The language barrier is a major hindrance to short-term missions, even seen by some as a deal-breaker for the entire concept. And it’s true, missions is limited when one does not speak the language.

But there is good news for people planning a short-term project. Thanks to readily available digital tools, it has never been easier to learn the fundamentals of a foreign language.

Here I’ll share tips for making the technology work for you, based on my recent experience learning French.

Let’s start with the language app du jour…

Duolingo

Duolingo claims to be able to teach anybody any language. It guides you through the language-learning process by way of lessons that involve translating, listening to and reproducing words phrases.

My Experience

After a year I was half-way through the course. I could read at an intermediate level, understand about 70% of formal French and around 30% to 40% of informal speech.

How do you make Duolingo work for you? A few tips:

1. Do a few lessons every day. Languages are learned by repetition. There is no way to get around it.

2. Repeat the phrases out loud. Speaking is a key component to language acquisition.

3. Write down new and difficult phrases. Languages have important details and writing will help you remember them.

4. Find chances to use what you have learned. There is no substitute for contact with a native speaker.

5. Don’t get distracted by the games. Duolingo has some features that make language learning fun, but some of them can be a distraction. Focus on learning.

Now we will move to another app that proved very helpful: Spotify.

Spotify? Really?

Yes indeed. With Duolingo you get lessons designed to teach vocabulary and usage. But an essential part of language acquisition is training your ear to hear the language.

A famous example illustrates this. Consider the following conversation:

Did you eat?
No, did you?
No, let’s go eat.

But this is how it sounds in everyday parlance:

Djeet?
No, djew?
No, squeet.

That difference can make learning a language frustrating.

Enter Spotify.

In Spotify you can create playlists of songs based on preferences for style, artists, or, to our point, preferred language. There is a feature included with most songs that lets you follow along with the lyrics, and in the case of foreign language songs, there is often the option of translating the words into English. But the main benefit is listening.

Listening to music in your target language can help to makethe transition from the formal to the spoken.

Here is how I made Spotify work for me:

1. I started with songs I know.

For me, it was the French versions of well-known Disney songs. Since I know the general theme I was able to piece words and phrases together.

2. I branched out to other songs and artists.

Spotify’s AI will helpfully suggest related music.

3. I listened regularly.

For me the best time was while driving. Do whatever works for you.

4. I sang along.

Once I became familiar with a song, I joined in, much to the amusement of the people riding with me.

Duolingo and Spotify were my go-to apps, but there are other resources that have helped.

Netflix

On Netflix you can usually find content in your target language.

I watched with subtitles in French. As I progressed, I would turn them off. If I got stuck, I activated English subtitles for a quick translation.

Kindle

Reading is essential to language learning. My Kindle is an indispensable tool, allowing me to download books in French according to my level of mastery.

Facebook/Instagram

Specifically, I used the “Reels” feature of these sister social media apps. I subscribed accounts which either teach French or feature native French speakers talking about everyday things. This helped me train my ear to hear French as it is spoken by normal people.

It is my hope that this information will be of use to those considering missions, whether short-term or long-term. At the end of the day, the better one knows the target language, the more ministry opportunities become available.