Ah, such a staple in fantasy, the removal of all language barriers lest' the plot says differently. But is this really such a good add-on to a story. I've debated this topic with myself for some time now, so it would be interesting to see what this community thinks about this.
The way I see it, it can be both good and bad. For one it makes it easier for the author since the hurdles of handling a character with a different language is avoided. Otherwise, I personally find myself uncertain of what to do whenever a character comes along that does not speak the language. Usually, they just end up as side-characters, having impacted the story in no meaningful way. Sometimes I treat them as if they were mute, but this rarely works out either. I find it to be very hard to make a character with a different language engaging essentially.
then again, if you actually take the time to work yourself through all these hurdles I find that it can actually be somewhat rewarding. My favourite is when the character in question slowly comes to learn the language of those around him/her, and how this makes the character more relatable.
But I am uncertain of what to think about it honestly, and I personally find myself defaulting back to the common tongue, just because it's so much easier.
Would love to hear your thoughts on this matter
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