Whether it’s your first homestay or your fifth, when people who speak a different first language are staying under the same roof, it’s inevitable that there’ll be some language barriers.
But there’s one thing for sure, by the end of the language homestay, both hosts and guests will have a deeper understanding of each other's cultures and language nuances.
Here’s our best tips and tricks on how to overcome language barriers.
Expert Tips for Breaking Down Language Barriers
1. Speak slowly and clearly
Maybe you speak with quite a strong accent or perhaps you naturally speak quite quickly? Either way, slowing down your speech and enunciating your words can really help the listener.
And it sounds simple, but it does actually take quite a bit of effort to remember to sustain it.
2. Don’t be afraid to ask for clarification or rephrasing
If your host says something that you don’t completely understand, don’t just nod along. They are very used to being asked to repeat themselves or explain something using different words.
This also applies the other way because even if a phrase or word is in their language, they literally may have never heard it before.
3. Practice reflective listening
When involved in a conversation in your new language, especially with multiple people, a good strategy to employ is reflective listening. This means paraphrasing your understanding of what is being said back to the group/speaker to confirm you are following along correctly.
4. Use repetition to familiarise language
Maybe this sounds a little silly, but again it will be something that homestay hosts are very used to. When you hear a new word or phrase, repeat it a few times to yourself. This way you can check you have the pronunciation right and also help commit it into your memory bank.
5. Try not to rely on idioms and slang
Having a good grasp of the slang terminology of a language is crucial to becoming fluent in it.
However it’s best not to depend on it in order to express yourself - at least not initially. You first need to be culturally aware and sensitive to when and where certain terms are appropriate.
6. Try to be patient
Learning a new language can be incredibly frustrating. And as much as it is important to be patient with each other in a homestay environment, it’s equally as important to be patient with yourselves.
Allow yourself to make mistakes. And also, hosts, ask for feedback on how you are doing.
7. Avoid closed-ended questions
You will get more out of conversations with your homestay host if you ask open-ended questions. That way if you don’t understand some words within a sentence, you will be much more likely to be able to fill in the gaps to follow what they are saying.
8. Use visual aids when necessary
Don’t be afraid to roll out visual props or show a photograph of something to facilitate breaking the language barrier. Both hosts and guests are as keen as each other when it comes making sure they are understanding and understood.
9. Break the ice online before meeting in person
Rather than just turning up at someone’s front door knowing nothing about each other, get a head start on any potential language barriers by chatting online first.
All Lingoo members are encouraged to get to know each other through the website's secure messaging system before meeting in person.
10. Introduce simple learning exercises early on
Particularly for beginner language learners, it may be a good idea to provide (if you are the host) or ask for (if you are the guest) some basics that will smooth the start of the homestay.
This could be as simple as sharing some key phrases or common words the host family uses.
Language homestays, especially with Lingoo, are designed to be as enjoyable as they are educational. And learning how to overcome language barriers is all just part of the experience.
To create a free profile and start your homestay journey with Lingoo today, simply click here.