Grammar fix
language barrier
communication difficulty
A problem that makes it hard for people to understand each other because they speak different languages.
collocationB1common
Hear it in context
Notice where the phrase sounds natural.
- When I first moved to Germany, the language barrier made it difficult to make friends.communication
- One major challenge for international students is the language barrier, which can affect both their studies and social life.IELTS speaking
Fix the pattern
Pattern: language barrier (between A and B) / language barrier to (something)
WrongThere was a big language obstacle.
RightThere was a language barrier.
The set phrase is 'language barrier', not 'language obstacle/problem'.
Patternlanguage barrier (between A and B) / language barrier to (something)
Use it right
Choose the version that sounds natural in speech.
'Language barrier' is the term; 'impediment owing to linguistic differences' is jargon.
Build natural chunks
Words that usually travel with it.
a language barrierovercomebreak downdue tobecause of
Don't confuse it
Not the same as 'accent' or 'dialect,' which are about ways of speaking the same language.