An article, documentary and steppingstones to answer the question: how can you create theatre surpassing a language barrier? The article is aimed at the background of communication. How do we communicate and which other ways of communication exist apart from spoken language? The documentary will give information on how to apply those other means of communication. The steppingstones are meant as a toolkit to support theatre teachers and directors whenever encountering a language barrier, or as a way to refresh your own theatre practice by benefiting from the advantages that working with a language barrier has to offer.
The language barrier
‘Can we speak English now?’ Bekir asks. ‘No not yet, sorry.’ He sighs, but with a big smile. Bekir Simsek, dancer and art student, was one of the Cypriot artists who agreed to join in on my research on how to devise theatre with a language barrier. We worked together for 2 hours, each speaking our own mother tongue: the Cypriot Turkish dialect and Dutch. In a world that is becoming more and more internationally orientated, either by choice or by force, it is important to be able to work with people from different cultures who often speak different languages. How can you communicate effectively with each other when you do not share a common language? In addition to that, our society mainly revolves around the mind and our ability to rationalize and verbalize our thoughts and feelings. Language plays an important role in that process. In schools we are taught to think and analyse other people’s words. We are hardly learnt to express ourselves physically and to ready body language. That is why I started researching how to devise theatre with a language barrier. In this article I will address the specific question:
How can we communicate apart from spoken language?
A language barrier occurs when people do not understand the message that the other party is sending. The glitch in the communication can occur on the message sending, the signal coding, party’s side but also on the receiving, the signal decoding, party’s end (Moondaan, 2011). The way we code or decode information is personal. When speaking the same language, most of the coding and decoding will be very similar. But every persons mind is shaped by his/her experiences and culture. Therefore, no two people will interpret a message in the exact same way. Nor will they interpret it exactly like the sender intended it. Hence, there is a language barrier, big or small, between every two people. Communication, therefore, is only possible by the grace of both participants agreeing to do their best to understand the other.
Many researchers distinguish three main forms of communication: words, intonation and body language. Only 7% of a person's total message is conveyed through the literal meaning of the words someone speaks. The rest of the message is delivered through the other channels (Debenham, 2020). Tone of voice accounts for 38% of the total meaning conveyed and body language for the remaining 55%. Therefore it is the challenge to learn how to use the other 93% in the most optimal way so that we will be able to communicate adequately with a language barrier.
Culture barriers
Before embarking on a journey looking for alternative ways to communicate, it is important to realize that means of communication vary greatly between different cultures. Whenever there is a language barrier, there will inevitably be a culture barrier too. David Pinto, professor in Intercultural Communication, developed a three-step method to bridge religious, cultural and other differences (Pinto, n.d.). The methodology is based on a double perspective. To be able to bridge a gap or cross a barrier, the first step is to delve deeper into your own cultural background. To get an insight in the norms and values and the codes of conduct that have shaped you. The second step is to do the same with the other parties involved. A party can be a an organisation, a country, a region or an individual. When you have researched which rational and factual rules and codes influence the other’s thinking, acting and communication, then you can start to determine each other’s boundaries or limits. To which extent do you take the wishes of the other into account? And how far can and do you want to adapt yourself to the other? The third step is the task to communicate these limits in an effective way that suits the person you are trying to reach. It can be effective to communicate these boundaries in the communication style of the other. In determining these limits it is good to take into account that realistic factors such as power structures play a role.
Cultural dimensions Hofstede and Trompenaars
There are several different ways to delve into a culture. One of them is by distinguishing in which of the different cultural dimensions of Geert Hofstede or Fons Trompenaars the culture belongs. A few examples of cultural dimensions are if a culture is individualistic or collectivistic, masculine or feminine and short term minded or long term minded. The dimension that the culture belongs to, determines the way that people react to events. However, these dimensions should not be viewed in a black and white manor. Every culture has it’s nuances and not everyone within the culture acts exactly the same.
