In this article, whenever I use the word “communication”, I mean “spontaneous, unprepared, and unscripted speech”.
I recognize that we communicate with others not only through conversations but also by reading their books and watching their videos, which can be easily translated into different languages. However, in my work, I explore raw, authentic, and spontaneous expression of self in a foreign language.
Many people think I’m an English teacher. I’m not.
I don't teach the language itself. I teach speech development in a foreign language.
Not everyone can see the difference between "language" and "speech” in the context of learning a foreign language.
It is generally assumed that “language” (such as English or French) is a finite number of words and a finite set of rules for building sentences, and that “speech” is how the “language” is spoken by an individual, i.e. how the words sound when spoken by a person.
But here is the caveat: our “speech” is not limited to what others hear. There is also “Inner speech”. As N. Chomsky points out, 99% of the use of language is internal. “It takes a tremendous act of will not to think to yourself in language. Every minute of the day you’re talking to yourself.” Inner speech doesn’t involve other poeple and often doesn’t follow grammatical rules. It’s a deep internal process, and we’re not always conscious of the self-talk that’s going on all the time. We’re often surprised by the voices in our head, i.e by our own inner speech.
It is also generally assumed that if you know enough foreign words, you can speak a foreign language. It’s assumed that “speech” in adults doesn’t need any further development, that it happens effortlessly, freely, and spontaneously since we have already mastered it in our first language. It is assumed that what we hear in our head is what we think and that, when we tell a thought to somebody else, that person understands what our thought has been.
Feedback from reality tells us a different story. Let’s say, you have a thought, and you are confident that you know exactly what you are thinking. Yet, the moment you try to put your thoughts in foreign words, it all falls apart. This can even happen in your first language: you speak the words, but the person listening doesn’t receive the clear thought you had in mind. Instead, all they hear is a jumble of words.
Another common scenario is this: you have a thought, but putting it in English words becomes such tedious work that you give up. You mumble, make others wait, struggle to remember the right words, but they escape you…and you decide not to speak at all. “Maybe next time”, you tell yourself, - “when my English gets better”.
If “language” was merely a set of words and grammar rules, and “speech” simply a mechanism for humans to say these words correctly, then people wouldn’t struggle so much with mastering foreign languages and expressing themselves in another language. How the words sound when they come out of your mouth is part of what “speech” is. This is why speech therapists exist. They help people articulate sounds correctly, correct disfluency and other speech disorders, eliminate swallowing disorders, and overcome social communication difficulties. But “speech” is more than that.
First, let’s look at what language is.
Language doesn’t express thought. Language is a mechanism for producing consciousness.
Many of our thoughts are unconscious. This is why we can’t express just any thought in words. We struggle. We often need time to understand what it is that we’re thinking, and we often reach this understanding only when we start thinking out loud.
Our experience of verbal communication becomes conscious when we speak or when we listen to others speak.
Let me explain.
The process of using language is not as straightforward as “1) I think a thought, 2) I express it out loud using language, and I’m fully conscious of the process”.
Our neural cognitive activity is essentially unconscious. The conscious experience of verbal communication is, at its core, a sensory phenomenon. We think through sensory images. In my work, I refer to them as “Mental Images” because we quite literally “see” what we say, read, or hear. We imagine it vividly.
We can break the process of speaking in any language into three steps:
This process explains why many people experience disappointment when watching a movie adaptation of a book. They “saw” the main characters differently while reading, even though the book had no pictures.
The process of converting written text into sensory images is easy to observe in adults learning a foreign language. They truly understand what they read not when they’ve translated every word, but when they can “see” it - when they imagine it and feel it in their bodies. Translating is often not enough to grasp the full meaning, especially when we work with fiction and complex stories. Even if students have translated every word, they may still struggle to understand how all the words connect to create meaning. Only “seeing” what’s going on in their minds creates an unshakable experience of understanding something deeply and consciously.
Many scholars agree that language is a tool to translate thought into consciousness. We become aware of our own thoughts when we put them into words.
That’s why thinking out loud in class is such a powerful metacognitive strategy. It helps students understand their own thinking. It’s also why we talk to ourselves, even if it’s not always out loud. For example, we journal to make sense of our thoughts and experiences. We don’t write to be understood by others. . We write to understand ourselves.
