Interpreters

Last month I had my first experience teaching with an interpreter at my side, conveying my English words into the listeners' language.

It was a fascinating learning opportunity for me.

A few months earlier, a preacher from South America came to our church and spoke on Sunday morning with an interpreter from our church, translating his words for us. I noticed that the preacher spoke in short, powerful sentences most of the time.

I recognized that the short sentences allowed me (as listener) to get the translation more immediately. And I suspected that it was easier for the translater. Indeed, when the speaker used a longer, more complex sentence, the interpreter struggled.

So as I prepared my lessons for the far away land, I determined to tell my lessons in short, straight-forward sentences. I didn't want the duplication involved in translation to dilute or diminish the lesson.

I also guessed that the underlying structure of the lesson should be direct, with a small number of main points. I suspected that introducing a translater creates a layer of complication for the listener and so further complication should be minimized.

I taught two lessons with interpreters -- one a male interpreter and one a female interpreter. In each case, the interpreter picked up the cadence of my lesson so that the interpretation seemed almost an echo of my words. I was surprised to discover that I felt supported by my interpreter. The interpreter seemed to come alongside me and give my words the wings they needed to bridge the gap to my non-English listeners. . . . which made me think about how the Spirit assists me when I am in prayer. (Romans 8:26-27)

I also noted that with the use of simple, declarative statements, the teaching was much more potent. The unadorned story of the Bible was powerful. When complicated sentences and intricate reasonings fell away, the foundation biblical teaching was awesome.

In a way, I felt that I was an observer of my own lessons, watching the Spirit reach the students, and it was an inspiring experience. The Word is indeed sharper than a two-edged sword and capable of the most delicate surgery (Heb 4:12-13) as it reaches into the core of our beings. It was a joy to watch Him at work.