Onions and pyramids
Another way of delving into a different culture is through the onion-model of Hofstede. It shows which layers of cultural elements play a role in intercultural communication and cooperation. The closer you go to the core, the influence of the cultural elements on the way people act increases. But at the same time, people are less aware of these factors. Your values, for example, are formed before you are even seven years old (Interconnect, 2017). They are also not directly visible from the outside. You can only see peoples values portrayed through their actions and the choices they make. What a person values and pursues most in life depends greatly on their culture. Abraham Maslow put the human needs in to order in the widely known ‘Pyramid of Maslow’. He states that everybody needs the primary physiological needs, such as food, air and shelter. According to Maslow, the highest goal in life is self-development (SocioMerce, 2021). Pinto rejects the idea that this pyramid is applicable for everybody (Pinto, n.d.). The pyramid is mainly relevant in individualistic countries. He therefore creates the ‘Pyramid of Pinto’. In which he takes into account the worldview of a more collectivistic culture where honour is the highest goal. Therefore they say: “Maslow for the West and Pinto for the rest (Pinto, 2016).”
Once you have explored the cultural background of the people involved in the process, there are many ways of communicating without spoken language. In the book Language without Words by Vera F. Birkenbihl (1981) the science of body movement, called kinesics, is discussed. Birkenbihl mentions two types of communication: analogue and digital. All body language, intonation, gestures and postures belong to the analogue field of communication. It is not directly aimed at the content of the message being conveyed, but at the relationship between the sender and the receiver. This way of communicating is intuitive and direct. There are no pretences and nothing is being concealed or insinuated. On the other hand there is the digital or symbolic communication, that is what we call spoken or written language. Digital does not refer to an electronic message, but rather to an encoded message. The word ‘dog’ does not refer to the animal by itself. It solely refers to the animal because we all agreed that that collection of sounds refers to the actual animal. Therefore it is symbolic, abstract, more complicated to learn but the meaning is also more specific (Birkenbihl, 1981).
The different communication channels
Facial expressions are one aspects of communicating without language. The emotions are the way that our brains give meaning to bodily signals that are built up through previous experiences (McGregor, 2020). The way we express the basic emotions such as happiness and anger are universal. More complicated emotions such as jealousy and shame are more culturally bound (McGregor, 2020). Emotions are not only perceived in the face, but also in the rest of the body. They often trigger a reaction from the onlooker of either approach or removal. People are often perceived as empathetic when they mimic or mirror the emotion partly.
People constantly mirror each other both consciously and subconsciously (Jansen, 2020). Mirroring is a way of showing involvement. Someone feels more understood when they are mirrored (Jansen, 2020). Actively using this natural phenomena in your theatre practice is beneficial in getting people together who do not speak each other’s language. Mirroring happens in facial expressions but also in the rest of the body.
The body is the best communicator. The body is so much more than a head full of ideas that is carried around by a pair of limbs. The body also has endless ways of communicating through movement. Through gestures such as pointing, a thumbs up and waving a lot of basic communication can be covered. By taking someone by the hand and simply showing what you mean, a lot can become clear. The feeling that a movement imparts and the relationship that the performer has to her/his surroundings communicates different messages as well. The absence of movement, stagnation, is also a powerful statement. However, a body is never completely still. Through faster or slower breathing, a different feeling is also transferred. Synchronizing your breath creates cohesion.
Your posture subconsciously says a lot about your relationship with the participants. Creating theatre is a profession based on relationships. Therefore it is important to pay attention to how tense or relaxed your posture is. Are you, your feet and hips faced towards the person who is communicating to you or are they seeking a way out by pointing towards the door? Are you leaning backwards or towards the participant? Are you touching your face a lot or constantly tapping your foot? These and so many more postures say something about the relationship between the two. As director it is very important to be aware of the affiliation you are presenting.
The physical distance between people and whatever surrounds them also describe a relational story. What happens to that relationship when you play with this distance? The feeling of distance can also be transmitted through glances and eye contact. Many cues are exchanged in glances with regard to the power distance between people.
