How bad can language barrier affect your trip?

I haven’t really read much about this topic over the internet but I do think it is something a lot of people dread about when planning a trip and even more, I do think that people even get to change their destination for the fear of how bad the language barrier  can affect their trip. First and foremost I think language barrier is beautiful, or maybe let’s just say languages, it is what makes a big part of a certain culture and without it traveling wouldn’t be the same. I do understand the frustration some people have (more so people that only speak one language fluently) when trying to get around not speaking any language that could possibly help them.

In big cities english signs are everywhere (Seoul, South Korea)

I take it from my parents for instance, one time they flew to Vancouver to visit me and they couldn’t really speak english, which was fun to watch but also how the language barrier can be overcome if both parties are willing to. Even after this trip my dad started taking english classes and hopes to try his english now at an english speaking country again. But one thing is for sure, if both parties are willing to communicate they will, and it is even more awesome to see that happening. It just shows that social, cultural, religious or any other kind of differences are really backwards and unnecessary.

During my travels I’ve faced a lot of language barrier which I learned to understand and work around it, not to mention body language like people say it does tell a lot, at this point in time many touristic cities are very prepared to welcome foreigners so chances are there won’t be any language barrier, which is why I like so much traveling out of the beaten path. Also, language barrier means a new language you’ll end up learning a few new words.

A drinking song a Finnish Backpacker taught us at a hostel

Germany was the first country I’ve ever been to where I didn’t speak the language, although all my german friends speak great english I still enjoy watching people and how they communicate. Truth to be told watching foreign behavior is something I really pay attention to, and most of the times without even noticing. I like to see how people talk, their gestures, posture, speaking pace and so on. I’m not trying to go all shrink here but I subconsciously catch myself sometimes picking so many details about people that even scares me, not in a creepy kind of way.

Playing games on my phone with this young South Korean

I can say I really faced the biggest language barrier of all my first time traveling to Russia. I had heard all kind of stupid comments from people such but not limited to ‘Russias are unfriendly’, ‘They can’t speak english’, ‘Don’t go to Russia’ and some other racist comments not even worth mentioning here. Anyways, I made it to Russia the first time to the not very touristic city of Vladivostok, why I chose that city? I was already visiting Seoul which is only a couple of hours flying to Vladivostok and I’ve always wanted to see Russia and more so Russians. I had booked my flights and was going to stay there 5 days which at first I was thinking it was a decade, little did I know I was wrong. I arrived in Vladivostok and from my research I knew I had to take a bus to go to my hostel but I had no idea where the bus would leave from or its name, even if I did I wouldn’t be able to read it anyways. I tried asking for a couple of Russians who were even on my flight from Seoul ‘do you speak english?’, ‘NO’, information desk inside the airport couldn’t really tell me much either but out of nowhere this Russian who was on the same flight flying from Seoul jumped in and said ‘I speak english and I can take you to your hostel’. That’s how ‘unfriendly’ Russians are, the guy drove me through this downpour to literally the hostel’s front door and handled me his business card saying ‘don’t hesitate to call me if you ever need help in Vladivostok’, I was flabbergasted shocked about having that happen to me during my first hour in Russia.

I checked in to the hostel, which actually only had Russians staying there and they didn’t speak english, luckily there was a huge sign at the main entrance with the password for the wifi, I was done, I could talk to them! But not making this to extensive, from  the second day on I would barely use Google to translate my conversation with them, we would make gestures, speak words we knew (myself speaking the probably 5 words in Russian I know and them trying to speak some words in English) and do a lot of pointing too. My first day there I was so tired that I crashed very early in the night but then on my second day I started getting to know the people who lived in that hostel and before the day was up I knew deep inside that those 5 days in Vladivostok that I thought were too much were actually going to be too little. One of the mornings I was woken up by the hostel owner’s grandchild who couldn’t speak a single word of English and I couldn’t speak a single word of Russian but we got along just fine and even took a few selfies.

Eating in a foreign land is always interesting

I then got in touch with some Russians on Couchsurfing and was I happy I did so, they were the friendliest people, they were texting each other making sure there was always someone to show me the city and take me to places and all in all make sure I was having a good time. I was even stopped on the streets a couple of times by Russians intrigued where I was from and if I was enjoying Russia and etc. So much for ‘unfriendly’ Russians huh?

Nothing like a remarkable logo

That’s another thing that comes with that fear people have about language barrier, pre-judgements and most of the time pointless and stupid pre-judgements. I went to Russia not expecting much at first and left after those 5 days mad at myself for not having stayed longer. The language barrier there was minimum, most of the time I would try and communicate to a local we were only using our body language and gestures that prove language barrier is something that can always be overcome.

Funny thing was when I flew to New Zealand after visiting Russia and Seoul I felt like something was missing, a kind of excitement and that was when I knew, language barrier is not that bad after all.

I didn’t use to travel much but once I started, I just can’t stop travelling. On Can I Pack? I try to share how I make my travels work out because travelling shouldn’t be hard.