You and your cat may talk different languages, but that doesn't mean that you can't talk with each other. While every cat is different, there is a common code of expression that you can learn to read easily.
Indicators such as the look in your cat's eyes, the tone of his voice, the position of her ears, and the motion of her tail can provide important clues regarding feelings and intentions. Some people feel silly speaking to cats, because they think animals can't understand them. 
Yet these same people may feel comfortable carrying on long one-sided conversations with infants. Cats do receive information from your conversation: praise, comfort, and a sense of security.
The more cats are spoken to, the more they will speak back. You will learn a lot from your cat's wide vocabulary of chirps and meows. You will know when it is time to get up , when your cat is feeling affectionate, or when your cat is feeling threatened or is in pain.
Your cat doesn't necessarily have something urgent to tell you; a passing meow in the hallway may be a simple hello. You can also tell a great deal about what cats want or how they are feeling simply by the look in their eyes or their reaction to things.
Are your cat's ears twitching in your direction like satellite dishes when you are speaking? He is absorbing everything you are saying.