All the channels above are mainly perceived through looking closely but in listening there are also more clues to be found in which message is being transmitted. Someone’s vocal intonation communicates more than the literal meaning of one’s words. Vocal intonation can be interpreted when someone is speaking her/his mother tongue, but also when they speak in gibberish. The later enables people to completely let go of the idea that a specific meaning is being conveyed. In gibberish the only audible thing of significance is the intonation. Speaking gibberish can be seen as a big hurdle. Therefore just using one word to communicate everything you want to say is an intermediate step. Once again the opposite of sound also conveys substance: silence. Finding the right balance between using vocal sounds and silence is key to mastering this part of communication.
Apart from seeing and hearing you can also communicate through other senses such as feeling and taste. Is his/her touch soft or hard, long or short? Tasting a dish together can also be unifying and a way of communicating.
Outside of your own body there are also other elements, other art forms, that can help to communicate. Art is almost always ambiguous in meaning, therefore it mainly finds itself in the analogue spectrum of communication. Thus, music and visual arts are very interesting concepts to include in the process. They cannot be interpreted unambiguous. Using music to set a tone helps in a process but it can do more than that. You can create a dialogue through songs you pick out. The emotion, rhythm, and atmosphere that the music triggers can be responded to with other music, physically or for example in drawing or a photograph. The same type of dialogue can be created using images exclusively.
There are more channels through which you can communicate without speaking. The channels above were the channels that were used most during my research. The most remarkable underlying lessons that can be deduced from communicating with a language barrier are these:
1. Communication never only goes through one channel. It is always a combination of channels that create the complete message. Therefore it is important to consciously keep on scanning all the different channels to be able to deduct the most reliable message.
2. Use the fact that communication never goes through one channel for your benefit. Intentionally choose which channel you will focus on most, but feel free in swapping channels and trying different tactics. Everybody has different communication preferences and habits and will therefore flourish through different channels.
3. In order to prevent misunderstandings and repetition without comprehension. A constant or regular checking and feedback with the participants through different channels is necessary. Ask the participants to give a summary or a reaction through a different channel. They will then have to translate their ideas into a new channel, which will more clearly show if you are both on the same train of thought.
4. In daily life we often come across misunderstandings as well. This is inherent in communication. However we do manage fine day by day. Misunderstanding and miscommunication can be uncomfortable. But do not worry if other’s do not completely understand everything. This is part of life.
Before rounding off, there are two last subjects to be discussed shortly: translation and how you approach the Other.
Translation
Translation is certainly a very realistic option in a process with a language barrier. Especially in a time where we carry a pretty accurate translator device around in our pockets all day. Translation, however, also bears some hazards. In the interview I did with dramaturg and researcher Ellada Evangelou she mentioned a few: “What we did not count for at all was for how translation into English would work for material that was that heavy. … So what we got was a story not through the mouth of a family member who had gone through 50 or 60 years of dealing with the loss and with the ... But we got it through the mouth of someone that was listening to this story from a family member with that kind of emotional load that was 'I can't believe I'm saying these words'. It was a disaster. It taught us that when you are dealing with this type of material and these types of people you need to be very careful. … You don't just translate for stories that carry such a big burden of pain (E. Evangelou, personal communication, 14 December 2021).” This quote illustrates that direct translation is not suitable for every type of material. In this particular case: a traumatic story.
Translation can be done in different ways other than direct translation. The option of translating from a video helps reduce the emotional load, as can writing the translation rather than speaking the words. The translator hereby has more time to adjust to the story. Another option is to partly use translation. In a previous process with a Syrian refugee who only spoke Arabic, I would translate the questions and let him answer in his mother tongue. I would then listen closely to his intonation and look at his body language. I once even asked him to illustrate, draw, his story while speaking. By mixing up different channels I got the general gist of his story. We could therefore still work together rather than giving up because we did not speak the same language.
