Silence: The Language of Thought

Our Thoughts are a Universe

Within the confines of our mind in places where no one may ever be able to map out precisely, lie our thoughts and emotions, our feelings and hopes, fears and secrets.  Inside our minds lie our unspoken words, our shouts of pain and joy.  In this vast confined space of our brains and beyond into the ether lie what no one will ever be able to hear but is there nonetheless: Our Personal Dialogue.

To say that it does not exist would be ridiculous! Consider only the moment that is NOW.  Upon the reading of the word “NOW” you evoke the feelings and all memories associated with that word, the memories may lead to more thoughts and feelings and–if you never returned to reading my blog but instead expounded on the internal energy you possess from the word “NOW”–you very well may drift off into an eternal internal personal dialogue.

Language Exchange: Mutually Detrimental

Language Exchange

Around the world and in almost every city there exist now places of gathering for verbal communication in a foreign language: Language Exchange.  In case you have not had the fortune of attending such a gathering (whether it be in Spanish, English, Japanese, German, French, etc.) allow me a minute to introduce to you the setting and the goals that drive these intercultural communication sessions. A language exchange is a gathering of two kinds of people: Those that can not speak the target language and those that can speak the target language–either because they are more advanced or because they are native speakers of the language. The language in question is not a language readily spoken in that area/country and so therefore the goal is simply to give both parties the chance to improve their speaking skill.

How is this improvement made?

Those with little experience are supposed to speak to those with more experience, through which an increase in confidence should help boost their ability to communicate verbally in the target language. Likewise, the more advanced speakers may speak with native speakers of the language who have come to help.  To consider an alternative, the more advanced speakers may benefit by speaking to the lower-level speakers simply by the act of explaining more complex facets of the language to them: Learning through teaching.  Most of the people that I know that have participated in such events have all come out of it with a positive experience, but “having a good time” vs. “learning to speak” are different, are they not?