The Struggles of Language Barriers in a New Country
By: Yome Jimmy
One minute, you’re home, surrounded by familiar faces and the comforting hum of your native language. Next, you’re in an unfamiliar land, where the words surrounding you are strange, fast, and impossible to understand.
The street signs are unreadable. The voices of strangers blend into an overwhelming noise. You try to speak, but your words feel trapped in your throat. Even when you find the courage to say something, the blank stares or polite smiles remind you that you don’t belong there.
This is the reality for millions of refugees forced to flee their home countries due to war, persecution, or political instability. The struggle doesn’t end at the border. Instead, it transforms into a new battle, the fight to be understood.
In this blog post, we’re going to take you through the journey of Leila, a teacher from Syria, who fled her country because of the civil war for a better life. Her story highlights the real struggles refugees face when they move to a new country.
Until eighteen months ago, she was Mrs. Abdallah, a respected high school literature teacher in Damascus, Syria. Her classroom was a sanctuary where she could shape young minds with nothing but her words and passion. The day Leila fled Syria with her two children, she knew she was leaving behind her home, her career, and her community. What she didn’t realize was that she was also leaving behind her voice.
For Leila, starting a new life in another country was supposed to be a fresh start. But from the moment she arrived, language became an invisible barrier between her and her new home.
The first time she walked into a grocery store to buy bread and milk, she realized every label on the shelves was written in a language she didn’t understand. The price tags look like strange symbols, and she had no idea how much anything costs.
She stood there for a while, feeling lost and unsure of what to do, wanted to ask someone, but didn’t know how to say the words.
After a few minutes, she saw a kind-looking woman putting groceries in her cart. Gathering her courage, she pointed at the bread and milk and tried to ask if it was good. The woman smiled, nodded, and even helped her to checkout. She held out some money, hoping it was enough. The cashier took what was needed and gave her change.
It was a small victory, but it gave her hope. Step by step, she would learn, and one day, grocery shopping wouldn’t feel so hard.
But that was only the beginning of the journey for Leila.
In her home country, she had been more than just a teacher, she was a mentor to young educators, and a respected voice in her community. In her new country, her qualifications meant little without fluency in the language. She applied for jobs but faced rejection after rejection.
Like Leila, many refugees arrive in a new country with skills, experience, and dreams, yet they find themselves stuck in low-paying jobs, or worse, unemployed, simply because they cannot communicate effectively. A study by the OECD found that refugees with language barriers earn 25-40% less than those fluent in the local language.
For children, the challenge is even greater. Many arrive in new countries unable to understand their teachers or classmates. For them, language difficulties lead to isolation, falling behind in school, and struggling to build friendships.
Navigating language barriers soon became a daily routine for them.
Leila had always known that healthcare was often a matter of life and death, but she never thought seeking medical attention could feel so impossible like her present experience. She learned this the hard way. When her daughter developed a severe fever, she rushed to the hospital. But explaining symptoms in a language she barely understood was overwhelming. The doctor’s words blended together, and she nodded uncertainty, hoping she had understood the prescription correctly.
A report from the JAMA Network found that patients with limited language proficiency are 25% more likely to experience medical errors due to miscommunication and this was the case for Leila. It wasn’t until her daughter’s condition worsened that she realized she had misunderstood a critical instruction about dosage frequency.
Language is more than communication, it is connection. Without it, making friends, forming relationships, and feeling like part of a community becomes difficult.
A study by the Pew Research Center found that 35% of refugees experience deep loneliness due to language barriers. Imagine sitting at a dinner table where everyone is speaking, laughing, and sharing stories, but you can’t join in. This isolation can lead to anxiety and depression. The inability to communicate creates a constant sense of alienation, making it even harder to adjust to their new lives.
Leila’s experience is not unique. According to the UNHCR, more than 80 million displaced people worldwide face language barriers that hinder their ability to integrate, find jobs, and access essential services. Each of these 80 million people have their own version of Leila’s story.
For Mohammed, a former surgeon from Afghanistan, it meant watching his medical expertise go unused while he worked as a janitor. For Fatima, an accountant from Sudan, it meant struggling to help her children with homework she could no longer understand. For young Yusuf from Somalia, it meant being placed in classes three grades below his actual knowledge level simply because he couldn’t express what he already knew.
At Creshendo, we understand that language is an important part of integrating into a new community. It’s the key that unlocks new opportunities, allows refugees to build meaningful connections, and gives them the confidence to navigate their new world.
But we also know that integrating into a new environment and learning a new language is not easy, especially for someone who has already lost so much. That’s why we’re committed to helping them integrate through vocational job training, and community support.
You can help too.
Here are a few ways you can get involved:
Volunteer as a language buddy: If you speak the local language fluently, you can help a refugee practice by simply having conversations with them. This not only helps with language skills but also fights isolation and builds community connections.
Donate to support Creshendo’s Mission: Your contribution helps us provide free vocational learning materials and tools to help refugees integrate into their new communities. Even small donations make a significant difference in the lives of people like Leila.
Be patient and welcoming: If you meet someone struggling with the language, take a moment to help. A simple smile, a gesture, or speaking slowly can make them feel included. Remember that behind the halting speech is often a person who was articulate and confident in their native language.
Raise awareness: Share stories like Leila’s to help others understand the struggles refugees face and why support is so important. By building understanding, we create more welcoming communities for everyone.Visit our blog today to read more on how you can be part of the work we do at Creshendo to help refugees like Leila build bridges across the many challenges they face, and integrate into their new countries, one day at a time.
