Living abroad in a place where you are not accustomed to communicating in a different language can lead to personal and practical challenges. However, this is only true if you are not proficient at it. Over time, even those who are not initially skilled can enhance their fluency and grammar.
Speaking a non-native language outside your home country can result in significant social and practical issues if you are not proficient in it. This is clearly illustrated by a new immigrant student whose native language is not English and is studying in an English-speaking country. Not only does misunderstanding the slang and sarcasm used by peers make him feel excluded, but also the inability to express ideas effectively may portray him as inferior when addressing practical issues. In contrast, individuals who are exposed to foreign media, such as movies and news, from an early stage face less of this issue. Therefore, the impact of this problem varies from person to person.
Nevertheless, in the long run, regular interaction with native speakers will definitely make speech flow more smoothly and aid in understanding others’ perspectives effortlessly. This is because practical learning is faster than theoretical learning. Those who focus on learning a new language through social interaction are likely to progress more rapidly than those focusing solely on grammar and vocabulary.
In conclusion, I concur that a new language can serve as a social and practical barrier to communication in the short term when entering a new country. While this may not be a concern for individuals exposed to foreign media early on, even beginners can reduce their language barriers over time with increased exposure to native speakers.