously twice daily for 4 days, followed by warfarin 5 mg daily.

After 7 days of hospitalization, the patient’s symptoms began to improve and she was discharged home with instructions to continue oral anticoagulant therapy.

At a follow-up assessment a month later, she reported that her headache was resolved and her difficulty finding words had improved significantly, which clinicians confirmed using the word generation test. of 60 seconds.

At her second follow-up at 6 months, clinicians noted complete resolution of her clinical signs and symptoms, although her financial constraints precluded follow-up MRI and MRV evaluations. Clinicians discontinued oral anticoagulation at this time, based on their suspicion that her CVT was due to transient risk factors, such as postpartum.

Discussion

Clinicians reporting this case of a patient who developed reversible anomia as a complication of cerebral venous thrombosis noted that prompt diagnosis and treatment are essential for a benign prognosis.

They explained that this cerebral vein and sinus thrombosis is rare and easily misdiagnosed. Typical clinical features of CVT include focal cerebral edema, cerebral venous infarction, seizures, and intracranial hypertension.

It can occur in the postpartum period “in association with inappropriate perinatal care, metabolic disorders, and infections associated with childbirth,” the case report authors noted. Peripartum-associated CVT is reported in 11.6 per 100,000 deliveries.

Overall, CVT is a rare and life-threatening type of stroke – affecting around 5 in 1 million people, often women and younger women (average age 30-40). Without proper treatment, 4.3% of patients die during the acute phase of CVT.

Risk factors for CVT include “inherited thrombophilia, acquired hypercoagulable and hyperviscosity states such as hyperhomocysteinemia, antiphospholipid antibody syndrome, Behcet’s disease, and hematological disorders,” the authors noted, adding that it has also been associated with pregnancy and early postpartum. period, as well as with the use of oral contraceptives.

The case authors noted that while they attributed this case of CVT to transient postpartum effects, other researchers linked the condition to protein C and protein S deficiency and the use of oral contraceptives. They acknowledged that their report was limited by the lack of a thorough thrombophilic workup, due to the patient’s financial situation.

80% to 90% of CVT cases present with headache; anomie is seen less frequently, they wrote, citing the only two other reports of isolated anomie in patients with CVT, one in a 52-year-old woman.

In a 1985 review of 38 cases of CVT, the most common signs were headache (74%) and papilledema (45%). Among the focal neurological deficits, the most common was hemiplegia (34%), followed by seizures (29%), confusion or coma (26%) and dysphagia (1%).

“In the present case, the presence of headache, nausea, vomiting and bilateral papilledema indicated increased intracranial pressure, which occurs as a result of obstruction of cerebrospinal fluid absorption” , the authors noted, which is consistent with findings from other research studies. Less commonly, word-finding problems occur in patients with CVT “when the parietotemporal region of the dominant hemisphere is affected following thrombosis of the transverse, superior, and sigmoid sinuses,” the group explained.

The complex language function of naming requires the involvement of many cortical regions, the authors write: “However, anomie is usually associated with lesions involving the inferior temporal gyrus and adjacent parieto-occipital lobes of a dominant hemisphere” , areas of the brain that are drained by the ipsilateral transverse sinus, cortical sites, and sigmoid sinuses.

In this case, as in the other two previously reported, anticoagulant treatment was associated with “significant clinical improvement, including reversal of anomie.”

TWIN FALLS, Idaho – The College of Southern Idaho Early Childhood Education Program Laboratory School is dedicated to fostering an environment for children to develop their speech and language skills, in an age when children can struggle to develop these skills.

St. Luke’s speech-language pathologist Alexis Dutko (MSDCC-SLP) said he’s noticed a decrease in children’s socialization, which is one reason children may experience speech and language delays. language.

One piece of advice Dutko gives to all parents is that they can help keep their children on track by being an announcer for their child’s life.

“Our children learn from us, as if we were their best language models,” Dutko said. “So the more they hear their parents speak, the richer their linguistic environment and the more they absorb.”

Rather than telling a child what to say, Dutko encourages parents to give their children the opportunity to use language for themselves.

Preschool leader Jamie Bridges says having conversations with children is one of the best things for fostering their development.

