Wycliffe Bible Translators USA

Recent developments with the swine flu (now known as H1N1) show the importance of translating information into a heart language. If a minority language group is not informed of precautionary measures against the swine flu outbreak in a language they understand best, the information may never reach them, resulting in a higher risk for contracting the illness.

Flyer courtesy of Wycliffe Bible Translator David Frank.

We translated this flyer–distributed by the National Park Service Office of Public Health and the Branch of Emergency Services–about the swine flu to Gullah. In it, speakers of the Gullah languages of southeast U.S. are able to read precautions to be aware of during this critical time. Gullah, also known as Sea Island Creole English, is a minority language. Minority language communities are lesser known languages that are not spoken by the majority of people in a certain area. Gullah is spoken in the United States by nearly 250,000 people from the coastal regions of Jacksonville, NC, to Jacksonville, Fla. Also found in small clusters in Detroit and New York City, the language has few similarities with standard English.

Until recently, Gullah speakers had to read the Bible and other written forms of communication in English. In 1979, the Gullah New Testament translation project was begun under the sponsorship of Wycliffe Bible Translators. Twenty-six years later, in November of 2005, the Gullah people celebrated the publication of the Gullah New Testament in St. Helena Island, SC. Flyers like the one above are possible because of ground-work laid by Wycliffe translators.

The needs of this language community here in the U.S. show that translation is key to much more than just Scripture. Within these minority language groups of the world, translation work also impacts health, education and other social issues. Wycliffe understands that critical community development often starts in a surprising place: with Bible translation and the language development that is foundational to it.

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