#community: barrier

[lumpsbumpsandwhumps]

we need more language barriers in whump because it's so fucking good no matter if you use it for whumper and whumpee or whumpee and caretaker or especially carewhumper and whumpee or any combination!!!!

Whumpee not being able to know what the fuck is going on no matter how many times they ask, only being manhandled into various situations because they don't understand how to comply with whatever is being told to them (gently or not is up to you >:3c)

Having to rely on tones and facial expressions to get a vague sense of what the other person is trying to get across, despite all the repetition of sounds and slow pronunciations and childish gesturing

Those little moments where a word just finally clicks for someone, the one piece of common ground, even if they can't fully repeat it back due to an accent that maybe earns them an amused chuckle or a scowl

Endless frustration and exploding so many pent up feelings for a rant that falls on deaf ears, because why is this so hard to comprehend, why can't you just understand my words, why do I feel like such a fucking idiot??? And what do they get in return? Silence...or more foreign gibberish.

Not bothering to keep quiet about their thoughts, agreeable or otherwise, vulgar or polite -- what does it matter? No one is going to understand a lick of it, they can say whatever the hell they want (unless maybe someone does catch a couple words or phrases hmmm)

Whumpers using sweet coos and nice smiles while saying the most awful shit. Caretakers being endlessly patient in trying to foster some kind of trust and feasible communication. Carewhumpers being stern and hands on because there's no time to waste in getting Whumpee to grasp what they need from them.

The longer they're in each others company, the more quirks and micro expressions they start to pick up, long before they ever fully understand a word of what's being said, including when someone is lying or when a nerve has been struck

Realizing which words mean "bad thing" and which words mean "good thing"

[ego-meliorem-esse]

Omg pls give some soft na bros playing as kids or something and Arthur being a good dad for once

The boys know each other for a full 72 hours and already they are inseparable.

Matt may be a constant reminder of François to Arthur but even he has to admit that having Matthew around is the best decision he's made in the past 130 years. Just having someone else be on the receiving end of Alfreds shenanigans is giving saving Arthur from endless migraines and worries. Alfred is a wonderful and exceptionally intelligent boy, but having to answer unending questions about anything and everything is a job he doesn't mind sharing with the lads northern brother.

So off they go to the garden to read/draw with the setting sun watching over them <3

[lab-gr0wn-lambs]

Daryl sign language compilation

[canisalbus]

About the accents: if someone has a very "proper" Italian they are either foreigners or politicians/dignitaries/etc. So that fits perfectly for Machete, but I think it would be so funny if he sometimes slipped up and used a Nepalese word bc he forgot one in "proper" Italian lol

(Funny to me cause Naples has its own language in addition to accent, and most people don't actually know those words)

.

[quaranmine]

collapses on the floor and Dies

[novlr]

How do you best depict a language barrier? I have a character who doesn't understand much English and speaks even less, but most of the others don't understand a word of Japanese, which is what she speaks.

Communication is a cornerstone of any good characterisation. But for some characters there may be elements that block traditionally clear communication, and language barriers are just one example of that. Every interaction is filled with potential misunderstandings or revelations of clarity. Let’s explore how to bring language barriers to life in your writing, showing the struggles and triumphs that come with characters trying to connect across language and culture.

Understand the role of language in your story

Consider the cultural and geographical context of your characters.

Explore the historical ties or conflicts that might have led to the language differences.

Determine the significance of the language barrier to the plot—is it an obstacle, a source of conflict, or a way to deepen character relationships?

How can you use language to illustrate the power dynamics between characters?

What is the emotional impact of miscommunication on all your characters?

Why do you want to write about language barriers? If it’s just for the sake of a miscommunication trope, consider if there’s perhaps a better way for you to achieve the same aim.

Have you taken the time to understand the culture whose language you are trying to represent?

Characterisation through language

Incorporate a mix of languages or dialects to enrich the authenticity of the setting and the characters’ experiences.

Pay attention to the non-verbal communication cues that can transcend language barriers, such as body language and facial expressions.