CSI’s preschool lab teachers have worked directly with children who have not had the opportunity to engage in frequent social interactions.

“Speech develops through relationships with children,” Bridges said. “Children develop relationships by talking to teachers, bonding with a teacher or parent, and learning a lot of that language back and forth.”

Dutko said the first signs that a child may need speech intervention can be spotted by their use of language, the way a child plays, their engagement and their social interactions.

TUESDAY, March 8, 2022 (HealthDay News) — Not everyone who becomes forgetful as they age develops dementia, and a new study suggests those with college degrees and advanced language skills are likely to improve.

Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) is an early stage of memory loss marked by memory lapses and thinking problems that do not interfere with daily living. While people with MCI are more likely to develop dementia than people who don’t have these early memory lapses, some improve and return to normal.

“Although many people assume that if they develop mild cognitive impairment they will inevitably progress to dementia, we found encouraging evidence that this is not the case,” said study author Suzanne Tyas. , Associate Professor of Public Health Sciences at the University of Waterloo in Ontario. , Canada.

The study found that education and language skills can help predict who will develop dementia and who will not.

“These factors reflect exercise for the brain, and our work suggests they may be indicators of cognitive reserve,” Tyas said. But exactly how cognitive reserve helps protect against dementia is not yet fully understood.

“One possible mechanism is neural compensation, where the brains of individuals with higher levels of cognitive reserve may, using alternative brain networks, be better able to compensate for brain changes that initially led to mild cognitive impairment” , Tyas explained.

Researchers analyzed data from 619 American Catholic nuns, ages 75 and older, as part of a long study of aging and Alzheimer’s disease.

The nuns took tests measuring memory and other mental abilities until age 12 or until they died.

A total of 472 women were diagnosed with MCI during the study, and about a third (143) regained their normal memory level at least once for an average of 8.5 years after diagnosis. Nearly 84% of these 143 nuns have never developed dementia.

Another third progressed to dementia without ever returning to normal thinking and memory abilities, while 3% remained at the MCI stage and 36% of nuns died.

Participants who earned a bachelor’s degree were more than twice as likely to regain their memory compared to those who had a primary or secondary education. Nuns who had a master’s degree or more advanced education were even more likely to regain normal thinking skills after being diagnosed with MCI, the study found.

The results are also reassuring for people without such a high level of formal education, Tyas said.

Language skills, including those reflected in high grades in English lessons or strong writing skills, are also protected against dementia, the study found.

Those who had good grades in English but not in other subjects were almost twice as likely to improve after MCI than to develop dementia. Additionally, participants with strong writing skills based on the number of ideas expressed were four times more likely to improve than progress to dementia, according to the study. This effect was even stronger for those whose writing used a complex grammatical structure, Tyas said.

“Language is a complex function of the brain, so it makes sense that strong language skills would also be protective, and this effect was even stronger than for education,” Tyas said.

In addition to having high levels of education and strong language skills, nuns under the age of 90 who did not carry certain genetic risk factors associated with Alzheimer’s disease, the most common type of dementia, were also more likely to see their Memory.

The bottom line? “It’s encouraging that our findings show that there are multiple factors that improve your chances of regaining cognitive function after experiencing mild cognitive impairment,” Tyas said.

The results were recently published online in the journal Neurology .

Dr Kenneth Langa, a dementia researcher at the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor, called the study “interesting and well done”.

Many people with MCI will get better on their own, said Langa, who was not part of the study.

“These results are consistent with those of other studies, but the careful measurement and long follow-up period of this study adds confidence in the results,” he said.

These findings should be considered when considering treatment, Langa said.

“The fact that a significant number of people with MCI will not go on to dementia, even in the absence of any treatment, increases the risk of overdiagnosis and potential overtreatment in people with MCI,” he said. he declares.

More information

The Alzheimer’s Association has information on reducing your risk of Alzheimer’s disease.

SOURCES: Suzanne Tyas, PhD, associate professor, public health sciences, University of Waterloo, Ontario, Canada; Kenneth Langa, MD, PhD, professor of medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor; NeurologyFebruary 4, 2022

Senate candidate Gilbert “Gibo” Teodoro wants the country’s state universities and colleges (SUCs) to strengthen their partnership with international educational institutions to expand exchange program opportunities for Filipino students.

