Start Dialogue Practice and Begin to Enjoy its Benefits

 Learn By Doing

            At first, there are those who do not see the great importance of the practice. Soon they begin to know their practice companions and to feel more comfortable. Many begin to like being listened to and heard. Others begin to find pleasure in listening to other sand practicing improved listening skills. Then others find the new meaning and understanding coming into their lives is pleasantly empowering.

                Many begin to sense the value of the skills they are practicing and learn by doing.

                Soon enough many really get into the dialogue. They begin to see that it can support individuals and society, and lead to more beneficial action. They begin to know what it means to suspend judgement of opinions, opinions of their own and those of others.  The begin to find the value of doing so. They begin to see value in looking over available opinions and discovering some of their sources. They begin to see and know more interesting stuff.

                They may begin to feel it natural to appreciate the objective of listening to every one, one at a time. They come to see the value of listening to what each has to say. Some manage to listen without judgement and to know the reason why. Some even come to feel that their own words are gifts.

                It comes to be that nearly everyone is really trying to understand what each speaker is trying to express. They experience some success at doing so. In time they begin to better understand why others say what they do and also to learn more of the why of that what they themselves say. Wow, they experience a lot.

We Learn A Lot From Our Practice Experience

                We begin to share some common content and get to know each other. More and more we find ourselves in meaningful and creative talk. Our understanding grows and often so do our opinions and the way we value the opinions of others without having to accept them as our own.

                As we practice we can find that looking at many things together can be a revelation. Our understanding grows. Just learning a bit of the life experience of another can be a revelatory.

                We sometimes find that sharing in a certain common way is pleasure and empowering in a way not so common.

                We find that we are defending our opinions and positions less and trying to persuade others less and find that others are doing the same. At the same time we find benefits of our dialogue increase.

                We find that we understand the meaning of assumptions more usefully and also come to better understand the experiences which support them.

                There is more about the practice of dialogue in the other posts on this blogsite.

                It is okay to ask questions

                Thank you for reading.

                                                                                Richard Sheehan

English Language Practice

Dialogue With RCS: We have called it a Magic Table dialogue group. It could be called a dialogue for peace. It can also be an English language dialogue.

                As an English Language practice group our dialogue is a very productive way to practice any level of English. The beginning learner has a focused, listening practice, a focused hearing practice, important steps to good pronunciation skills.  At the same time the beginner is getting contextual understanding practice.

                This practice group can be of considerable interest to a native speaker of English. Such an English speaker can learn fun, empowering, culture enhancing rules of Magic Table Dialogue. He, or she, can also learn dialogue for peace skills for dealing with and appreciating the assumptions and opinions very different from his own. She can also make friends with individuals of a language and culture from her own.

                A typical learner of English can build his or her word power by hearing targeted words in context. She also learns to hear the pronunciation, enunciation, and accent of a variety of English speakers. She will hear a number of persons each speak a given word in their own way. A learner may choose to listen for, say, pronunciation or she may choose to focus on contextual meaning. Practice is the main aim here.

                Each participant also has opportunities to speak and to be heard. A speaker will have his speech heard by a very interested group of listeners. A speaker will be closely listened to as she expresses herself.

                Our dialogue is not a substitute for your other language studies. It is very appropriate supplementary practice. In learning to speak a language appropriate practice is necessary.


What's in it for you?
~ You can learn dialogue skills and get great productive practice in the use of English.
~ You can improve your listening skills.
~ You can practice hearing and understanding what is said.
~ You can practice using English with a group of persons of importantly similar interests.
~ You can practice using a language other than your own.
~ You can improve your understanding of a people and a culture.
~ You can experience many people listening to you with interest.
~ You can get to know others well in a safe atmosphere. 
~ You can learn to be understood as you speak English.
~ You can learn to be better understood by a variety of English speakers.

I believe that you can come up with other advantages and benefits available to you in our program of practice.



                                                                                    by Richard

 

Find Out More About The Dialogue

 Dialogue With RCS: Its a group of us talking together in a better way

 

            Our dialogue practice is designed to create areas of coherence in the vastness of misunderstanding. Most ordinary talk in our society may be called incoherent.
Often a major benefit of our dialogue practice is to experience the power of collectively shared meaning.

            To learn learn our dialogue takes ongoing practice. This practice we have called The Dialogue, Dialogue For Peace, Magic Table Dialogue. 
 

            The dialogue has rules which call for practice to develop proficiency. The rules need not be rigid, but they do point to correct practice  which is important.

            The first practice may be called a listening practice, but it calls for use of voice, as well as ears and mind.