The self-talk that we experience as internal verbal communication is how we explain our own thoughts to ourselves, making them conscious.
Sensory images are usually accompanied by words. This is how we create meaning. “For humans, verbal communication has become so dominant that sensory consciousness is often not experienced as genuinely conscious when it is not accompanied by covert or overt spoken language” (A. Peper).
Here is an example:
"An animal might look at a tree and experience it consciously. For a human, a tree usually becomes completely conscious only if a thought about the tree – or rather, a thought about the experience of seeing the tree – is put into words. The verbally expressed thought can then be communicated to others, which is a major goal in human life. For humans, just seeing a tree often does not meet the requirements of their world, which is based on interpersonal communication." (A. Peper)
Our experience of verbal communication becomes conscious when we speak or when we listen to others speak.
Let me explain.
The process of using language is not as straightforward as “1) I think a thought, 2) I express it out loud using language, and I’m fully conscious of the process”.
Our neural cognitive activity is essentially unconscious. The conscious experience of verbal communication is, at its core, a sensory phenomenon. We think through sensory images. In my work, I refer to them as “Mental Images” because we quite literally “see” what we say, read, or hear. We imagine it vividly.
We can break the process of speaking in any language into three steps:
- We think (unconscious cognitive activity)
- We become conscious of our thoughts when we perceive them as sensory images. (We ‘see’ what we have thought)
- We say the words. We translate sensory images into words when we speak. And vice versa, when we read or listen to others, we translate words into sensory images to make sense of what we heard or read.
This process explains why many people experience disappointment when watching a movie adaptation of a book. They “saw” the main characters differently while reading, even though the book had no pictures.
The process of converting written text into sensory images is easy to observe in adults learning a foreign language. They truly understand what they read not when they’ve translated every word, but when they can “see” it - when they imagine it and feel it in their bodies. Translating is often not enough to grasp the full meaning, especially when we work with fiction and complex stories. Even if students have translated every word, they may still struggle to understand how all the words connect to create meaning. Only “seeing” what’s going on in their minds creates an unshakable experience of understanding something deeply and consciously.
Many scholars agree that language is a tool to translate thought into consciousness. We become aware of our own thoughts when we put them into words.
That’s why thinking out loud in class is such a powerful metacognitive strategy. It helps students understand their own thinking. It’s also why we talk to ourselves, even if it’s not always out loud. For example, we journal to make sense of our thoughts and experiences. We don’t write to be understood by others. . We write to understand ourselves.
The self-talk that we experience as internal verbal communication is how we explain our own thoughts to ourselves, making them conscious.
Sensory images are usually accompanied by words. This is how we create meaning. “For humans, verbal communication has become so dominant that sensory consciousness is often not experienced as genuinely conscious when it is not accompanied by covert or overt spoken language” (A. Peper).
Here is an example:
"An animal might look at a tree and experience it consciously. For a human, a tree usually becomes completely conscious only if a thought about the tree – or rather, a thought about the experience of seeing the tree – is put into words. The verbally expressed thought can then be communicated to others, which is a major goal in human life. For humans, just seeing a tree often does not meet the requirements of their world, which is based on interpersonal communication." (A. Peper)
How many times did you look at let’s say, “a tree” in your life and didn’t understand that it was a tree unless you paused, paid close attention, and said something out loud about “the tree” in front of you? How many times did you become aware of a tree only after reading about its history and significance in a tour guide? How many times have you walked past a tree or another object without really noticing it, even though you definitely saw it?
When we practice conscious reading in my classes, we always read out loud. Students usually experience a breakthrough when they become truly aware of what they have just read. Depending on their English level and the length of the text, getting there can take 5-10 attempts. They may have seen the page or read it many times before, but after we have completed the conscious reading exercise and the practice of perceiving “mental images”, they finally get to fully understand and experience the content. This transforms reading into a conscious experience, engaging not just the mind but the body as well. They see, hear, and connect to what they have read on a human level.