Teodoro, a former Secretary of Defense, made the speech establishing his educational platform during his interview with DZRJ radio.

“It is important for our SUCs to partner with educational institutions around the world, especially for gap year program offerings,” Teodoro said.

“A gap year abroad is a good experience for our students to acquire skills and for their development,” he added.

Teodoro, a lawyer and senior barrister from 1989, said taking a gap year abroad will help students develop an overall mindset that could be an advantage when they join the workforce.

A gap year is a semester or full year of experiential learning typically taken between high school graduation and college enrollment. Gap years give students a break from academic studies to determine the further education and career they wish to pursue.

The former Tarlac representative said basic language skills should be reintroduced into university curricula to broaden students’ language skills and prepare them for global opportunities.

“As we promote our country as a destination for tourists and multinational companies, it is strategic that we prepare our students to think globally by exposing them to international exchange programs,” he added.

Education reform is one of Teodoro’s platforms. The UniTeam candidate for the Senate aims for quality education accessible to all, enriching the curriculum at all levels of education and providing more learning opportunities for Filipinos.

Last month, Teodoro pushed for research-based learning in higher education to improve students’ ability to do research and development.

He said the college curriculum should focus more on discussing and submitting research concepts and papers, with the exception of science and math.

Thanks to this type of learning, the search for knowledge will be integrated in the students, according to Teodoro.

“Your learning process and method will improve if you have a teaching concept based on research rather than lectures. You will develop the habit of researching and improving your skills because learning is a lifelong business,” Teodoro said.

“Inquiry-based learning helps students develop their intellectual skills and critical analysis, which are crucial abilities when entering the job market,” he added.

“The beauty is that in this difficult moment, a parent demonstrates presence, connection and regulation of modeling.”

– Cassidy Freitas, family therapist

kate_sept2004 via Getty Images

• Paid Premium Memberships Give HeyPal Users Robust New Social Language Learning Features
• PenPal matches HeyPal users with new friends on the app to practice language skills
• Suggestive Messaging Improves Conversations and Initiates Learning for HeyPal Users

BEVERLY HILLS, CA/ACCESSWIRE/February 28, 2022/ ClickStream Corp. (OTC PINK:CLIS), a technology company focused on developing apps and platforms that disrupt conventional industries, today announced that its fast-growing social language learning app HeyPal – developed by subsidiary Nebula Software Corp. – launched Premium subscriptions on iOS version 2.7, giving paying users special access to the platform’s most sought-after features.

The “language exchange” app also launched PenPal, a key feature of the HeyPals premium membership plan that matches users with new friends to practice their language skills; and Suggestive Messaging, a predictive text feature that allows language learners to initiate conversations with a single click. Premium, PenPal and Suggesting Messaging subscriptions will launch on Android in the near future.

“After working tirelessly to refine and perfect our Premium, PenPal and Suggestive Messaging subscription offerings, we are pleased to introduce these innovative new features that make our language learning experience even more robust and further strengthen social connections for iOS users all over the world,” said Jonathan Maxim, CEO of HeyPal.

Premium Memberships
With Premium Memberships, HeyPal users get unlimited chats, translations, language feeds, influencer feeds and features, group chats, plus HeyPal’s new PenPal matching feature . The application remains free for the “Basic” plan, $9.99 per month for the “Starter” plan and $14.99 per month for the “Premium” plan.

“The launch of premium paid subscriptions, combined with HeyPal’s rapidly growing customer base, allows us to monetize the app and generate a steady stream of revenue in the future,” said Frank Magliochetti, CEO of ClickStream Corp.

Corresponding
PenPal uses an algorithm to match HeyPal users with new users to help them learn the language they are interested in and start an organic friendship. A simple swipe function displays key details of why another user might be a good partner to teach or learn with; when two users swipe to each other, a match is created and a direct message conversation begins automatically.

Suggestive messaging
HeyPal also makes it easy to start a conversation by allowing language learners to start friendships with just one click. This direct message prompt feature provides ideas to improve conversations and ultimately speed up user learning on HeyPal. Suggestive Messaging also offers to write direct message prompts for one-click sending, record a voice note and send the response to a prompt, or record a video to send.

