Have you ever tried reading something in a second language and felt like you were missing something? That’s how ESL students feel when reading the Bible in English. That’s why it is important to encourage them to read English Bible stories and passages in their native language as well. The Bible isn’t just another book—it’s God’s Word, meant to speak to our hearts. And the best way to truly understand it is by reading it in the language one knows best.
Students Understand It Better
When students read in their own language, everything makes more sense. They don’t have to struggle with hard words or confusing grammar. They can focus on what God is actually saying instead of trying to translate in their head. According to the Bible Society of Kenya, “When people read the Bible in their own language, they can understand the meaning of the text more clearly.” That makes a huge difference when someone is trying to learn about God!
It Feels More Personal
Reading the Bible in their first language makes it feel closer to students’ hearts. A woman who read the Bible in Jamaican Creole shared, “For me, reading the Bible in Creole was emotional. It made me understand that God speaks my heart language. I felt at home and closer to God.” That’s what the Bible should feel like—like God is speaking to you, not just to people in another culture or place.
It Connects to Their Culture
When the Bible is in a student’s own language, it doesn’t feel foreign—it feels like it belongs to them and their community. It helps them see that God’s message is for everyone, not just for those who speak big global languages like English. That’s why many missionaries work so hard to translate the Bible into every language. When people read the Bible in their own words, it brings them together and makes faith even stronger.
What Teachers Can Do
We cannot and should not force our English students to reach the Bible in their own language, but we can encourage it. How? Ideally by having hard copies of each student’s language available to read. But that can be expensive, depending on the number of languages represented in your ministry.
Another option is to use resources like www.biblegateway.com where you can select a passage in English, switch to “all languages”, select the language of your students, then “copy” and “paste” it alongside the English Bible tory or passage you are studying. Most Bible translations can be found by doing an online search.
By far the easiest approach is to encourage students to download a Bible app, like YouVersion and search for their native language. When multiple translations are available, encourage them to use a modern version. For example, the Chinese Union Version and the Korean Revised Version are the equivalents of the King James Version, a challenging translation for people new to the Bible. More modern versions make it easier to engage.
God Speaks Your Language
The Word Well C2C stories are a great place to start engaging unbelievers with God’s Word. But the goal isn’t simply for students to improve their English or to know a series of Bible stories. Rather our primary desire is for students to encounter the God of the universe who loves them. By connecting them to the Bible in their heart language, we communicate that God speaks your language and wants to engage in a relationship with you. Let’s go the extra mile so we can effectively do that.