This conscious practice helps students not only remember foreign words and grammar structures but also consciously use them in their own speech. First, they “see” it. And they see it differently in a foreign language compared to how they “see” it in their native one. As a result, different words are often needed to convey the same experience in another language. For example, “teal” is a color that doesn’t exist as a single word in my native language. If I simply translate the word, I will never help people “see” the color I’m describing. The translation won’t be accurate enough. Similarly, “flaky” is a trait that doesn’t exist as a single word in my first language. Words like “Kryptonite” or “Jedi” can’t be translated either. Understanding these terms requires examining a whole cultural layer, which is essential for using them correctly in English.
When we practice conscious reading in my classes, we always read out loud. Students usually experience a breakthrough when they become truly aware of what they have just read. Depending on their English level and the length of the text, getting there can take 5-10 attempts. They may have seen the page or read it many times before, but after we have completed the conscious reading exercise and the practice of perceiving “mental images”, they finally get to fully understand and experience the content. This transforms reading into a conscious experience, engaging not just the mind but the body as well. They see, hear, and connect to what they have read on a human level.
This conscious practice helps students not only remember foreign words and grammar structures but also consciously use them in their own speech. First, they “see” it. And they see it differently in a foreign language compared to how they “see” it in their native one. As a result, different words are often needed to convey the same experience in another language. For example, “teal” is a color that doesn’t exist as a single word in my native language. If I simply translate the word, I will never help people “see” the color I’m describing. The translation won’t be accurate enough. Similarly, “flaky” is a trait that doesn’t exist as a single word in my first language. Words like “Kryptonite” or “Jedi” can’t be translated either. Understanding these terms requires examining a whole cultural layer, which is essential for using them correctly in English.
I didn’t grow up watching Star Wars or reading comic books. I never even held a comic book as a child. Instead, I devoured the thick volumes of Russian classics that filled our family library. Because I never had sensory images of “Kryptonite” before I began learning English, I couldn’t initially relate to the word. I understood it only after I became consciously aware of the concept and learned to connect it to the appropriate sensory image.
The point I’m making is that “speech” is how we use the language to bring thoughts, consciousness, and a sense of things into being - at least, this is how I approach it in my work. Speech has distinct characteristics in every language: melody, rhythm, pitch patterns, intonation, pace, vibe, energy, and more.
When adults want to improve their fluency in a foreign language, their primary goal is to be understood by others,- not just when they’re prepared, but at any moment. They want to be able to speak, respond, understand, and listen to others even when they’re unprepared. They need better English skills to live a better quality life, and life is relationships. Life is connections. Life is people. Nothing is predictable about people or relationships. To be spontaneous is to be willing to take risks; to be both spontaneous and authentic is twice as risky.
People come to me wanting to be understood in unplanned, real-life situations, and we work on developing their spontaneous speaking skills in English.
As we begin to practice full authentic expression in another language, people quickly realize that knowledge of English (as a set of words and grammar rules) isn’t enough to express thoughts, emotions, insights, or experiences.
When we speak spontaneously—in any language—, the same cognitive processes take place. At first, we’re unconscious of our own thinking process. Our thoughts are sort of responses to external stimuli, and most people walk around the planet unaware of their internal thought process, even though they are constantly immersed in it. Then, we become conscious of our thoughts by perceiving sensory images. Only after that can we translate these images into language, i.e. words. These words can be intended for others, but they can also become our internal verbal communication. We might hear our own thoughts as words; we may choose to write them down in a private journal - also as words.
I agree with Noam Chomsky that “language is not a means of communication and did not evolve as a means to communicate with others”.
In my 18 years of teaching and learning, I have come to agree with Chomsky time and again: “language evolved as a mode to create and interpret thought. It’s a system of thought.”
The point I’m making is that “speech” is how we use the language to bring thoughts, consciousness, and a sense of things into being - at least, this is how I approach it in my work. Speech has distinct characteristics in every language: melody, rhythm, pitch patterns, intonation, pace, vibe, energy, and more.
When adults want to improve their fluency in a foreign language, their primary goal is to be understood by others,- not just when they’re prepared, but at any moment. They want to be able to speak, respond, understand, and listen to others even when they’re unprepared. They need better English skills to live a better quality life, and life is relationships. Life is connections. Life is people. Nothing is predictable about people or relationships. To be spontaneous is to be willing to take risks; to be both spontaneous and authentic is twice as risky.