The HeyPal app incorporates a number of additional features that actively engage Android and iOS users while improving their overall experience, including algorithms that allow users to build their social profiles to increase global followers, the ability to download fun and engaging videos as a form of communication. , interactive chats and social messages that allow people to communicate with native speakers in real time or post to language-specific boards.

ClickStream recently announced that HeyPal has surpassed one million total downloads, with monthly active users surpassing 230,000 for the first time. Since its launch in June 2021, the app has quickly reached 535,000 downloads on iOS. The Android version of HeyPal, which debuted in November 2021, already exceeds 475,000 downloads and continues to grow rapidly.

ABOUT CLICKSTREAM CORPORATION
ClickStream is a technology company focused on developing digital applications and platforms that disrupt conventional industries. The company currently markets and develops WinQuik, HeyPal, Nifter and Joey’s Animal Kingdom respectively. For more information, visit ClickStream and follow ClickStream on social media: Twitter and Instagram.

WinQuik is a free synchronized mobile application and digital game platform. The platform is designed for WinQuik users to have fun, interact and compete to win real money and prizes. WinQuik is currently under construction as ClickStream plans to revamp the platform to give it a new, improved shape, structure and appearance. For more information, visit WinQuik and follow WinQuik on social media: Twitter and Instagram.

HeyPal , through ClickStream subsidiary Nebula Software Corp., is a language learning application that focuses on “language exchange” between users around the world. For more information, visit HeyPal and follow HeyPal on social networks: Twitter and Instagram.

Nifter , through Rebel Blockchain Inc., a subsidiary of ClickStream, is a music NFT marketplace that allows artists to create, sell and discover unique music and sound NFTs on the Nifter marketplace. For more information, please visit Nifter and follow Nifter on social media: Twitter and Instagram.

Joey’s Animal Kingdom is a kids entertainment and education app that takes kids all over this amazing planet to see amazing animals and creatures. For more information on Joey’s Animal Kingdom, please visit Joey’s Animal Kingdom.

SAFETY STATEMENT
This press release contains forward-looking statements which can be identified by words such as “believes”, “expects”, “potential”, “plans”, “suggests”, “may”, “should”, “could”. “, ” to the intention of “. », or similar expressions. Many forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from future results implied by such statements. These factors include, but are not limited to, our ability to continue to improve our products and systems to meet industry changes, our ability to expand our customer base and retain existing customers, our ability to compete effectively in our market segment, the lack of public information about our company, our ability to raise sufficient capital to fund our business, our operations, our ability to continue our operations and a limited public market for our common stock, among other risks. Many factors are difficult to accurately predict and are generally beyond the company’s control. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date on which they are made, and we undertake no obligation to update forward-looking statements to reflect circumstances or events that occur after the date on which the forward-looking statements are made.

Media inquiries:
Joshua Greenwald / Jenny Robles
646-379-7971 / 917-420-1444
[email protected] / [email protected]

Investor requests:
Frank Magliochetti
CEO
ClickStream Corporation
[email protected]

THE SOURCE: ClickStream Corporation

See the source version on accesswire.com:
https://www.accesswire.com/690533/ClickStream-Subsidiary-HeypalTM-Launches-Premium-Memberships-and-Other-New-App-Features-on-iOS-Version-27

Mumbai-based EdTech startup The Language Network is dominating the online language learning market with its effective online language learning programs. Since its inception, they have trained and mentored over 5,000 students and impacted the lives of thousands more. The Language Network offers courses that provide a holistic learning experience. They currently offer 1:1, Duo and Group live online lessons in seven foreign languages, from beginner to advanced. Moreover, they are expanding their avenues and have already launched a new segment: The Language Network Kids.

The Language Network provides an immersive and comprehensive learning experience for all of its students. They provide the right training, tools and additional materials to its students for better and solid learning. They have over 200 highly qualified language experts who have been in the professional teaching industry.

