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The document discusses the dual nature of language as both a tool for communication and a potential barrier that can hinder understanding between people. It emphasizes the importance of language in expressing identity and facilitating relationships, while also highlighting the challenges posed by language barriers in various contexts. Solutions to overcome these barriers include using plain language, providing translation services, and promoting active listening and visual communication methods.

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14 views

opinionpiece_language

The document discusses the dual nature of language as both a tool for communication and a potential barrier that can hinder understanding between people. It emphasizes the importance of language in expressing identity and facilitating relationships, while also highlighting the challenges posed by language barriers in various contexts. Solutions to overcome these barriers include using plain language, providing translation services, and promoting active listening and visual communication methods.

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© © All Rights Reserved
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Language- A window or a barrier, or both.

“There are over 7000 languages worldwide and many linguists believe that language
originated around 100000 BC”.

As we see through this window, the path of life is bright and green and it is dark and dull.
Here the bright side of the image signifies language as an efficient tool to see and
understand things (the path of life/success) easily whereas the darker side shows that if the
language is not known to us it makes life/things difficult and dark.

Language and its importance.


“Language, a system of conventional spoken, manual (signed), or written symbols by means
of which human beings, as members of a social group and participants in its culture, express
themselves. The functions of language include communication, the expression of identity,
play, imaginative expression, and emotional release.” Now you might think why is language
important in our lives? In our daily lives we speak and communicate with others using
language especially while talking to those who speak language like ours. There are different
languages spoken worldwide .And believe it or not Chinese mandarin is one of the top
language spoken worldwide after English. Furthermore language helps the people living in a
particular place are able to understand and communicate with each other .To summit it up
language is a very important tool for communication. It is not only a tool that connects one
person to other but also if language is not present whether it is spoken, sign, or even body
language, no one will be able to understand which inturn would lead in conflicts.

Language barrier.
What is a language barrier? In the most basic term, it is the lack of common language that is
among two or more people from speaking to or understanding each other. For example an
English speaking person travels to china and comes across a person who could only speak
Chinese in this situation it can be said that there is a language barrier while communicating.
“It plays a vital role in helping people build a bridge of relationships. At the same time,
language acts as a destroyer of bridges of human relations because it separates people from
each other. Language continues to remain a barrier to convey our messages to people in the
globalization and communication era. Language barriers are a common challenge in
international business, aviation and social settings.” Language affects our daily life. Have you
ever heard of linguistic relativity? it is the theory which shows the relation between
language, perception and thought “The core theory is called the deterministic theory, it is
scientifically proven, and it states that the language you speak shapes the way you think and
influences your behaviour.” Each language in a way applies things in a way which grammar works,
it is a unique window to the world. Taking example of Russians there’s no word just for blue, you
have to specify whether you mean dark or light blue. Where as in Chinese, you don’t say next week
and last week but the week below and the week above. If a language dies, a fascinating way of
thinking dies along with it. Through the experiments we observe that a language can have
fascinating effect on how its speakers think. As the Russian speakers are on average 124
milliseconds faster than English speakers at identifying when dark blue shades into light blue.

Example of language barrier and how can it be solved.


“For example, if a Scottish farmer talks to a person from London, they do not understand
most of the words the other says even though they both speak English. The word ham and
bacon can be used interchangeably in Scotland but they are different in England. Similarly,
pidgin is the simplified language used between people who do not speak common language.
The implications of words and phrases can create misunderstandings. For example, the
abbreviation “LOL” used in chat language used to mean Lots of Love before, which changed
to Laugh Out Loud. If a person says LOL, the second person can interpret the meaning in any
way they want or from their understanding. People use both the abbreviations according to
the context and need.” Another example of language barrier is an Italian man coming to
India for medical treatment but unable to explain the Indian medical staff about his medical
issue which leads to chaos.
How to overcome language barrier.
1. Use plain language: Whether you’re working with someone who knows your primary
language as a secondary, or you’re trying to communicate a deeply technical problem to
your non-technical co-workers, everyone should get in the habit of using plain language
whenever possible. Using jargon or esoteric vocabulary only creates the opportunity for
miscommunication and makes people feel bad that they can’t understand what you’re
saying.

2. Find a reliable translation service: You’ll see several free websites that claim to translate
text from one language to another, but they may not account for different dialects. And
sometimes, words have different usages in different cultures .Thus one must find a
translator which fulfils the users requirements.

3. Provide classes: include a crash course to your jargon during early years of learning and
on-going learning classes later on. And everyone needs to be able to speak a common
language to plan for the future. One must offer free classes for learning the language.

4.Active learning: “Words are not the only way that people communicate, and sometimes
silence speaks louder than words. If you are a poor listener, you are a poor communicator.
Communication is not simply about what the other person says. Active listening is a
communication tool that people use in business and in their personal lives that helps them
to ensure that even when they are listening, they are communicating. Active listening
involves reflecting back to the person in question what they have just said. There are several
tips and skills that you can build into your own communication strategy to improve your
active listening skills.”

5. Use visual methods of communication: Words often fail us, and when they do, showing
can be a lot more effective than telling. Use pictures or diagrams to explain complicated
concepts.

6. Use repetition: Language barrier or not, people often need to hear something more than
once to understand and remember it. Don’t expect anyone to remember something you
said once. If it’s important, make it a regular part of your communication.

7. Be respectful: Language barriers, like all barriers to communication, can be frustrating.


They require patience, understanding, and conscientiousness. Talk slower instead of louder,
clearly instead of forcefully. And remember, when someone is working through a language
hurdle, it has nothing to do with their actual intelligence or ability to grasp the concept
behind what you’re trying to say. Continue to speak proper English as you search for
common ground, so they can learn how to understand correctly, too.

Final thought.
Language barriers can be a challenge, but working with people of different cultures and
backgrounds is what drives innovation, creativity, and success. Don’t let language barriers
stand in the way of embracing everything a diverse workplace has to offer.

References
http://www.dumbaaldum.org/

TED TALKS

https://youtu.be/xNmf-G81Irs

https://youtu.be/hiM48j_NZOU

https://youtu.be/ks4VL0VNekI

https://youtu.be/z-zoL4ry8nI

TIMES OF INDIA

March 14, 2016, 2:58 PM IST V Raghunathan in Outraged | India | TOI

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