Respectfully create characters with varying degrees of proficiency in the language they’re learning or interacting with.

Use language as a way to show a character’s adaptability, intelligence, or stubbornness.

Let characters’ reactions to the language barrier drive their development throughout the story.

Consider how language barriers may influence a character’s inner thoughts and how they perceive the world around them.

The mechanics of writing dialogue

Don’t overuse accents or continually spell them out. Use description to signal a character’s struggle instead of phonetically writing it.

Suggest broken language skills by using simple words, or incorrect grammar, but don’t resort to stereotypes.

If you choose to write an accent phonetically, don’t repeat this for every line of dialogue. Use it once as an example, and then use description to give the sense of it moving forward.

Balance readability with authenticity—make sure the dialogue is understandable to your audience in a way that is still respectful to your character.

Foster immersion through context rather than a direct translation of foreign words which often don’t hold the same meaning. Using vocabulary that characters and readers can deduce from context strengthens the narrative and characterisation.

Present the characters’ linguistic progression realistically, showing their learning curve and how it affects their interactions.

Non-verbal communication

Emphasise body language, facial expressions, and gestures to show communication without spoken language.

Use context clues and the characters’ surroundings to help convey meaning.

Explore how misunderstandings can arise from non-verbal miscommunications, but also show when non-verbal communication helps clarify things that can’t be conveyed verbally.

Consider the situational context that might enhance or impede non-verbal understanding among characters. For example, in high-tension scenes, even subtle gestures can carry heavy meaning.

Acknowledge cultural variations in body language and educate readers subtly through the narrative.

Describe the physical environment as it can also influence the way characters use non-verbal communication—proximity, personal space, and even the weather can all play roles.

The emotional impact of language barriers

Show how characters find innovative ways to express themselves and connect with others.

Describe the frustration, isolation, or desperation that characters may feel when they can’t communicate.

Use the language barrier to create poignant moments of miscommunication and resolution.

Show how shared experiences can forge bonds that transcend words and even serve as a foundation for trust.

Explore the characters’ emotional journeys as they navigate through their inability to communicate. This can lead to a deeper understanding of each other over time, despite the initial hurdles.

Consider the long-term effects of language barriers on relationships and character psyche, both positive and negative.

Research and authenticity

Study the languages you are writing about, including their structure and common phrases. If you’re writing a fantasy language, then research common language structures on which to base your characters’ experiences.

Understand the culture tied to the language to avoid stereotyping and to provide richer detail. For real languages, do research, for fictional languages, work on some deep worldbuilding for authenticity.

If possible, talk to speakers of the language you’re writing about, or speak to folks who have experienced a similar language barrier more generally.

Seek feedback from native speakers or cultural experts to ensure accurate representation and to honour the community’s linguistic nuances.

Be mindful of the socio-political influences on language and communication, presenting these complexities through your characters’ interactions either through worldbuilding, or researching real-world etymology.

[uncanny-tranny]

Trans people 🤝 transsexuals 🤝 transvestites

Being siblings in arms against those who'd rather bury us (and being mad hot while doing it)

[haloberry]

Last post on this situation.

Frubbo isn't dead and 789 surprisingly but some of y'all need to chill.

Its a communication error, and while it was weird on 02's part that they didn't follow up when they thought the arc was over, Tubbo didn't either so its fair blame.

Starting wars over whos fault it is when both parties involved are is crazy ngl.

But, general census is that it was a language barrier issue, that while on 02's side of things it made sense and they were actively pursuing Tubbo, on Tubbo's side of things it seemed like 02 stopped all communication after that last letter.

Now that their both aware of this, hopefully we get more Frubbo but in a good way.

As us Tubblings don't want Frubbo to be fixed in the span of a day. No, we want Frubbo angst and for Fred trying to come back into q!Tubbos life to hurt.

This isn't to say we don't want Fred, no, we do, it's just that we don't want a "boy loves me back so my issues are all gone" cliché.