“Your students come first. If you treat your students well, your customers come back. This, in turn, makes you a happy and successful leader,” says co-founder Pinnac Yeddy. The Language Network offers live, personalized sessions guaranteeing small batches for personalized attention and a better learning experience. Regular assessments and reports are given to students to help them on their language learning journey. They provide students with challenging and immersive internships and industry-ready training for internships at leading multinationals. They offer effective counseling sessions to students regarding study abroad as well as immigration services.

The Language Network has incorporated the National Education Policy 2020. They believe that culture is an important aspect when it comes to learning a language. “Language and culture go hand in hand. To teach a new language to a student, we also need to teach the culture related to the language,” says co-founder Siddhi Chokhani.

The Language Network has entered the EdTech market and has already established itself as a strong competitor. Currently they do not do offline batches. However, this will change with the advent of The Language Network Kids. They plan to expand the activity by incorporating children’s learning. The Language Network offers language programs for children ages 6-14. “We partner with various schools across India to promote our children’s lessons. Parents seek to provide a recreational experience for their children. They find it amazing how much it benefits their children. says co-founder Pinnac Yeddy. They are reaching out to schools regarding the NEP 2020. The Language Network partners with schools across India to inculcate language learning programs in these institutions.

The Language Network follows an internationally recognized curriculum. They refer to international exams and their respective language learning programs and procedures. They also prepare their students for international exams including DELF, DALF, Goethe, TOEFL, IELTS, TOPIK, HSK, etc. They believe that their students should not only learn languages, they should also excel in international proficiency exams in order to prove their proficiency.

They started with 4 core members and now they have a team of over 250 people. With its design, The Language Network has turned the offline market upside down. Their online platform is attracting more and more students. Their co-founder Siddhi Chokhani says, “Students save time and energy with online courses. The language learning industry is turning to online offerings, with convenient, flexible and cost-effective ways to improve foreign language skills. Time, which was previously needed for travel and preparation, can be allocated to studies. Additionally, every student needs a dedicated teacher who can lead the way in learning.”

The Language Network focuses on traditional aspects of learning. The Language Network retains one of the old traditional ways of learning: humans teaching other humans. “The human approach is more effective than any other means of teaching. We are looking to expand to over 10,000 active students this year. Our approach to language learning will help more students learn a foreign language in a fun and comprehensive way,” says co-founder Pinnac Yeddy. The Language Network makes language learning easy with its online language courses. Globally, the language learning market is worth approximately $50 billion. The Language Network seeks to gain significant market share in the online language learning industry.

Posted on February 24, 2022

Toni Corso’s students showed off their English skills by writing happy birthday messages to her on the classroom blackboard. Corso teaches English to middle school students in Daejeon, South Korea. The 2020 ULM graduate has a degree in political science and was a student in the Honors Program. She is from Belle Chasse.

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The University of Louisiana Monroe changed Toni Corso’s life.

Today, she is changing lives halfway around the world in Daejeon, South Korea.

Corso, an Honors Program student and graduate in political science from ULM (2020), teaches English as a second language in two colleges in Daejeon.

In addition to the traditional hours of classroom instruction, this spirited young woman has taken on a humanitarian role in Korea as “a volunteer for a non-profit organization that helps rescue North Korean defectors and gives them the resources to adapt to their new life of freedom”. ”

Louisiana Monroe University alumnus Toni Corso wears traditional Korean dress (hanbok) while visiting Gyeongbokgung Palace in Seoul, South Korea. Corso lives in Daejeon and teaches English at two colleges and volunteers with an organization that helps defectors from North Korea. The 2020 ULM graduate has a degree in political science and was a student in the Honors Program. She is from Belle Chasse.

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from southern Louisiana to South Korea

As a teenager in Belle Chasse in the parish of Plaquemines, Corso fell in love with Korean, learning to write the Hangul system (like the English alphabet) with 24 basic letters and 27 complex letters, and speaking and reading the Asian language of ballast.

While at ULM, she took the opportunity to study abroad in her fall semester as an exchange student at National Hanbat University in Daejeon. Since 2012, ULM and Hanbat have had an exchange program.

“After discovering the beauty of the culture and traditions there, I immediately knew that I had to go back there as soon as possible. I know this is where I am meant to be in this current chapter of my life. “, said Corso.

