Speaking in tongues is a phenomenon within
Pentecostal and
Charismatic circles in which individuals speak, either in their private prayers or in a public meeting, in what appears to be a language, a "tongue" unknown to them. If they do this in private prayer, it is termed a "prayer language," and they may not have any idea during or after the prayer just what they said. It is believed that their "spirit" is in this way speaking directly to God without use of their conscious faculties. If they offer a message in one of these unknown languages publicly in a religious meeting, it is viewed as a communication directly from the Holy Spirit to the group. And it is expected that someone there will be given an "interpretation" of what the one speaking in tongues has said.
It is not usually claimed that such languages are specific human languages that are spoken somewhere on Earth. A typical explanation is that they are "heavenly languages," perhaps spoken by angels. Nor is the interpretation that is given perceived as a literal translation, but rather as a loose explanation of the intent of the message, given directly by the Holy Spirit to the interpreter.