People come to me wanting to be understood in unplanned, real-life situations, and we work on developing their spontaneous speaking skills in English.
As we begin to practice full authentic expression in another language, people quickly realize that knowledge of English (as a set of words and grammar rules) isn’t enough to express thoughts, emotions, insights, or experiences.
When we speak spontaneously—in any language—, the same cognitive processes take place. At first, we’re unconscious of our own thinking process. Our thoughts are sort of responses to external stimuli, and most people walk around the planet unaware of their internal thought process, even though they are constantly immersed in it. Then, we become conscious of our thoughts by perceiving sensory images. Only after that can we translate these images into language, i.e. words. These words can be intended for others, but they can also become our internal verbal communication. We might hear our own thoughts as words; we may choose to write them down in a private journal - also as words.
I agree with Noam Chomsky that “language is not a means of communication and did not evolve as a means to communicate with others”.
In my 18 years of teaching and learning, I have come to agree with Chomsky time and again: “language evolved as a mode to create and interpret thought. It’s a system of thought.”
This means that it’s impossible to effortlessly and spontaneously express yourself to others in a foreign language unless you have mastered the process of forming thought in that language.
If you don’t practice explaining things to yourself in the target language, you won’t be able explain them to native speakers.
Many language learners tend to talk to themselves in their native language and reserve the use of the foreign language exclusively for speaking to others. As a result, they are genuinely spontaneous only in their first language, and they create conscious thought only in that language. If they don’t practice tapping into and steering their unconscious cognitive processes in another language, they will find themselves constantly translating words, because natural expression of consciousness in the target language is unaccessible to them. The conscious mind will resist and bypass the effort to send or perceive sensory images in the new language and opt for direct translation instead, which feels easier and more straightforward. This approach might work for simple tasks, such as reading a list of ingredients on an ice cream container. However, as soon as we dive into the complexity of human relationships and expressing emotions, translation methods restrict expression and never enrich it.
I work with adult language learners who have acquired a whole lot of unconscious speaking patterns without realizing it. Essentially, I’m in the business of shifting deeply ingrained patterns, which is one of most difficult tasks for a human. I help people unlearn the unwanted patterns though conscious practice, and they often unconsciously resist letting go of them. What’s interesting is that these patterns are typically acquired from direct translation of thoughts from their first language.
Since 99% of people learn the language with the goal to communicate with others, and not to develop their own speech (both inner and outer speech), they hurry to communicate their thoughts before truly understanding HOW native speakers of the target language create and interpret thought. As a result, a lot is lost in translation. Incorrect speaking patterns form through frequent, unconscious repetition of what seemed right to the speaker, but was unclear to the listener.
I find it fascinating that even though people learn a foreign language to communicate with others, few reach advanced levels with a real understanding of others’ perspectives or the ability to take on different perspectives. Instead, they are primarily fixated on expressing their own thoughts—translating the words they hear in their heads. They rarely practice what I call “checking understanding”: making sure that their message is not only conveyed but also correctly received. Even more rarely do they consider the importance of checking in with their listener. They are convinced that if they say it “correctly”, it has been understood.
When language learners focus on speaking “correctly,” they often choose words that match the literal translation of what they would use in their native language. Yet, they remain disconnected from the true meaning of the words they end up using.
Many language learners tend to talk to themselves in their native language and reserve the use of the foreign language exclusively for speaking to others. As a result, they are genuinely spontaneous only in their first language, and they create conscious thought only in that language. If they don’t practice tapping into and steering their unconscious cognitive processes in another language, they will find themselves constantly translating words, because natural expression of consciousness in the target language is unaccessible to them. The conscious mind will resist and bypass the effort to send or perceive sensory images in the new language and opt for direct translation instead, which feels easier and more straightforward. This approach might work for simple tasks, such as reading a list of ingredients on an ice cream container. However, as soon as we dive into the complexity of human relationships and expressing emotions, translation methods restrict expression and never enrich it.
