Category: Lost In Translation

Autobiography, Lost In Translation, prayerLeave a comment

Believe the Beloved

thetaxidermistsyoungest

This is a German Bible a friend found for me cheap at an estate sale. It was published in the 1800s in Chicago. Studying Luther’s translation of the Bible (circa 1522) I am struck by how words change their meaning over time, in German, and also in English. Language is a living thing. The word belief, (glauben in German) used to mean “beloved”. It was not about mind. It had nothing to do with facts or proof. It was about heart; connection and adoration. To believe in someone or something meant to give them your attention, to prioritize them, and … Continue reading Believe the Beloved

Autobiography, brain stuff, Education Reform, Lost In Translation, philosophy, teaching2 Comments

half blind and half deaf

thetaxidermistsyoungest

As a language teacher, I know about communicating. I also know how often people think they have communicated, but they really haven’t. I love to play the game of Telephone with my students. We start a whispered sentence in German, and by the time it gets all the way around the circle, it is usually completely garbled and hilarious. Or we play a similar game, except with sketches that get passed around. It shows them how fragile communication really is. “Purple monkey dishwasher” is my husband’s name for the phenomenon in which you explain something to your students, they nod … Continue reading half blind and half deaf