Corso said ULM prepared her for the exchange program by giving her “all the tools to prepare for this life-changing new opportunity and ambition to build a more global perspective on life. And , because I want to work with the Seoul Embassy in the future, my political science classes have definitely given me more knowledge to do so as well.”

Corso credited two professors for providing him with the instruction and knowledge necessary for his trip to South Korea, Joshua Stockley, Ph.D., professor and director of political science and the honors program, and Leigh Hersey, Ph.D. , assistant professor and coordinator. of political science.

“Toni exemplifies how pursuing an honors and political science degree from ULM is not just a theoretical exercise, but rather a practical exercise with the power to bring about positive change in the world. I am very proud of Toni and the difference she has made, is making now and will continue to make in the future,” Stockley said.

“They helped me not only to continue my studies in political science, but also by helping me tremendously with my honors thesis on the North Korean regime, which was completed in May 2020,” she said.

“I am so excited that Toni was able to achieve her dream of living and teaching in Korea. She radiates joy and positivity and is sensitive to the needs of others. As a student, she has continuously strived to do her best while encouraging her classmates to do the same,” Hersey said.

Toni Corso enjoys traveling to South Korea.

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Language, learning and life

Corso’s knowledge of Korean can sometimes be hampered by some of the nuances of any language, which can lead to puzzled looks from colleagues and students.

“Most of the time, I am able to communicate effectively on basic things with ease. But I admit that sometimes it is quite difficult to participate in some of the more advanced topics in the workplace,” he said. she declared.

Corso loves seeing his students break through to understand and speak their second language.

“The most rewarding part of my job is seeing my students’ progress and growth from day one until their language skills are now,” she said. “The fact that I can help their confidence in English is something I don’t take for granted at all.”

“School life here is definitely much more different. The motivation and work ethic of Korean citizens and students here is unmatched,” she said.

Just as satisfying as teaching, Corso helps people who have fled North Korea and the regime of dictator Kim Jong-un.

“The most rewarding part of my volunteer service is the opportunity to make an impact and spread positivity and cultural knowledge to former North Korean citizens,” Corso said.

People Beyond Politics

Teaching and volunteering gave Corso a unique perspective on the differences between the two Koreas, especially through the eyes of an American.

“I think Americans often forget there’s a whole world out there that offers so much more,” she said.

“I would encourage people to make a greater effort to understand the difference between the Republic of Korea (South Korea) and the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (North Korea). I think there are so many ideas wrong about the two countries and how completely different they are,” she said.

“I also hope that one day people can realize the beautiful and rich culture of North Korea and understand that they are human beings, not just chess pieces in a political discussion about regimes,” he said. Corso added.

For ULM students who are hesitant about career choices, Corso offers simple advice:

“Follow passion over income, hands down. So many times I see my friends stuck in career paths that make them absolutely miserable,” she said.

“One of the most important parts of life’s journey is not just finding out what you want to do, but specifically what you’re not so interested in. I think it’s important to narrow down your passion and your desires that way and keep chasing after any effort,” Corso said.

I listened to a new missionary express her frustration with the study of languages. She didn’t like her leaders insisting that she make every effort to learn Arabic before pursuing other ministry opportunities. “I feel like all that matters,” she tearfully explained, “is how many hours I study.”

While many English speakers can master French or Spanish in less than two years, Arabic takes much longer. Before coming to the other side of the world, this missionary had no idea how difficult learning languages ​​would be. She had come to tell people about Jesus. She hadn’t left home to worry about Arabic pronunciation and grammatical structures.

But what she didn’t realize was that without careful study and patient acquisition of the local language, missionaries cannot be sure they are accurately communicating the gospel of Jesus.

Expectations for language learning

New missionaries arriving in the field — and the churches sending them — tend not to understand how language acquisition works. Most assume they will achieve language fluency within a year or two simply by living abroad.

The truth is that by grade two, many missionaries today are only proficient enough to stumble over conversations. Then they level off. They never acquire the ability to participate in rapid discussions between native speakers where the speech is personal, emotional and nuanced. In other words, most missionaries never acquire the ability to participate or even to understand spiritual conversations around them.

