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<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>My solution over the years has been what I
call the International Bar Technique (IBT). Doubtless you have had the
experience of going into such an establishment and spying an individual you
REALLY wanted to talk to (most usually of the opposite sex). However, as the
fates would have it, you were separated by that terrible thing, “The
Language Barrier.” Then in the natural (self organizing) course of
events, passion prevails and barriers are crossed thanks to friendly strangers,
half remembered high school French, German, whatever… to say nothing of
sign language and pantomime. When people care to communicate the odds are it
will happen. And it is very clear that when people don’t care to
communicate no amount of simultaneous translation will do a bit of good. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>

<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>

<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>By definition, people are in Open Space
because they care – which means they will find a way to communicate. And
if they don’t care, they shouldn’t be there. End of problem. I
think my record was 24 languages in a single group. Everything worked perfect,
and at the end people even said that they had fun finding “Language
buddies.” A problem became an opportunity.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>

<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>

<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>Of course you can make things a little
easier by pinning language flags on folks, rather like the airlines, but I’ve
never found that made too much difference. By the time people got close enough
to see the flag they had usually figured out the language. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>

<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>

<p class=MsoNormal><st1:place w:st="on"><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span
 style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>Harrison</span></font></st1:place><font
size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;
color:navy'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>

<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>

<div>

<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>Harrison Owen</span></font><font
color=navy><span style='color:navy'><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>

<p class=MsoNormal><st1:Street w:st="on"><st1:address w:st="on"><font size=2
  color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;
  color:navy'>189 Beaucaire Ave</span></font></st1:address></st1:Street><font
color=navy><span style='color:navy'><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>

<p class=MsoNormal><st1:place w:st="on"><st1:City w:st="on"><font size=2
  color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;
  color:navy'>Camden</span></font></st1:City><font size=2 color=navy
 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>, <st1:State
 w:st="on">ME</st1:State> <st1:PostalCode w:st="on">04843</st1:PostalCode></span></font></st1:place><font
color=navy><span style='color:navy'><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>

<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>207-763-3261 (Summer)</span></font><font
color=navy><span style='color:navy'><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>

<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>301-365-2093 (Winter)</span></font><font
color=navy><span style='color:navy'><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>

<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>Website <a
href="http://www.openspaceworld.com">www.openspaceworld.com</a> </span></font><font
color=navy><span style='color:navy'><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>

<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>Personal Website <a
href="http://www.ho-image.com">www.ho-image.com</a> </span></font><font
color=navy><span style='color:navy'><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>

<p class=MsoNormal><st1:PersonName w:st="on"><font size=2 color=navy
 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>OSLIST</span></font></st1:PersonName><font
size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;
color:navy'> </span></font><font color=navy><span style='color:navy'>To
subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options </span></font><font size=2
color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;
color:navy'><a href="http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html"
title="http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html"><font size=3
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman"'>http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html</span></font></a></span></font><font
color=navy><span style='color:navy'><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>

<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 color=navy face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;color:navy'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>

<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 color=navy face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;color:navy'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>

<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 color=navy face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;color:navy'> </span></font><o:p></o:p></p>

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<div class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><font size=3
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>

<hr size=2 width="100%" align=center tabindex=-1>

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<p class=MsoNormal><b><font size=2 face=Tahoma><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Tahoma;font-weight:bold'>From:</span></font></b><font size=2
face=Tahoma><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Tahoma'> <st1:PersonName
w:st="on">OSLIST</st1:PersonName> [mailto:<st1:PersonName w:st="on">OSLIST</st1:PersonName>@LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU]
<b><span style='font-weight:bold'>On Behalf Of </span></b>rachel pfeffer<br>
<b><span style='font-weight:bold'>Sent:</span></b> Tuesday, August 25, 2009
11:47 PM<br>
<b><span style='font-weight:bold'>To:</span></b> <st1:PersonName w:st="on">OSLIST</st1:PersonName>@LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU<br>
<b><span style='font-weight:bold'>Subject:</span></b> multilingual groups</span></font><o:p></o:p></p>

</div>

<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>

<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'>Hi OS Folks: I'm new to the listserv and to OS. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>

<div>

<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'>I'm wondering what your experiences are with groups that are
multilingual? <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>

</div>

<div>

<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'>There are too many sessions to provide translation services....<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>

</div>

<div>

<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>

</div>

<div>

<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>

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<div>

<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'>Thank you,<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>

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<div>

<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'>Rachel<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>

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<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>

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<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'><br>
-- <br>
Rachel Pfeffer, Consulting<br>
New Solutions to Old Problems<br>
<a href="mailto:rbpfeffer@gmail.com">rbpfeffer@gmail.com</a><br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
"Those who say it can't be done are usually interrupted by others doing
it." James Baldwin<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>

</div>

<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'>* * ========================================================== <st1:PersonName
w:st="on">OSLIST</st1:PersonName>@LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU
------------------------------ To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options,
view the archives of oslist@listserv.boisestate.edu:
http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html To learn about
OpenSpaceEmailLists and <st1:PersonName w:st="on">OSLIST</st1:PersonName> FAQs:
http://www.openspaceworld.org/oslist <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>

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