Bonding beyond Words

If you take away all the inside jokes, deep conversations, and basically any kind of talking from your current friendships, can you still be friends? 

Imagine you are part of an international exchange programme or youth camp, or you've settled in a country where you don't speak the native language, or you've met new people with whom you don't share a common language. Becoming friends with people with a language barrier separating you can be daunting, but it isn't impossible.

Translators to the rescue
This is the most obvious way to communicate when you don't share the same language. Online translators, such as Google Translate, have changed the game when it comes to language barriers. Even though most of the translated sentences are borderline nonsense, the native speaker of the language will probably understand what you're trying to say no matter how funny the translations are.

A big game of charades
Charades is a great example of how you can convey a lot of your thoughts without having to speak a single word. We can point at objects, break down words and find things that sound similar, and basically use as many gestures as we can when we're trying to have a conversation. It might seem exhausting at first but once you get used to it, it's quite fun. You'll feel triumphant every time you can successfully make the person understand what you're trying to say.

Singing and dancing
Music and dancing are universal. If you can bring about the topic of music, you'll find that there will be at least one song you both have listened to and a great way to bond would be to sing it together and then help each other discover new songs of your respective languages or in general. Don't worry if you sound like a walrus when you sing. The main objective is to enjoy. You might also find that you're fans of the same internationally acclaimed singer or band. There's no better feeling than finding people of the same fandom in your own country, let alone from different ones. Dancing together is also a fun activity that brings people together without the need for any verbal communication.

Sports and Games
Even if you're not athletic, playing games with each other is important when it comes to these kinds of friendships. A friendly game of table tennis, football, volleyball, anything that both parties can play, is one of the best ways to bond. You don't need to utter any words, and still understand each other and share your enjoyment. If you're both sports fans, it makes things even easier since sports are international and watching a match together will bring you a lot closer.

Exploring cultures
If you don't speak the same languages, you surely don't share the same culture, either. This becomes one of the most interesting aspects of the friendship. You can show the other person videos that showcase your cultural music and dance. You can cook traditional dishes for each other. You can use translators to try to share your country's history. While doing this, you might even end up finding common ground, which would lead to exciting topics you can continue to talk about.