             A result can be thinking together the dialogue is aimed at thinking together coherently. Thinking together coherently calls for sustained dialogue. Thinking together is both satisfying and the source of a great power. We believe that it is well worth the effort to practice. Thinking together is a learning and growth process. It occurs consciously and also on an unconscious level. It may be expected to take on a renewed honesty. Thinking together is a learning and growth process. It occurs consciously and also on an unconscious level. It may be expected to take on a renewed honesty.

            There were times and places when this kind of talk as common, but these days it is uncommon. I believe that it is urgent that we practice this sort of dialogue now. It is urgent that we practice a more effectively honest communication. By we, I mean everyone willing to practice the dialogue. This "we" is inclusive.

            There is much more to say and make clear about this dialogue, but I may have said enough here for now. There is a good deal more on this blog now and there is more on the way. 

            This blog is designed to be interactive and I am hoping to be reading and responding to your comments about the dialogue soon. Questions and requests count as comments. Check out the "comments' section its just below. Click on the word "comments" or on "no comments."

            Thanks for your visit and for reading.

 

 

                                                                                rcs

 

 

Our Dialogue

Dialogue With RCS: About the Nature of Our Dialogue

 

                Our dialogue talk is designed to create areas of coherence in the vastness of misunderstanding. Often a major benefit of our dialogue is to give us a better chance to experience the power of collectively shared meaning which we have created. Most ordinary talk in our society may be called incoherent. To learn to do our dialogue talk, takes ongoing practice. This practice we have called Dialogue for Peace, Magic Table Dialogue, and just The Dialogue. The Dialogue has rules which call for practice. The rules need not be rigid, but they do call for practice which is important. 

                The Dialogue is aimed at learning to think together coherently. Thinking together coherently calls for sustained practice. An early practice may be called a listening practice, but calls for some use of your voice as well as of your ears and mind. Thinking together is both satisfying and a great power.  We believe that it is well worth the effort.

                This thinking together is a learning and growth process. It occurs on various levels of consciousness. It occurs in one, in mental talk to one's self, or even on unspoken levels. We could just say that a lot of learning goes on in dialogue our practice.

                Make comments below. I respect suggestions and am grateful for them.
Suggestions about how the dialogue might be done online can benefit us.
You may place whatever you have to say in the "Comment" area below anonymously, with a pen name, ot just your regular name.

                   Search this blog with one of the several avenues of search available here.

 

                                                                                                    RCS

Dialogue Practice Notes

Dialogue With RCS: Notes about the new kind of communication being used by many.

                I am kind of starting in the middle of this dialogue practice stuff because I do not know where the beginning is. Come to think of it, I believe that there is no end to it either. Is there and end to the practice of medicine?  Maybe, but so far, when the career of one doctor ends another doctor continues the practice. 

                The practice of medicine is important. By reading on you may discover that many consider the practice of dialogue more important than that of medicine.  The practice of dialogue is certainly serious.  It is also interesting and fun.

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                Plunging right into a serious part of  dialogue practice I can say the following:
After a time of dialoguing we can better understand how a certain opinion or assumption of another participant has come to be held. That's serious isn't it? Have you never thought to yourself, "How can that person have such a belief or opinion!?"

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            Dialogues of the kind I have been speaking of have been called Dialogue For Peace, Magic Table Dialogue, Fair Fighting dialogue, and just plain Dialogue Practice.  I have thought of calling it Dialogue For the Creation and Preservation of Culture, but have not done so until just now. This practice has also been call a Listing Practice.

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                I have been writing these bits about dialogue as though we were the dialogue practitioners and plan to continue doing so.

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                We will bring our assumptions to our dialogue for peace practice group for it is impossible not to bring them. Those assumptions will come up.  Our purpose  is not to judge them, not to suppress them, not to believe them or to disbelieve them.
Our purpose is not to see them as good or bad. Our purpose is to listen for them, to hear them, to recognize them, and to accept  their  existence.

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                There are lots of rules for good dialogue practice, but not much enforcement of those rules. One may take them as very valuable suggestions. 

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                The idea in our practice group is not to change anyone's mind.
The aim is try to see  what each assumption means. The purpose is to understand the experience which gives a particular assumption it's birth and which supports it 

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                So we are here coming to see that dialogue practice entails a listening practice of a group of listeners. One person talks for a bit and gets to be well heard. Than another talks and is well heard. We all become better listeners. Some  have mistakenly thought that a dialogue practice is only for and between two persons. In our dialogues there are many great listeners who all listen to one person at a time.  You will be that person who is well listened to and well heard.

                Thank you reading. Your visit is important.

 

 

                                                                                    RCS