The Indians Abroad

“The language barrier is probably the most difficult and takes the longest to overcome.” ~ Stephen Lee

Most of the times, the phrase ‘Language barrier’ refers to the difficulties people face during communicating if they don’t speak the same language; or if the speech or accent is too different to communicate effectively.
Almost everyone who ventures out to the worlds far-far away, the language barrier is one of the many hurdles encountered in the new land. For people migrating from India, even though they speak and understand English in most of the cases, the communication problems still exist. The fact is that spoken English in America or other Western countries is not the same as in India. The style, the slang, the acceptable norms….everything is different. One is bound to feel out of place in the beginning of this overseas journey.

The key issues surrounding the language barrier and the best ways to approach or alleviate them are:

The language knowledge: Knowledge of the English language is the most important step toward adjusting and adapting to the English speaking culture and society. The understanding of grammar and sound knowledge of vocabulary are necessary to build a reliable foundation for any language. For people from India, this is not a major issue because most of us learn English in school and have a good command of the language itself.

The ‘thick’ accent: The accent is natural; this is how we talk and speak in our native country growing up. The Indian accent of English –commonly called ‘thick’ accent- is very different from the way they speak English overseas. While there are ways to soften the accent or dramatically reduce it by practice and with conscious effort, it takes time to lose the accent. For details on this topic, refer to the previous post titled ‘A self-help guide to lose your accent!’.

The social norms of communications: Every society has different norms and customs – the greetings, the handshakes, the social etiquettes… While the younger generation abroad is less concerned with the social norms, it is important to understand the local customs and social behavior to adjust to the local ways of living. One can learn this by watching others’ social interaction, or learn it the hard way – the first hand experience. The later is harder at first but works quicker than watching from a distance. Pay attention to the social norms and be a good listener to improve your own language.

The art of small talk: The art of small talk matters. To be a part of a social gathering or for effective communication, one should be able to talk about nothing, the chit-chat. Again this can be learned by watching or trying first hand. For a lot more info on this, read the previous post, ‘30 Tips on the art of small talk!’ It provides some very helpful suggestions on the art of small talk.

Time – the great healer: As mentioned above, most of the issues related to the language barrier can be eliminated or minimized with practice over time. It takes time to adjust and adapt to the new surroundings, the new culture, the new ways of living….. In most of the cases, the trick is to pay attention – watch, listen and practice. Many of us make the mistake of watching and listening only, and avoid the situations of first hand practice. The practice is the most important component of this all. So practice the language, the accent, the small talk, the social etiquettes….; and then practice them more, again!

The bigger picture – don’t sweat it: Always look at the big picture. Having an accent or having some difficulties in social settings is not an end of the world. We all have handicaps and weaknesses, most of the time we compensate for those by working harder than others in those areas. Diversity is more and more accepted and understood in the developed countries. Lots of people in America and Europe have accent, including doctors and engineers. So don’t sweat it. With time, as we adjust to the local norms and language, the adaption becomes easier and quicker.

The language barrier is easier to overcome once we understand the different aspects mentioned above, and work on improving them. With globalization, the multi-culture societies are becoming very common. As a result, different languages and cultures are becoming accepted norms; the language barrier is easier to overcome now-a-days.

Custom Search