Comments on: Call for posts: International week on M*

By: Kent Larsen

Kent Larsen — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 01:14:18 +0000

Jared T., I’m sorry if I sounded negative. That was not my intention. On the contrary, I’m very much looking forward to the week and I’m trying to get a guest post written for it.

Mostly my question was an attempt to figure out who the audience for this is.

By: Jared T.

Jared T. — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 06:24:59 +0000

Thanks, Brian. You’re probably right that I’m misreading it. However, as I perceive it, though having underlying elements of valid query, the tone that I perceive seems ultimately unhelpful and sounds too much like, “why are you wasting your time?” But whatever. Just take away from this my well wish.

By: Brian Duffin

Brian Duffin — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 05:07:34 +0000

Jared T.,

I don’t think Kent is being negative as much as he is asking a valid question. I’m sure it will be more fun for those that speak the foreign languages, but I am thinking of writing a post about my experience learning Portuguese in the MTC and in Brasil. My post will be in English.

By: Jared T.

Jared T. — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 03:58:20 +0000

Thanks for this effort guys. I think good will come of it and from similar efforts.

Kent, I’m not sure why you can’t be a bit more positive about this. Sad.

By: Geoff B.

Geoff B. — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 22:01:45 +0000

Kent, I think most people are just excited to write something in their mission languages (or in my case, in languages I learned as an expat). Perhaps we will be able to give our testimonies in other languages and that will make its way to some people who read other languages somehow. But your concerns are valid — this is mostly for fun.

By: Ben Pratt

Ben Pratt — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 21:58:19 +0000

Kent: não é necessária que postagens escritas numa outra lingua não possam ser bilíngües!

Kent, there’s no reason foreign-language posts cannot be bilingual!

By: Kent Larsen

Kent Larsen — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 21:25:43 +0000

I have to admit, Geoff, while I’m all for this, I’m not quite sure how the language posts will work. Who will read the posts in foreign languages? Just those of us who have kept up our mission language enough to read it? Or will native speakers somehow find this also? (Given that the blog interface is in English, that might be a little too much to expect?)

I am sure that most members outside of the U.S. and who don’t speak English will appreciate the attention, and I have hoped and expected that large group blogs like M* and the others we are accustomed to in English would eventually appear in other languages, but it never occurred to me that they might develop as adjuncts to the current English-language blogs. I don’t think that is the intention here, but if it isn’t, then what exactly is the value in carrying material in other languages?

Perhaps the value here is in simply reminding English-speaking members to the idea that other languages exist, and showing them what it feels like when all the conversations are in another language?

Regardless, I’m excited to see what comes of the idea and I hope that this can lead to great things for Church members who don’t speak English.