It is not like it used to be. Ann and Adoniram Judson spent 12 hours a day studying Burmese. Adoniram lamented the increase in the number of short-term missionaries who only stayed for a few years and were of little use due to their lack of language skills. Hudson Taylor recommended for newcomers study “six or eight hours a day. . . until you can preach fluently and understandably. He expected single missionaries not to marry until they had mastered Mandarin.

Without careful study and patient acquisition of the local language, missionaries cannot be sure they are accurately communicating the gospel of Jesus.

Compare these historical examples with popular approaches today. David Garrison, in his flagship book on a mission, describes intense language study prior to active ministry as the “third deadly sin” of church planting.

Although many mission leaders still pay lip service to the importance of language acquisition, they often teach ways around it. They suggest that new missionaries who are able to tell a few stories about Jesus in interrupted speech will be enough – if the Spirit blows on their words – to lead people to Christ. Genuine devotion to language fluency is considered unproductive, even a self-centered pastime that sucks missionaries’ time away from team activities and ministry. In some cases, these missionaries are given an ultimatum: withdraw from full-time language study or leave the field.

Why has modern missionary thinking strayed so far from its roots? In large part, the answer lies in our society’s shortened attention span. We are programmed to seek quick results. Today’s most widely followed mission strategies focus intensely on rapid multiplication. Their ideal is to see new churches planting other churches (which in turn will plant other churches) every six months. In such a pattern, hard-working missionaries who slowly pick up the language and carefully teach the Word of God cannot go fast enough. So the missionaries are told to get out of the way.

Appropriate means

The message that many missionaries hear today is: “God does not need your wealth to build His church. God doesn’t need your clear teaching. God will help new believers to teach and disciple one another.

Indeed, God does not need our ease or our clarity to build his church. But if we are going to give up all ministry activities that God does not need, why send missionaries? When William Carey first suggested sending missionaries overseas, an older pastor reportedly chided him, “When God wants to convert the Gentiles, He will do it without your help or mine!” Of course, God can act without or despite the inactivity of his people. But adopt ministry strategies because God can blessing them is a bad idea. Instead, we should ask, how is God usually pleasure to work?

What we find in Scripture – and what Carey argued – is that God prefers to work through human means. Therefore, New Testament missionaries and evangelists emphasized clear communication. Paul asked for the prayer “that I may [the gospel] disengage, thus I must speak” (Col. 4:3-4). He spent time carefully “explaining” (Acts 17:3) the gospel in person and articulating theological truths in his letters. Luke compiled an “ordered account” of the life of Christ that would be compelling to his readers (Luke 1:3). Philip clarified for the eunuch what the prophecy of Isaiah meant (Acts 8:30-35). Priscilla and Aquila” explained to [Apollos] the way of God more accurately,” clarifying what he did not understand (Acts 18:26).

Missionaries today, more than ever, need to rediscover the importance of clear communication.

Why was it so important for them to communicate clearly? They understood their role as ambassadors— as representatives with an authorized word of the King. The nations could only respect the king’s terms of peace if they understood and accepted his message. Thus, the early disciples tried to teach in such a way as to persuade others (Acts 17:2-4). They understood that their hearers were truly deceived (2 Cor. 4:4), seized in their minds and hearts with false ideas. And they knew that God is happy to work through clear and persuasive human speech to open people’s eyes.

Need for clarity

Our own life experience speaks to the importance of clear communication. None of us in a moment of crisis would seek out a counselor who could not understand us clearly or communicate about the difficulties we describe. And most of us have benefited immensely from reading books and listening to sermons in which people clearly explain realities that we had not previously understood.

Missionaries today, more than ever, need to rediscover the importance of clear communication. Hours of language study can seem pointless, unspiritual, and only delaying more important work. But like all things well done, the acquisition of language is an offering to God. This “simply human” aspect of missionary work Questions.

It is through these months and these years of work from nose to grindstone that God wanted the missionaries to learn to preach his Word with authority and clarity. And if they don’t give in to the pressure to cut corners, missionaries will one day have the reward of knowing that those who respond positively have truly heard and accepted. The message of Christnot a confused and misinterpreted version.