When Will I Be Fluent?

I

t is a question every foreign language teacher expects to hear and dreads to answer.  It is a question every foreign language student asks and is disappointed when the answer comes.  What is it?  I’m glad you asked.  The question is quite simply, “When will I be fluent?”

Students asking this question usually fall into one of two camps.  Either they are on their way to a foreign country and believe they will be able to walk off the plane and communicate as well in a foreign language as they do their own or they earnestly want to learn the target language for further study or as a means to make themselves more marketable as they search for employment.  Either way, the response to both of these groups is the same.  Fluency will be achieved only after much work, much study, much practice, and much listening.

I always tell my students that I have been studying the French language for 39 years and one day I hope to be fluent.  I do not say this to burst their bubbles nor to discourage them.  I just know after many years of hard work, more than my share of mistakes, and countless hours listening to French tapes, French music, and native speakers, I still am not as fluent as I would like to be.  One day I hope to be there but until that day comes, I’ll just keep working at it.

Of all roads leading to the wonderful land of fluency, the best and most effective is the road of total immersion.  Those choosing to walk this road break with their familiar surroundings and plunge headfirst into the language.  This is most often accomplished by leaving home and spending an extended period in a foreign country.  The ability to communicate in a foreign language greatly increases when you have to find a place to stay, get something to eat, make travel arrangements, and find the restroom!!  Believe me, you learn quickly, especially in that last situation!

There is also a burning desire in the Christian’s heart to be fluent in the things of God and this means spending time with him, listening to his voice, understanding his ways, and seeing things from his perspective.  Far too often, we expect to open our Bibles, read a verse, send up a quick prayer, and expect the answer by 5:00 p.m.  When this doesn't happen, we find ourselves frustrated beyond belief because we are convinced we did everything correctly.  We need to understand that the fluency of our relationship with God is based on the amount of time we spend listening to and learning from him rather than speaking at him.  When I was in France, I learned far more by hearing and listening than I ever did when I tried to monopolize the conversation!!

This is exactly the essence of Paul’s message to the church in Rome in the tenth chapter of his letter to the Romans.  He goes to great lengths in this section of scripture to underscore the necessity of listening to what God has to say in order to understand what He wants to communicate to us.  Romans 10:17 simply says, “So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.”  In this passage, Paul writes concerning the Jews and why they didn't accept Jesus Christ.  The Scriptures spoke of him, evidenced by Paul’s reference to many great prophets in their history.  But notice that he says that faith comes by hearing and that this hearing comes directly from God’s word.

In order to hear God, we must listen to his word.  We must read it, study it, think about it, and make it an integral part of our lives.  Like a good language student, hotly pursuing fluency, we must immerse ourselves in God’s word if we ever hope to have the type of faith that will make us fluent in the things of God.  Immersion means that everything we hear, everything we see, everything we say, everything we do, and everything we think is in the target language and for the Christian that language is the language of God’s word.

How fluent are you today in the things of God?  How fluent do you wish to become?  This process will not happen overnight, in a few months, or even a few years.  I know many people who have been walking with the Lord for years and they still desire to be more fluent tomorrow in the things of God than they are today. Is this your desire?  Are you willing to spend a lifetime walking, talking, listening, and learning from God?  I hope so.  It is the most wonderful thing in life to learn the language of God; please don’t miss out. “When will I be fluent?” you may be asking.  It all depends on your hearing, doesn't it?  Are your ears tuned to the message God has for you today?