You and the face of the Other
The underlying question in this research is: How do you connect with people that you work with? I would like to approach this question philosophically before tackling it practically as seen in the documentary. The philosopher Emmanuel Levinas addresses the question of how to ethically interact in society. Within that topic he mainly focusses on the neglected position of the Other. The Other could be the participant with whom you do not share a common language. Levinas does not make moral-ethical statements on how to treat each other. Nor does he offer conversational techniques. Instead he declares that the position of the Other in relationship to yourself is more fundamental. We often approach the Other in terms of what we already know. We see the Other as an extension of our Selves with the needed, little adjustments. But with that thought we reduce the Other into something that they are not. You can only properly approach the Other if you see them as someone who is completely and utterly different from your Self (Van Unen, 2003). A translated citation from Van Unen (2003): “When I think I have understood the Other, it is often little more than my own images about the Other appearing in my mind. I look, as it were, at my own frame of reference. Because of that I don’t know the Other, but I project myself onto him and think I know him.”
Theatre is a craft that is built on relationships. The fictional relationship between the actors, the relationship between the actors and the audience but also between the director and his audience via the actors. These relationships are built on the way that people approach each Other. Therefore it is very important to be aware of how you do that.
Apart from seeing the Other as a complete and utterly different entity, we also need to be able to be vulnerable to connect with the Other. Vulnerability can often cause discomfort, but precisely by letting go of our own strong identities, we can meet the Other. A complete, perfect and whole Self is completely autonomous and independent. No one else is involved in this identity. The ego therefore becomes unreachable and inaccessible. This poses a problem when creating a relationship. The fully autonomous Self is an illusion. We are all connected or influenced by Others, but the doubtless belief in this illusion can be the cause of isolation. Because no Other is involved in the autonomous Self, there is no confrontation with the Other. Thus the Self will see itself as the centre of its own world. Unless the perfection of the Self can be questioned, no gap will open up to be able to connect with others. Only through the path of vulnerability and imperfection relationships and communication are possible (Van Unen, 2003). By working on self-reflection, getting to know your own values, culture and biases you can choose to leave those behind and encounter the Other, through vulnerability, in a land of complete and utter Otherness.
The documentary
Conclusion
I started this research in the hope of finding a method, a certain way through which theatre with a language barrier would be made possible and easily reproducible. But during my research I found that a methodology directly opposes the most basic principle of theatre with a language barrier: meeting each other in the moment.
The quality of a theatre piece depends on how well the communication went during the process. And the quality of the communication depends on the relationship or bond between the participants. Communication is different between every two people, so creating a method through which you should communicate will only be applicable in a few cases.
None the less, my ambition in trying to find some tools to help my fellow theatre practitioners was not stilled. The base of a process with or without a language barrier is the same: warming up, synchronising your body and mind, getting inspired, digging in deeper, creating material and reflecting. However, there is one crucial difference: your own attitude.
In a process with a language barrier you have to have a different mental and physical attitude towards the Other. In a process with a common language, you can often still get pretty far with an attitude towards Others starting from your Self. You then use language to move slightly towards the Other. In a process where a common language is missing, you need to build a physical language or code. Only by leaving your own cultural and personal frameworks behind, can you encounter the Other in a pure way. In the way they actually are, not what you project on them to be. A language barrier actually helps you to be freed from the frameworks you are in. Without language you are at the mercy of your intuition and getting attuned to each other’s body, emotions and intentions.
I would advise everybody to incorporate moments with intentional language barriers in their creative process because it forces you to look at the people and the world around you in a different way.
steppingstones for a language barrier process
Here you will find several assignments and exercises that can be used in a theatrical process with a language barrier. These assignments are meant as steppingstones, not as a complete methodology, for the idea of a method directly opposes the most basic principle of theatre with a language barrier: meeting each other in the moment.
Approaching and actually meeting the Other in an open and unbiased way is the focus point of each of the assignments. It is your task as a director to promote the right attitude in how to approach each Other.
