Language Barriers

Oi Misaki

Language barriers can be difficult to avoid, especially if you are living in a

country where the language you speak is not the first language. Language

barriers usually occur when two people who speak different languages

cannot understand one another, and there is a breakdown in language and

communication. They can also come from physical language disabilities

which include stuttering, articulation disorder and hearing loss. People who

travel a lot or live in an area which has a lot of foreigners might experience

language barriers. They can cause unnecessary misunderstandings, and

many people get frustrated or irritated easily which can even lead to

conflict. Language Barriers limit the knowledge of individuals too. Indeed,

they cause a big impact on our lives, and getting rid of them completely

might be impossible. However, language barrier one of the major problems

that most people are facing, now that the world is getting more globalized.

There are roughly 7100 languages which are spoken in just 196

countries across the world. In addition, a language like Chinese can be made

up of 200 different dialects. It also has four basic tones that affect the

meaning of each word. For instance, tāng means soup, táng means candy,

tăng means to lie down and tàng means to be boiling hot. Certainly, it can

lead to many misunderstandings. English is one of the most widely spoken

languages in the world, and it easily borrows words from other languages.
The word “gift” for example, exists in both English and German. However,

both vary in meanings. In English, it means something that you give to

somebody, like a present. However, in German it means poison. It is likely

that a German speaker would be offended to hear such things from an

English speaker, even if that wasn’t his motive. Such simple

misunderstandings can easily cause a conflict.

Frustration is another effect of language barriers. Ordering a meal

in a foreign language might cause you to leave the place and go to the

convenience store instead to grab what you want and just pay for it. To

make things sound more complicated, waiters in America might ask you,

“How would you like your eggs? Sunnyside up, Over easy, or Poached?”

Imagine that restaurant has a lot of tourists who probably don’t know the

different ways eggs can be cooked. The native waiter probably would have to

explain it more than ten times a day. Sometimes not understanding the

backgrounds of a language can have a great impact on people too. For

example, it is a must to use honorific expressions for Japanese when

speaking to a customer, but it is not the same for English. This way, non-

native speakers will feel irritated or annoyed that they are treated with a

negative attitude.

Language Barriers also limit the knowledge of individuals as they

lack comprehension and ability to communicate. It prevents the free flow of

information. Breaking down language barriers can increase productivity,

especially in work. Clearly, language barriers affect many companies. Based

on a news article, Forbes(http://resources.rosettastone.com/CDN/us/pdfs/Biz-

Public-Sec/Forbes-Insights-Reducing-the-Impact-of-Language-Barriers.pdf)
in 2011, 65% of workers said that in managing diverse workforces, language

barriers existed between their companies’ managers and other workers, and

67% of them also said that miscommunications were leading to inefficiency.

If we do not find a solution for that in this globalized earth, discrimination

will continue to escalate. It does not only affect employees, but it also stunts

the academic growth of students who study abroad or have lessons which

are not taught in their native language. However, there is a British

television program called “Mind Your Language” which was broadcasted in

1977. The show is set in an adult education college in London where

students from around the world and a native British English teacher can

communicate with one another despite their language backgrounds by

speaking English. In the world, 95% of the population speak English,

Russian, Mandarin, Hindi and Spanish together with the next hundred

most popular languages, whereas a mere 5% of the global population speak

the rest which are in danger of extinction. Languages are disappearing

faster than species, with a different tongue dying approximately every 2

weeks. However, linguists are making dictionaries, recording histories and

traditions, and translating oral stories to save these languages. It may be

good to have a language like English which people from all over the world

can understand, but be sure not to forget our own native languages too.

Language barriers are obviously a burden which affects many

people. It not only causes misunderstandings or frustration, but also hinders

relationships. It has a great impact on people’s lives, especially workers in

Japan, as they tend to escape when they see a foreigner approaching them.

However, avoiding such a situation forever isn’t possible. Fortunately, there

clearly, while frequently checking for understanding and don’t assume that

they have understood. Try to avoid using idioms and be careful of jargons.

Be patient, and use gestures. However, keep in mind that some gestures like

the “come forward” sign is used in the United States to ask a person to step

forward, but in Asia this gesture isn’t welcome as they believe that it should

only be used to beckon dogs. If you do it in the Philippines, you could be

arrested. So be careful because different cultures have different meanings to

gestures. By doing so, talking to a foreigner wouldn’t be so difficult and

embarrassing situations would hardly happen as well. Talking to someone

in the language they understand goes to their head, while talking to them in

their own language goes to their heart. Although it might take a lot of time

and efforts, it is necessary to break down language barriers, so that we can

lead an easier life.

 Forbes (2011) Retrieved August 28, 2017, from

http://resources.rosettastone.com/CDN/us/pdfs/Biz-Public-Sec/Forbes-

Insights-Reducing-the-Impact-of-Language-Barriers.pdf

 HUFFPOST (2014) Retrieved January 18, 2018 from

https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/09/03/language-extinction-

economic-development_n_5759850.html

 BBC Future (2014) Retrieved January 18, 2018 from

http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20140606-why-we-must-save-dying-

languages