Language Barriers to Effective Communication

Abstract

Barriers to effective communication are obstacles that breakdown the communication process because they prevent the flow of information between a sender and a receiver. People should pay attention to the proper pronunciation of words, emphasis, intonation in sentences and what is also important to know how some similar-sounding words differ, because in most cases their meanings are definitely diverse.Language barriers may arise when the sender makes errors in grammar and spelling. These mistakes can create communication problems in written communication. In communication with foreigners, it is important not to use ambiguous or vague words or phrases. Ambiguity arises when the sender and the receiver of the message assume different meanings to the same words, phrases, and sentences or use different words to convey the same meaning. Among the other language tools scientists criticize the usage of jargon (special words or abbreviations used by a particular profession or group) and slang (informal phrases or words are more common in speech than writing and typically restricted to a particular context or group of people).