World championship imaginary ball throwing
Throw an imaginary ball with the size of a tennis ball to somebody in the group. That person catches it, after which he/she throws the ball to the next person, etc. Everybody is moving as actively as possible and tries to score ‘points’ for the World Championship by making stunts while throwing the ball. You are all one team. At a certain moment you can incorporate other elements in the game such as the possibility to change the size of the ball, change the weight, to play in slow motion, etc.
Mirroring
Make pairs. There is one leader and one follower. The leader makes movements that the follower has to mirror. The leader needs to take responsibility in making it possible to follow and the follow has to do their best in anticipating and copying as exactly as possible. Work with contrasts such as: small – big, fast – slow, close by – far away, high – low. After a while you switch roles. After that you can also try being both roles at the same time. That it is not visible who is the leader and who the follower is.
The Boat
Lay a big piece of paper or cloth on the floor. This is the boat of the group. As a group they need to make sure they pass every level of ‘sailing safety’. For example, everybody has to…
- Be in contact with the boat with a hand, foot, finger, etc.
- Be in contact with the boat with two body parts
- Only touch the boat. They are not allowed to ‘stand’ in the water next to the boat.
You will increase the difficulty level every time. Another way to do this is to make the boat smaller.
Tik Tak
Everybody is sitting on a chair except the practitioner/director/coach. The chairs are randomly spread out through the space. There is one empty chair. The practitioner walks in a calm, steadfast pace to the empty chair. The group needs to make sure that the practitioner is not able to sit down on that chair for 1,5 minutes. They can do this by switching chairs themselves. The group members are allowed to walk or run as fast as they want. But there is one rule: when somebody lifts their bum from the chair because they want to switch chairs, they have to switch. Sitting back down on their own chair again is not an option.
Movement enlargement
In pairs or in a group, one person takes a body part and makes a movement with it. The other will repeat the movement but making it bigger. Then the next will make it even bigger etc. Until it can’t get any bigger. Then make it smaller again. When back at zero, change the movement to something different. In a group you can have a conductor in the middle showing if the movement needs to become bigger or smaller.
Trust without sight
Split the group in groups of 4 or 5 people. Make them create small trains by standing behind each other and putting their hands on the shoulders of the person in front of them. Everybody closes their eyes except for the person at the back: the train driver. By squeezing in the shoulders of the person in front of him/her the train driver steers the train. The people in the train have to pass on the squeeze to the front so that the head of the train knows which way to turn. You can create some obstacles to make it more difficult. Let people try different places in the train.
After doing the train exercises you can carry on in pairs. Where one person closes his/her eyes and the other person steers the one with a slight tap on the shoulder or with sounds that are coded to mean left or right.
Pulse
Stand in a circle and hold hands. Give a little squeeze, or pulse, in the hand of one of the people next to you. That person passes on the pulse to the person next to them, etc. Until the pulse comes back to you. You can also send the pulse the other way round or send two at the same time, etc.
Image association
Need: cards with images of simple objects, animals, vehicles, etc
The one person blindly picks up a card and tries to portray the images on the card, when the other person understands what he/she is portraying, he joins in on the portrayal and reacts to it in the improvisation. Then you switch. You can do this several times in groups or in pairs.
Short universal dialogue
Improvisr using just the following text, the lines can be said in every language:
A: Yes
B: No
___________________
A: I’m going
B: You are staying
___________________
A: Help me
B: I can’t
The lines can be repeated as often as needed in the improvisation.
Story cubes
Need: story cubes/ dice
Roll the dice, and improvise a story using the dice as a starting point. The person that rolls the dice starts the situation. Improvise a scene and try to let it come to a natural end.
Snapshot
Let the group create pairs. One of them is going to lead (A), the other is going to close their eyes and follow (B). A looks at the surroundings and decides what he wants to show B. A will carefully move B around, and adjusting the posture of B, then A will place his hands next to the eyes of B and say ‘snapshot’. B will open her eyes for a short moment to see what A wanted to show. This repeats itself a few times. Then the roles will be swapped around. Play with perspective, details and try to surprise your partner.