I work with adult language learners who have acquired a whole lot of unconscious speaking patterns without realizing it. Essentially, I’m in the business of shifting deeply ingrained patterns, which is one of most difficult tasks for a human. I help people unlearn the unwanted patterns though conscious practice, and they often unconsciously resist letting go of them. What’s interesting is that these patterns are typically acquired from direct translation of thoughts from their first language.
Since 99% of people learn the language with the goal to communicate with others, and not to develop their own speech (both inner and outer speech), they hurry to communicate their thoughts before truly understanding HOW native speakers of the target language create and interpret thought. As a result, a lot is lost in translation. Incorrect speaking patterns form through frequent, unconscious repetition of what seemed right to the speaker, but was unclear to the listener.
I find it fascinating that even though people learn a foreign language to communicate with others, few reach advanced levels with a real understanding of others’ perspectives or the ability to take on different perspectives. Instead, they are primarily fixated on expressing their own thoughts—translating the words they hear in their heads. They rarely practice what I call “checking understanding”: making sure that their message is not only conveyed but also correctly received. Even more rarely do they consider the importance of checking in with their listener. They are convinced that if they say it “correctly”, it has been understood.
When language learners focus on speaking “correctly,” they often choose words that match the literal translation of what they would use in their native language. Yet, they remain disconnected from the true meaning of the words they end up using.
Their thought process occurs in their first language, while their spoken words emerge in another.
Unaware of this internal conflict, they often can’t understand why their communication with native speakers isn’t very effective, even if they have a strong command of the language.
The reason lies in the fact that they aren’t using the language to create conscious thought—they’re merely translating pre-formed thoughts. As a result, they sound like someone who’s trying too hard, rather than someone who is authentically sharing what they feel and think in the moment.
Many language learners believe that they have a clear understanding of what they want to say in their first language, and so they can easily translate what they register as conscious thought from their first language into a foreign one. This base assumption is not true. People focus on translating words, but we don’t think in words; we think in sensory images. When we communicate, the words we use must evoke the right sensory images in the mind of a native speaker. If they don’t, or if body language of the speaker doesn’t match the meaning of the word and the image it’s supposed to represent, verbal communication gets confusing.
For example, a person might like your ideas very much, but instead of nodding, smiling, and actively listening to you, they’ll keep a poker face throughout the conversation. This can be confusing, especially in situations like job interviews, where cultural interpretations of body language differ. A lot of foreign candidates will see a smile, and think it’s a YES, while it’s a polite NO. They will see a stern face and think it’s a NO, while it is a clear YES.
I was brought up by the Soviet parents, and I can share a personal example of how this plays out.
As a child, I often heard the phrase “много хочешь, мало получишь” which directly translates to "If you want too much, you'll get little."
The origin of the phrase is in the Bible:
Proverbs 13:4
4
Lazy people want much but get little,
but those who work hard will prosper.
The reason lies in the fact that they aren’t using the language to create conscious thought—they’re merely translating pre-formed thoughts. As a result, they sound like someone who’s trying too hard, rather than someone who is authentically sharing what they feel and think in the moment.
Many language learners believe that they have a clear understanding of what they want to say in their first language, and so they can easily translate what they register as conscious thought from their first language into a foreign one. This base assumption is not true. People focus on translating words, but we don’t think in words; we think in sensory images. When we communicate, the words we use must evoke the right sensory images in the mind of a native speaker. If they don’t, or if body language of the speaker doesn’t match the meaning of the word and the image it’s supposed to represent, verbal communication gets confusing.
For example, a person might like your ideas very much, but instead of nodding, smiling, and actively listening to you, they’ll keep a poker face throughout the conversation. This can be confusing, especially in situations like job interviews, where cultural interpretations of body language differ. A lot of foreign candidates will see a smile, and think it’s a YES, while it’s a polite NO. They will see a stern face and think it’s a NO, while it is a clear YES.
I was brought up by the Soviet parents, and I can share a personal example of how this plays out.
As a child, I often heard the phrase “много хочешь, мало получишь” which directly translates to "If you want too much, you'll get little."
The origin of the phrase is in the Bible:
Proverbs 13:4
4
Lazy people want much but get little,
but those who work hard will prosper.
My parents, like many in the Soviet Union, never read the Bible and didn’t reference the Bible when they used the phrase. Instead, this phrase was primarily associated with the fairy tale of Alexander Pushkin “The Tale of the Fisherman and the Fish”, which criticizes greed.