We want it back, but for it to make sense in the storyline WITHOUT disregarding q!Tubbo's current arc that hes had since Purgatory 2.

Thats whats makes this situation a bit deeper than thought, bc since q!Tubbo is in his angst arc of "the people closest to me are only a viability since they can get hurt" (what he was projecting onto q!fitpac) it wouldn't make sense for him to suddenly do a 180 and start unashamedly loving Fred!

In the end, I don't personally believe it was too much of an issue since a quick dm can fix this, but with the people dog-piling/gaslighting cc!Tubbo for "not understanding the obvious" it could worsen everything.

So, be kind and just know they'll fix it. Please, both of them are human they make mistakes.

[thewhumperinwhite]

man. actually. vitally important question, because i tie myself in the most absurd knots worrying about How Much Context Is Enough Context:

how much are you able to enjoy whump if you know there's context you're missing?

I'm thinking of OC whump in particular bc thats what i write but this can apply to fandoms you are not in just as easily. like if you don't know who these characters are, how able are you to enjoy a whump scene featuring them?

A concrete example: there's a whump scene i really want to get to in one of my stories, but it features a character i haven't introduced yet. would you personally, Person Answering This Poll, read a story update where you know some but not all of the characters involved?

[locoier]

i love qsmp because it forces me to like. actually work on my language skills. like so often i find myself watching content in portuguese with spanish translations. so im watching content in the language im trying to learn with subtitles in my second language and i know that my brain is actually working and learning yippie

[glitterstarly]

BEHOLD✨

My dads.

I seriously can't with their dynamic they are the cutest, talented and horniest family of the QSMP 💜❤️💛

[linguinibilly]

i've said this once already but genuinely what the qsmp managed to do with bringing ccs together from several different countries is insane. like imagine if the qsmp never happend, baghera and forever would have never met and become good friends in such a short time. slimecicle and elmariana would have never met and both wanted to overcome language barriers to become even better friends. like quackity managed to pull people that speak french, english, portuguese and spanish into one server and still have them all come out as friends and close. it's insane. i genuinely don't think anyone else could have done something like that in such a short amount of time with such results like quackity and the qsmp did

[studentbyday]

hi. i got sick. still recovering. i feel absolutely terrible. and not just because of my physical condition...i've let my mental health slide despite my awareness of the warning signs, and this illness is just the icing on the cake.

i need to learn to trust myself. know when to listen to myself and when to listen to others and know who to listen to bc if there's one thing i don't lack, it's outside sources of information. ground myself and focus on what is in my control so i don't feel like i'm going crazy and internalizing blame/negativity every time smth bad happens.

everything is temporary, so there is hope. we're just gonna take it day by day, focusing on the present every time and not on how much there is left to do and how many stressors i have left to manage after this one. i'm sorry if this post is kind of all over the place, i'm trying to sort things out with a foggy brain. (i'm so annoyed that i have to sleep for more than half the day to feel normal rn. oh well, at least i'm getting better.) 🤧

on a better note, i got my grade back for the philosophy assignment and i did well 🙂

SMART goals for today:

morning self-care routine ✅

finish half of psyc ch from last week ✅ (i wish their ch sizes and numbers for each week were consistent. last week we had to do 4 ch, and this second ch is the size of 2 regular ch! and this week, the amount of stuff to cover is the same. just lucky it's interesting rn bc the content is really relevant to my personal life...if i could just focus!!)

skincare ✅

night routine ✅

[majorbisexualpanic]

what if i started to ugly sob

[folkloristico]

i think it’s very important to point out that while all of maya’s family and friends learned ASL because of her, fisk never even bothered despite telling her she loves him. but like. i also think it’s hilarious how he went full elon musk and had a whole new technology developed instead of just. you know. learning ASL.

[goldenpinof]

there are so many giffable moments. and i would gif them, but i'm so tired and it's noticeable how the phandom is tired of gamingmas. god, i wish we just had 2-day break before the last 3 videos to just fully appreciate the grand finale.