Follow a body part
Everybody walks through the space lead by a body part. That body part dictates how you move, it takes you places. Let them experiment in which different ways you can be moved by that single body part. Change the body part a few times throughout the exercise. What happens when body parts meet?
Working with a postcard or image
Need: images/postcards that you can associate from.
Big pieces of paper + pen/markers
1- choose a postcard or image together
2- put the postcard in the middle of the piece of paper. Draw a mindmap with images (not words) around the postcard. Explain to each other in your own language what you drew and why.
3- circle the images you like, that correspond, to work further on those.
Working from kinesthetics and eye contact
Need: a line on the floor (masking tape)
1) Stand across from each other and look into each other's eyes for 3 minutes. Don’t play/act, just look.
2) Then draw on a piece of paper (add names if it is not clear)- do they feel smaller/bigger than the other, higher or lower in status?
Then they may move and meet each other staying on the line that they are on. You want to pass each other. What does the meeting do to the status? Redo this meeting several times. You can add music or a small dialogue:
A: Yes/si/oui/… ‘a yes sound’
B: No/non… ‘a no sound’
A: No
B: Yes
Sources
Literature:
Birkenbihl, V.F. (1981). Taal Zonder Woorden, het verstaan van tekens en signalen in lichaamshouding, beweging en uitdrukking. (vertaald uit het Duits door Hofstede, M.R.J. pp 1-53). Utrecht: Groen Ijmuiden BV.
Van Unen, C. (2003) Hoofdstuk 3. Ik en de Ander. De Profesionals - Hulpverleners tussen kwetsbaarheid en beheersing. (p. 77-116). Delft: Eburon.
Emerson, R.W. (1900). The Life That Lasts, The Two Talents, with Other Papers, Sermons, Leaders by John Barnett Donaldson (pp 205) Minneapolis: North & West Publishing Co.
Websites:
Moondaan, (2011, 7 november). Communicatie : Moeilijk? Geraadpleegd op 19 mei 2021, van https://mens-en-samenleving.infonu.nl/communicatie/86201-communicatie-moeilijk.html
Debenham, L. ( 2020, 13 september). Communication – What Percentage is Body Language? Geraadpleegd op 24 april 2021, van http://www.bodylanguageexpert.co.uk/communication-what-percentage-body-language.html
Pinto, D. Welkom, Geraadpleegd op 19 mei 2021 van https://www.davidpinto.nl/
Pinto, D. Drie stappen methode (DSM)/ Pinto Mehtode Geraadpleegd op 19 mei 2021, van https://www.ici.co.nl/de-drie-stappen-methode-dsm/
Interconnect (2017). Het ui model Geraadpleegd op 17 juli 2021, van https://participatieverklaring.com/index.php/topic/650/#toggle-id-1
Piramide van Maslow uitleg & voorbeeld | Maslow behoeftepiramide. (2021, 24 december). SocioMerce. Geraadpleegd op 8 maart 2022, van https://www.sociomerce.com/managementmodellen/piramide-van-maslow/
McGregor, L. (2020, 13 juni). Are emotions nature or nurture? R4 DN. Geraadpleegd op 14 februari 2022, van https://r4dn.com/are-emotions-nature-or-nurture/
Jansen, J. (2020). Spiegelen. Geraadpleegd op 4 februari 2022 van https://helderdromen.nl/psychologie/spiegelen/
Video:
Café Weltschmerz. (2016, 1 november). De Piramide van PINTO; Theodor Holman, Paul Cliteur, Geerten Waling en David Pinto [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a-FExYspxKA
Who am I?
My name is Ieke van Dam. I am a graduate student of the bachelor degree in Theatre and Education at the University of Arts, Utrecht.
I am passionate about how theatre can bring people from different backgrounds together. It inspires me to use storys as a way to create a bit more cohesion in a polarised world.
I did this research with the help of my internship at Rooftop Theatre Group (Nicosia, Cyprus) and my professors at the HKU.
Contact information:
iekevdam@gmail.com
Credits:
Iris van den Berg fotografie