In this tale, an old man and woman lived poorly for many years. One day, the man goes fishing and pulls out a golden fish. The fish pleads for its life, promising any wish in return. The old man is scared by the fact that a fish can speak; he says he does not want anything, and lets the fish go. When he returns and tells his wife about the golden fish, she gets angry and tells her husband to go ask the fish for a new trough, as theirs is broken, and the fish happily grants this small request. The next day, the wife asks for a new house, and the fish grants this also. Then the wife asks for a palace, to become a noble lady, to become the ruler of her province, to become the Queen, and finally to become the Ruler of the Sea and to subjugate the golden fish completely to her boundless will. As the man goes to ask for each item, the sea becomes more and more stormy, until the last request, where the man can hardly hear himself think. When he asks that his wife be made the Ruler of the Sea, the fish cures her greed by putting everything back to the way it was before, including the broken trough.
During the times of the Soviet Union, this phrase acquired an additional layer of meaning, which many explain today as “poverty mentality” or “scarcity mindset”. After the Soviet Union collapsed, in 1990s, even basic necessities were hard to get. Even if you wanted milk, you might have wanted too much. Milk was not always available. People would stand in lines for food and often come home empty-handed.
When my parents used this phrase, they didn’t mean to lower my ambition—they wanted me to recognize limits in a time of scarcity. “You want too much” meant “Please understand that we can’t afford this”
Translating this phrase into English loses all these nuanced layers. For me, it instantly brings back memories of childhood and a complex cultural context that would be unfamiliar to someone who didn’t grow up in that world.
When my parents used this phrase, they didn’t mean to lower my ambition—they wanted me to recognize limits in a time of scarcity. “You want too much” meant “Please understand that we can’t afford this”
Translating this phrase into English loses all these nuanced layers. For me, it instantly brings back memories of childhood and a complex cultural context that would be unfamiliar to someone who didn’t grow up in that world.
This example shows how “sensory images” are dependent and limited by our personal experiences, making true fluency in a foreign language much more than just knowing the words—it’s about understanding the culture those words represent.
That’s why I offer Accent Classes for my community members. My message isn’t “fix your pronunciation.” It’s “embrace what it means to sound like a different person.” You can’t sound American if you don’t understand what it means to be American. This process helps learners explore new facets of themselves, understanding that adopting a new language doesn’t erase their original identity but adds to it. We explore the other parts of self. We don’t get rid of anything. We add new sensory images, new cognitive skills, new speaking behaviors, new movements of the tongue, new sounds, new ways to relate to others. Because we’re adding so much more to our existing identity, we need new ways to express the new parts of the self.
Coming back to the idea that developing speech means helping a person use the language to produce consciousness: I’ve shown how translating thoughts doesn’t capture their true depth, and how traditional language learning methods skip over the crucial step of helping learners perceive and recognize sensory images.
Most language learners focus on translating prepared thoughts from one language into grammatically correct sentences in another. This works for simple situations, but not when one must answer an unexpected question, react to someone’s spontaneous emotional response, or stand up for themselves in a foreign language,
A person will have no time to prepare a structured speech first, and then translate it to another language. In these moments, our initial response is more likely a sensory image in our first language. If that image doesn’t translate correctly into the target language, communication fails.
That’s why I offer Accent Classes for my community members. My message isn’t “fix your pronunciation.” It’s “embrace what it means to sound like a different person.” You can’t sound American if you don’t understand what it means to be American. This process helps learners explore new facets of themselves, understanding that adopting a new language doesn’t erase their original identity but adds to it. We explore the other parts of self. We don’t get rid of anything. We add new sensory images, new cognitive skills, new speaking behaviors, new movements of the tongue, new sounds, new ways to relate to others. Because we’re adding so much more to our existing identity, we need new ways to express the new parts of the self.
Coming back to the idea that developing speech means helping a person use the language to produce consciousness: I’ve shown how translating thoughts doesn’t capture their true depth, and how traditional language learning methods skip over the crucial step of helping learners perceive and recognize sensory images.
