Language Barrier

KyraDune · Jan 1, 2012

My MC has come across some characters that don't speak the same language as he does and I'm feeling a little stuck. These new characters have important information that my MC needs, but I can't figure out how to get them communicating. I don't think drawing is going to work, besides it would become tedious for the reader. Things are time sensitive, so they can't be learning each others languages. This is fantasy and there is no advanced technology for making any kind of translators. There is magic, but it's not spells and things like that, it's only abilities that people are naturally born with. I would appreciate any suggestions.

Buffysquirrel · Jan 1, 2012

A lot of SF uses mathematics as a lingua franca. Other than that, someone whose magical ability is to understand different languages?

I have a scene in one novel where the protag and another communicate using drawings, but it's only short.

maxmordon · Jan 1, 2012

How complex is this new information? Could perhaps have some sort of middle point between both languages, like English, French and German sharing some words or, if the information is not too complicated, some charades or pointing out objects easy to relate through cultures, for example, pointing out a gold coin to refer money or to refer a monarch who appears in said coins...

jjdebenedictis · Jan 1, 2012

Would it be at all believable for them to have a second language in common?

My English-speaking cousin once managed a conversation with a girl from Japan because they both spoke decent French.

Rhubix · Jan 1, 2012

jjdebenedictis said:
Would it be at all believable for them to have a second language in common?

My English-speaking cousin once managed a conversation with a girl from Japan because they both spoke decent French.

I know a couple, man from Sweden, woman from Mexico who met in Canada and spoke English together. It's pretty romantic.

In the mean time, even though it might be tedious to the characters to try and mime through conversations you don't need to write it that way.
Ten minuets of hand gestures and dancing can be bared down to a sentence.
What is the nature of the information they have?

jmlee · Jan 1, 2012

I guess my question is... why do the other people speak a different language to begin with? Is it important that the MC has difficulty getting at the important information? Does the foreign language come into play later?

You are god in your novel. Careful about introducing hurdles that you can't leap

Otherwise I'd go with having a side character who speaks a little of both and acts as an interpreter. If it's important that the language barrier is a challenge, the side/support character could require some sort of steep payment or something?

KyraDune · Jan 2, 2012

jjdebenedictis said:
Would it be at all believable for them to have a second language in common?

No. This is the final book in a trilogy and I already stated in an earlier book that these people speak a language no one else does. Their culture has had no contact with my MC's world. In the earlier book these people were only alluded to, this will be the first time they actually play into the story.

Rhubix said:
What is the nature of the information they have?

My MC has been magically transported into another place and some weird things have happened that need to be explained. Plus, he's looking for something and these new people could help him find it.

I guess I could try the charade thing, but the other MC is lost and the MC who has met these new people needs to go find him and bring him back. I can't figure how to have her explain that.

Psychomacologist · Jan 2, 2012

How about if just one of these strange reclusive people speaks enough of the MC's language to get by? If the people in your MC's world have heard of them, they must have had SOME contact at some point. What if, to these people, the MC's language is a 'dead' language, like Latin or Ancient Egyptian, and they have one nerdy old scholar who's studied it and can speak it very badly?

Also, if your MC got transported there, why not someone else? What if another person had been transported there a few years ago, so they had time to learn the language and could translate for the MC?

Not sure how your world works so that might not work for you, but it's an idea.

Teinz · Jan 2, 2012

Sign-language. There's a lot one can say via simple hand gestures.

And then there is telepathy. No language needed. One can feel what the other wants.

Debbie V · Jan 2, 2012

Does the MC have a photo of the friend he's looking for? Then one of the others could recognize the picture and try to give him the info he needs.

Snick · Jan 2, 2012

One way around hat is for there to be some drunk in the area who used to be ambassador to the place where the other language is spoken, and they sober him up long enough to trnslate.

lbender · Jan 2, 2012

Vulcan mind meld - certainly not limited to just Vulcans.

KyraDune · Jan 2, 2012

Some interesting ideas. Thanks guys.

BethS · Jan 2, 2012

The easiest solution is to have a trading language, known to most travelers. Even an isolated community might know a few words.

Otherwise, it's sign language and pantomiming. You don't have to actually describe the individual movements they use to communicate. Just summarize: "A long time later, after much confusion, Bob thought he finally understood what the chieftain was trying to communicate: Janet was hiding in a cave north of the pass."

dogfacedboy · Jan 3, 2012

Hand gestures and sign language could help add to your story, especially if it leads to some kind of misunderstanding.

But if this is the third book in a trilogy, I assume you know your characters pretty well. What would they do when confronted with this situation? How do they normally tackle a problem?

Hirvan · Jan 4, 2012

Make the protagonist go out and find somebody who can speak both languages, and get him to translate.

KyraDune · Jan 4, 2012

I think I'm going to go with hand gestures. I tried all your suggestions and that one seemed to flow most naturally. Thanks for all the help guys, I really appreciate it.

Language Barrier

KyraDune

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Buffysquirrel

maxmordon

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jjdebenedictis

is watching you via her avatar

Rhubix

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jmlee

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KyraDune

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Psychomacologist

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Teinz

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Debbie V

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Snick

lbender

KyraDune

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BethS

dogfacedboy

Hirvan

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KyraDune

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