Language Barrier

Ever since I walked off the plane in Amsterdam I realized I would have issues talking with other people. Especially in Europe, there are so many languages represented that you can hear in one room. On trains and buses, instructions and information are read in usually at least two languages, which usually never happens in Nebraska.

Not speaking the main language in a certain place can be scary. If you need something, you’ll need to find someone who speaks English well enough to communicate with and this can be very difficult. In some instances, I have looked very dumb walking around asking people if they speak English and looking back this scares me. By not knowing the language I can seem very vulnerable to others. I remember, standing on the train platform when I got off at the wrong stop and asking if anyone spoke English and no one did. I have never felt so alone in a crowd of people. In that moment, I had no way of communicating with them because I didn’t have a translator or a phone that I could assist me in translating.

Restaurants are another difficult thing when it comes to language barriers. Everything from the drinks to getting the bill is difficult to communicate with the server. I have gotten to the point where I don’t even try to sound out the name on the menu, I simply point at the name on the menu. I have made a few mistakes though, at one point, I saw the word shrimp and assumed it would be American style shrimp where it is all cleaned and you just eat everything but the tail… Little did I know that here shrimp is served differently. I tried really hard to get myself to eat the shrimp, but I couldn’t. I have also had issues when I went to the gelato places in Prague and in Olomouc. I did not know the numbers at the time and asking for ONE scoop of ice cream was very hard. There were some instances where I ended up with a mountain of ice cream. I was okay with it though! 

I also think that Czech speakers appreciate when you try to say words in Czech. To me, it shows a respect for their culture and how they live. I have talked to a few Czech natives who have said that they really like when nonnative speakers attempt to say simple words such as “ahoy” or hello. I think that I need to work on saying simple words like that more when I am out and about because it will show that I am putting in effort to be apart of their culture.

All in all, I think the most important way of communicating with others who don’t speak the same language as you, is to smile. A simple gesture that can go a long way. Body language also has an effect on people around you. I think it is important to portray myself as a welcoming person, especially when I know there are non-English speakers around me. If I smile at someone, I notice that they are more willing to look me in the eye and say something, even if it is not in my own language.

Over the next two months, I hope to learn more of the Czech language so that I am able to communicate better with the people I am around on a daily basis. By doing this, I will help bridge a gap and build stronger relationships.