Juliann Spencer - Linguistics Grad
"God's Word is the most precious gift we can give to anyone, and there are still over 2,500 language groups who do not have a single word of scripture in their own language." Juliann Spencer ’05 writes these words from Papua, New Guinea (PNG), where she is now a language surveyor for Wycliffe Bible Translators. "It was Dr. Paul Kilpatrick who opened the door into the world of linguistics and invited me inside," says Juliann. "I am so thankful that Geneva gave me the flexibility to design a major that was specifically tailored to my calling. I was able to study linguistics, Hebrew, Greek and even a Native American language in Arizona as part of my major." While a student at Geneva, she decided to pursue an independent major in linguistics, a minor in Spanish and a life dedicated to transforming lives by translating words. After graduating, Juliann taught English as a second language at a public elementary school in Texas for two years, helping children in grades K-4 to develop their oral and written proficiency. In August, Juliann moved to PNG, where she and the other members of the survey team are seeking to identify the most strategic location and language to begin a new Bible translation project. "Often there are several closely related language groups," Juliann says, "so the survey team tries to determine how many different languages are spoken, how closely they're related, which language can be understood by the most people and whether children are learning the language." Her enthusiasm for her work is evident: "Frederick Buechner wrote, 'The place where God calls you is the place where your deepest gladness and the world's deep hunger meet.' His words express the way I feel about my calling to further the work of Bible translation."
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