Dec
04
2007
Starting Romanian Language Classes
Shortly after moving to Romania in 2000, I began language classes at Emanuel University.
I was so excited about my Romanian language classes. But that excitement eventually turned to frustration.
There were ten of us learning Romanian – several Russians, a couple from Moldova, a girl from Siberia, and my roommate, who was from Jordan. I learned that a team is only as strong as its weakest member. I’d heard that phrase before, but somehow had never understood its truth until it played itself out in our Romanian language classes.
Only five out of the ten students in the class learned Romanian well enough to enter Emanuel University the next year. Out of our group of five, only three managed to stick with Emanuel until Graduation.
I recall several times when our teacher became exasperated with the class. The seeming disinterest among several of the Russian students irritated him and the rest of us.
I believe my colleagues’ lack of interest in learning Romanian stemmed from the fact that they could speak to one another in Russian. Since they were not involved in ministry yet, they didn’t feel the pressing need to learn Romanian. After all, why stress yourself out learning Romanian when Russian works fine? That they were best friends didn’t help matters either. They could speak Russian all day, and so that is what they did.
Eventually, they paid for their lack of discipline by failing the entrance exam at Emanuel. By that point, they realized they had to know Romanian, but it was too late. They could not enter the school.
written by Trevin Wax. © 2007 Kingdom People Blog