For those who are immersed in a second language that is not their own, and in other situations where people need to understand each other across language barriers, there are some significant challenges in the process of listening, speaking and understanding others whose native language differs from one’s own. Looking closely at some of these issues helps those struggling with a language to bridge some of these gaps and communicate more effectively.
Comprehension
One big issue with comprehension in most languages is that native speakers tend to talk extremely fast. Even though those who are part of a local language community might not think that they’re talking at a particularly rapid pace, those with less understanding of the language can often struggle to keep up. In peer-to-peer native language situations, vowel and consonant sounds get shortened or eliminated altogether, some syllables get stunted or lost, and words get strung together in ways that really challenge the ear. This is a major issue for those who need to understand and speak a second language.
Phonetic Differences
Another big challenge is that each language has its own very particular tones and sounds, and its own rules for when these tones and sounds are used. It is frustratingly easy for one sound to shift into another, so that native speakers of a language will hear a different word, or a word that doesn’t even exist. Once that single word is lost to the listener, they are often left asking the speaker “what did you say?” This causes frustration for everyone involved and is a major hurdle in language fluency.
Impromptu Speaking
Even native speakers of a language often have problems with impromptu speaking, especially in front of crowds. There is the element of nervousness or stage fright, along with the fact that those speaking publicly cannot really plan their speech 100%. Speakers can work off of notes or ideas in their head, but in many cases, when it comes time to put these ideas together, precise phrases and transitional words can be hard to find. This can make their presentation less understandable to a group, again, leading to frustrations with this sort of inherent language barrier.
Other big challenges with language acquisition include the use of dialect or slang, along with the use of cultural references and idioms that can end up making no sense to someone who’s not accustomed to them. All of these challenges confront someone who is brave enough to tackle the task of becoming fluent in a second language or speak across linguistic and cultural lines.
