dedication

I just took a "study break" to go to the main lounge and obtain a beverage from the vending machines. While there, I noticed one of our Japanese exchange students doing her homework. She had papers spread out across the table and an electronic translator open. Meticulous, she was slowly going through every part of her homework. Now that, my friends, is what we like to call "dedication."

That sparked my thought processes into considering language learning. A plethora of thoughts, all related and yet unconnected, flooded through my grey matter and caused me to figuratively selah. What must it be like for one of our exchange students to come here, not be fully fluent in English, and then be expected to perform at a college level as if they'd been speaking English since birth? I wouldn't have the courage to do that. Even if I were to attend a French university--a language in which I am semi-fluent--I would have a very hard time applying myself. And English and French are way more similar than English and Chinese. At least we use the same alphabet, right?

I've been thinking about language acquisition a lot recently. Part of it is considering the future. I'm going to be a missionary, don't know where, but wherever that is, I'll probably be learning another language. Part of me is thinking that I don't have it in me to learn another language, especially a non-European language. Asian languages which rely heavily on tones? Yeah...mildly terrifying and VERY intimidating to tackle one of those. This could be a problem...