Most language learners focus on translating prepared thoughts from one language into grammatically correct sentences in another. This works for simple situations, but not when one must answer an unexpected question, react to someone’s spontaneous emotional response, or stand up for themselves in a foreign language,
A person will have no time to prepare a structured speech first, and then translate it to another language. In these moments, our initial response is more likely a sensory image in our first language. If that image doesn’t translate correctly into the target language, communication fails.
True fluency requires using the target language as a direct means to become aware of our thoughts, turning unconscious mental activity into conscious speech, in real-time.
To develop spontaneous speech in a foreign language, we need to practice thinking in that language. This means we need to learn to become aware of our own thoughts through speaking, not before speaking. This means consciously connecting words to images and experiences, rather than simply translating word-for-word. If we rely solely on translation, we may speak correctly, but without the sense of belonging or connection that comes from truly embodying the language. Achieving this level of fluency involves embodying the qualities of someone who speaks the language natively. It’s not just about knowing vocabulary but about understanding the emotions, cultural cues, and perspectives that shape how native speakers express themselves.
This is why my methodology includes embodiment practices, helping learners to feel the language, not just speak it. This allows them to hear comments like, “Your energy is different—it feels like I know you. It doesn’t feel like I’m talking to a foreigner; I can talk to you just like I talk to my mom”, reflecting a deeper connection that transcends grammar and pronunciation. We are energy when we speak. People feel our energy before they analyze our words.
When I say “language learners”, I’m referring to advanced learners who feel stuck and limited in their expression despite having strong vocabulary and grammar skills. They keep applying the same methods that got them to an advanced level, focusing on learning more language rather than developing the skill of spontaneous expression. To reach new heights, they must shift their focus from preparing for exams to genuinely expressing themselves.
When we express ourselves to others, we must send the sensory images that they will be able to receive and understand.
“In verbal communication humans refer to other people’s conscious sensory experiences from the past. When I tell somebody that it smells of autumn outside, I do not convey the conscious sensory experience of the smell of autumn I had myself, but I refer to that person’s past sensory experiences of autumn smells. In spoken language, this is the closest we can come to communicating sensory experiences…
Consciousness is part of the sensory mechanism; language, or rather the use of words, is in itself not conscious. The words are symbols referring to sensory images, which are conscious. The sound of words is of course heard consciously, but the sound is only an intermediary, a tool to excite the sensory images constituting the verbal message. Hence, verbal consciousness, i.e. consciousness evoked by the words used in talking, is essentially sensory consciousness. Referring to conscious sensory images in the listener is the way conscious thoughts are communicated verbally. It constitutes the brilliant trick verbal communication is based on.” (A. Peper)
N. Chomsky says that universally the cognitive activity is all humans is the same, but the way we express ourselves varies depending on the language we speak. We all think a multitude of thoughts a day and speak to ourselves all day. While we might feel as though we think in words, words are just tools to make our thoughts conscious.
As people, we have the strong impression that we are conscious of our thoughts in language. "But apparently, language is only an intermediary in the process of becoming sensorially conscious of our thoughts and the real problem then is that those thoughts cannot be expressed accurately through language” (A. Peper). Consequently, genuine expression of thought in another language can’t be achieved through direct translation.
In conclusion, studying a foreign language will never yield satisfying results if the goal is to express ourselves fully, spontaneously, and authentically in a foreign language. We must direct our efforts to developing speech in the target language (both inner and outer speech). This means, we must practice the creation of conscious thought in the target language.
Spontaneous speech development, as well as the concept of sensory images is often neglected because it can’t be standardized or easily measured. It’s also practically impossible to teach in a traditional classroom setting. Yet it is the key to moving from merely speaking a language to truly living in it. It’s why I’ve dedicated my work to developing and sharing tools that enable this kind of fluency. The methodology exists, the community of people who practice it exists, and I am a living proof that it works.
References:
On Language and Humanity: In Conversation With Noam Chomsky, August 12, 2019.
Analyticity and Chomskyan Linguistics, Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy
Human Consciousness: Where Is It From and What Is It for, Boris Kotchoubey 1,*
Science, Mind, and Limits of Understanding, Noam Chomsky
A general theory of consciousness II: The language problem, Abraham Peper