Language barriers: A dilemma or an opportunity?

Around me I can see St Mark’s Basilica, and a mix of tourists, locals and pigeons that crowd the square. As the queue gets shorter, my heart beats faster. I rehearse the sentence I just learned in my head once again. Six words. Can’t be that bad. As I get to the front of the line to order my scoop of ice cream, all the questions suddenly pop into my head: am I pronouncing this right? Is the person on the other side understanding what I’m trying to say? What if this isn’t even the correct sentence and I’m saying something completely different? The anxiety kicks in and it feels like I’m being judged by everyone in that queue, even the pigeons around me. As I get my ice cream, I leave with an awkward “thank you,” in perfect English.

Such an embarrassing moment, and all for some stupid ice cream. I tried, and that was good, but not speaking Italian automatically made me lose my confidence. Even today, years later, something so small is a vivid memory from that trip to Venice.

However, I still remember a time when not speaking the same language didn’t mean we couldn’t communicate. At the age of 9, my family and I went to visit my dad’s friend in Zurich for a week. Her kids spoke only German, and I didn’t know a word of German back then. And despite the clear barrier, it was one of the funniest weeks I have ever had. Those kids and I did everything together: played hide and seek, built a snow igloo, drew pictures and made sandwiches… all through gestures, expressions and smiles.

As we grow up, we become more self-aware, and there is no doubt that the fear of misunderstanding, or making a mistake is real

So, when did not speaking the same language become a reason for embarrassment? As we grow up, we become more self-aware, and there is no doubt that the fear of misunderstanding, or making a mistake is real. The feeling of not understanding, of losing control, is a scary one for many of us. It makes us vulnerable and uncomfortable. But sometimes, adults don’t realize that fluency in a language is not the only tool to communicate: two very different people who don’t understand each other at all can still become friends and have a great time. Or, at least, communicate with one another. The dilemma is also not as much in the lack of words, but in our anxiety about needing them.

In today’s world, a significant proportion of the population relies on translation apps, such as Google Translate or DeepL, to communicate when they travel and don’t speak the local language. And although these are useful tools, they are often not enough. My Spanish nan, for example, travels a lot, and so constantly relies on her phone to communicate with locals. However, she always says she prefers travelling with me for one simple reason: I can speak English. Communication goes beyond language. Reading a text on someone else’s phone never feels the same as talking face to face with that person. Even if they lack knowledge in your language, a phone just feels less personal. Although percentages vary, most agree that a high amount of communication is non-verbal: it constitutes of gestures, expressions and tone. That is mainly how animals, like cats and dogs, talk to us. But when we speak the same language, we forget that. We hide behind grammar, semantics and words, and often don’t realise that a smile or a thumbs up is enough to say what we feel.

Not speaking the same language tends to be a reason for fear or anxiety, which often leads to awkwardness, reliance on an app, and even avoiding interactions, when it should be a reason to seek adventure

Not speaking the same language tends to be a reason for fear or anxiety, which often leads to awkwardness, reliance on an app, and even avoiding interactions, when it should be a reason to seek adventure. Going back to my situation in Venice: is that fear worth losing an ice cream over? Imagine I had never decided to play with those children that I couldn’t understand. Would my memories of that trip be as happy? I highly doubt it. A smile instead of a thank you, or miming to express yourself, are the little things that make travelling so unique and special. The feeling of communicating without words is empowering. It makes you think that, if you have the attitude, you will be okay. You don’t need to be native. You don’t need to be fluent. You just need to try.