During intercomprehension sessions, participants are directly exposed to languages they do NOT know and have to interact in order to be able to collaborate together. Of course, things are not always that easy...
Here are a few strategies you may think about :
- when you write, try to choose words which may be understandable for your readers ;
- in case of doubt, make sure that you understood : repeat the information in your language and ask for confirmation ;
- ask for reformulation (other words meaning the same thing) ;
However, some of the words and expressions used in foreign languages are extremely frequent and useful but opaque (not transparent). EuroCom calls them Profilwörter.
As participants do not have time enough and / or do not wish to spend a lot of time reformulating them, you may find it useful to write in an ethercalc document some frequent opaque words of the language you use and translate them in a foreign language you know.
Other participants will write in turn frequent opaque words of their language and translate them.
You may also ask for information / help in the forum called Bitte Hilfe ! (help me please!), and help others too.