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What is critical thinking?

by Angela Mccoy

Created on: September 08, 2008

The following essay concentrates on the role of language and language diversity in the critical thinking process, how one's language either limits or empowers the expression of intrinsic thought, and the art of utilizing the critical thinking process in persuasion.

Language assigns meaning to objects in our environment, to actions, to emotions, and to all the subordinate details within. Language allows us to communicate with one another via verbal and nonverbal means, as well as through gestures and body signals. This concept provides a mode of expressing and receiving the ideas and feelings of others.

Language permits us to describe an event in such a way that the receiving party feels as if they were actually there, experiencing the occurrence first hand.

Language allows us to explore the minds of others and interpret our own meaning from their words. Language takes us on a journey, allows us to explore our world, discover unique perspectives, and review our own emotions. We can view the world with the innocence of a child, taking fascination in every observation, picking apart every detail, and amazing our selves with our own creativity.

The English language is full of limitless word combinations, which promote an in depth thought process called critical thinking. Like the possible combinations of words to form a thought, there are also many perspectives from which to view it. The more language we acquire, the better armed we will be to understand these multiple subjective views.

The English language very few words of its own. Most derive from other dialects across the globe, and are then modified in one way or another to suit the speaker or writer. Within our multicultural nation, though, the English language is so diversified that many English-speaking people cannot understand one another. Accents and intonations make it difficult to comprehend a great deal of what is being said.

A diverse vocabulary enables a person to speak or write to a prismatic population. If the content of the message is clear and powerful, it provokes thought and will be understood. The more words that circulate through your head, the better you observe. A keen observer with an extensive vocabulary can affect their audience on a personal level by means of conveying a thought that appeals to people from multiple backgrounds.

Words are powerful if used wisely, yet meaningless or confusing if translated the wrong way. The key is to know your audience and to speak to their experiences, their

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