21.Nov.2009 The benefits of language barriers

(Photo by Curious Expeditions)

I’ve had plenty of people say to me, “Oh, I’d love to move France/Spain/Indonesia/wherever, but I don’t speak enough French/Spanish/Indonesian.” I understand where they’re coming from: I’m a communicative person; I need to express myself in order to know my place in the world. Not being able to do that is a scary thing!
Whilst I would encourage you to learn as much of the language as possible before moving or travelling to a new place, I also tell you to stop using it as an excuse not to make those plans. Stop pursuing a goal that’s actually holding you back from achieving your real dreams!
You will never learn a language more rapidly than when you have to use it everyday, in all of your interactions. Plus, there are a bunch of other benefits that come from living with a language barrier that you might not realise:

It gives you a sense of humour
One time I was carrying bags of groceries home from the supermarket. A couple of cars went by and beeped their horns at me, yelling something at me – what, I had no idea. Until I went past a window, glanced at myself (we all do it, admit it!) and realised that my skirt had hiked itself up to my butt, exposing my underwear to everyone!
Then there’s the time I ordered chitterling (pig intestine) sausages, not knowing what they were. And awkward conversations in which neither party understands what the other is trying to say are an almost daily occurrence.
Thing is, you have to laugh! Life in a different culture is ridiculous, and it’s pretty darn funny at times.

It makes you more humble
It’s one thing to sympathise with new immigrants who can’t necessarily speak the language of your home country. It is a completely different thing to be that person! You’ll soon realise the value of a kind gesture from a stranger or a patient store attendant.
A lot of us use our words for power. When those words are taken away from us, you discover that you’re just like everybody else, and that there’s nothing wrong with that.

It makes you more resilient
Oh, I cannot tell you the number of rude comments I’ve had to endure! The number of embarrassments I’ve had to withstand! Thing is, I’m not fluent in French. My comprehension is pretty good, but my ability to express myself lets me down sometimes. So whilst I can understand when someone is making a racist or unkind comment about me, I can’t hit them back with a cutting remark like I would if they spoke English. So I just say, “That’s not very polite.” (In French, duh.) And you know what? That’s enough. The more you deal with this stuff, the less it matters (for a while, at least. I don’t claim to be an oppressed minority).

You learn how to communicate in different ways
Let’s just say, thank goodness I’ve got my hands! Gestures have saved me on many occasions. And I’ve learnt the true value of a smile – when all else fails, just smile! (Or cry, depending on the circumstance – I’ve heard that can help too!)