Friday 12 August 2011

Speaking a different language

How many of you, like me struggle to learn or speak a different language? This year I am going on holiday to France and I know I will only be able to speak a few token words of French and even if I really tried to learn I would barely get out of the basic phrases. And once you try to learn a bit of another language you then hit the massive hurdle of fluent speakers talking back at you two or three times too fast for you to understand.

The easy part of learning a language is using the words, understanding them when they are spoken to you and being able to respond back is the real skill. I have discovered (over the last ten years or so) that I need to learn the language of human emotions and connection. I am probably still in year 1 primary age class in this topic (with occasional flashes of promise!).

I wish like French someone had engaged me with a real desire to learn this inner language and not be stuck in my well established routines and responses. But the good news is we never stop learning and even someone as old as me can learn a new trick!

2 comments:

  1. Hello Steven...good to meet you here. Found you via a search on "Church Administration" on Quora.

    Insightful post, this one. I have made the same discovery (of the need to learn the language of human emotions and connection) possibly for a similar reason...that I work for a church where one generally finds broken people desiring to heal, some further along than others. Thanks for sharing.

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  2. Thank for your kind comments Bill. I'm still learning but I think the knowledge that there is learning needed is the first big step!

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