How To Overcome Language Barriers While Traveling

Taking a trip to a foreign country can be thrilling and fascinating, however, it can also be challenging when you have to overcome language barriers while traveling. Not being able to speak the language of your travel destination can make communicating with locals, ordering food, or navigating your way around difficult.

However, with the right tools and mindset, you’ll be able to overcome language barriers while traveling and make your trip an adventurous one. In this article, we have compiled 10 ways you can overcome language barriers while traveling to a foreign country. So let’s get started!

1. Focus On Your Body Language 

It can be frustrating when you’re in a situation and want to communicate but are unable to do so with the right words. Meanwhile, communicating with your body language differs greatly from culture to culture, so ensure you have an idea of what you’re saying in body language. 

When you can communicate non-verbally (in any culture), it’s a skill in itself. It’s always worth trying to communicate if you feel like talking, you’ll be impressed with your abilities. Therefore, if you were able to do it once, you can do it a thousand times!

2. Make Friends

One of the best ways to overcome language barriers while traveling is to make friends with people who understand the language. Once you start communicating with your friends, you’ll pick up the language very quickly. Interestingly, if you fall in love with someone who doesn’t speak your language, you’ll be amazed at how fast you’ll learn it! 

Furthermore, the aim is to stay as close to the language as possible. This will lead to constant interaction with someone who knows the language and the easier it’ll become. The moment people get familiar with the tone of your voice, the manner and ways of moving will make them understand you.

3. Take Notes

To overcome the language barrier have a few pre-prepared notes that you can always refer to if you need to express yourself in a scary situation. For instance, purchasing a bus/train ticket in a small town with no internet access, or when applying for visas. 

With this, you’ll feel relaxed and it’s also a way to lower anxiety in certain situations. However, it’s not an effective method for your daily use. You can just take notes of a few things, jot down some major points, or the first few words you might want to say to boost your confidence. Without a doubt, you’ll get tired of jotting things quickly, so don’t write down an entire conversation.

4. Keep A Positive Mindset

As a first-timer, learning a language is a very slow and steady process, therefore, you should be nice to yourself. It takes more than a week to become fluent in a language, so take it one step at a time. When you travel to a foreign country, you’ll realize that the people are friendly and they almost always want to understand what you’re saying.

Meanwhile, you’ll feel at ease when you assume this, so assume it! It’s always true when you believe that the person you’re communicating with wants to understand you, they’ll probably end up understanding you. As strange as it may seem, it is true!

5. Participate In Language Exchanges

One of the ways to overcome language barriers while traveling is to participate in language exchange programs. It’s so valuable and worth their weight in gold. Meanwhile, you can easily get people who want to learn English as it’s so helpful for international careers. People also find private tuition with a native speaker out of their price range or it’s simply not available.

A language exchange is a cultural way of breaking down language and cultural barriers, a form of diplomacy. Furthermore, if you have the possibility in mind and create time, you’ll likely find an individual excited to share their language. You can also check out apps to help you meet other travelers that can assist you.

6. Develop A “Learn It Before You Need It” mentality

There are a whole lot of resources that can help you overcome language barriers out there. Although it doesn’t translate to getting a dictionary or downloading an app, it simply means investing in whatever suits you. It could be music, radio stations, or YouTube videos since they are all fantastic ways to learn a new language.

Needless to say, most of these resources are free! We recommend that you choose one or two methods and try them to see the outcome. If you find the process of learning a new language easy and interesting, then you are more likely to stick with it.

7. Strategize

Another great way to overcome language barriers while traveling is to focus solely on what you want to learn and achieve it! Now ask yourself, what do you want to learn? Do you want to become a fluent speaker or do you just want to be able to hold a basic conversation? Also, do you want to learn for work or pleasure? Find answers within yourself and focus on learning. 

Sometimes, you shouldn’t bother yourself so much on learning the bulk of a language but rather know the greetings, days of the week, and how to order food. Make the process worthwhile! For instance, there are various situations where people expect to be approached, and if you can get a better way to communicate then go for it.

Also, be strategic, it’s better to ask for help or direction from someone in a ticket office in a metro station rather than an individual rushing by in a suit with a briefcase, on the phone.

8. Pay Attention To Visual Signs

Even though this one somehow relates to body language, it’s essentially enough to warrant its own space. Visual signals are so important and great when you can successfully use them. This point may seem cringy, but using your environment can help take you pretty far.

However, be observant of the culture you are in and do research if necessary. For instance, smiling in some cultures doesn’t translate to happiness, and pointing at people is an offensive thing to do. Generally, just the basic visual signs can help you find necessities like a restroom, food, water, or accommodation. 

9. Be Adaptive

As an avid traveler, one thing you can relate to is that when traveling, the situation is not always the same. Sometimes, you just have to stop trying as it’s not honorable to push the same point if the bulk of your message has gotten through. 

Also, you may just end the conversation with a polite thank you and go somewhere else for help, which is okay. Just read the situation you’re in, and keep yourself in the best position you can.

10. Google it

You have been expecting it and here it is! Yes, Google Translate isn’t perfect, but it’s one of the ways to overcome language barriers while traveling. It could be so valuable and come in handy when necessary. Meanwhile, you may not be able to pick up a large part of the culture, but you can communicate with it when the need arises.

Especially since you can change whatever you say into text in a different language. It’s feasible to hold an entire conversation with someone without knowing a word.