When you and your match do not speak the same language
Random video chat pairs you with whoever is free, not with whoever shares your language. On a global service that means a large share of your matches will open with two people realising, within about two seconds, that this is not going to work the usual way.
Most people skip immediately. That is a reasonable choice, but it is not the only one — a language barrier ends fewer conversations than you would expect, and a fair number of the more memorable ones start exactly here.
The first three seconds tell you which kind it is
There is a real difference between no shared language and a little shared language. If they answer "hello" with a smile and a word or two back, you have enough to work with. If the reply is a blank look, you do not, and there is no shame in moving on.
It also cuts both ways. You are the one with the language barrier just as much as they are, and whichever of you is working in a second language is doing the harder half of the conversation. Slowing down is not a favour to them — it is what makes the exchange possible at all.
What actually works
Slow down and shorten. Short sentences, one idea each, with pauses. Speed and idioms are what break comprehension, not vocabulary.
Use the camera instead of words. Waving, pointing at things, showing the view out of your window, holding up an object — video chat has a channel that text chat does not, and it does most of the work here.
Type the hard parts. Written words are easier to translate than spoken ones. If the service has a text box, switching to it for a single word is often faster than repeating yourself.
Trade one thing each. Where you are, what the weather is doing, what time it is on your side. It is small, but it is a complete exchange, and that is often enough for both of you to feel like the match was worth it.
What does not work
Repeating the same sentence louder. It is the most common instinct and it rarely helps, because volume was not the problem.
Long explanations. The longer the sentence, the more places it can fall apart. If a sentence failed once, a longer version of it will fail again.
Assuming silence means rudeness. Someone working hard to follow a second language often goes quiet while they do it. That pause is usually effort, not disinterest.
When to just move on
If two or three attempts land nowhere, skipping is the honest move and both of you know it. Random chat is built on that mechanic and nobody is owed a conversation they cannot have.
One thing worth doing first: a wave and a smile before you go. It costs a second and it is the difference between being skipped and being said goodbye to.
Quick answers
What do you do when you cannot understand your video chat match? Slow down, shorten your sentences, and lean on the camera — waving, pointing and showing things carry meaning that words are failing to. If the service has a text box, typing a single word is often easier to understand than saying it, because written words are simpler to translate.
Can you use a translator during video chat? You can type into a translation app on the side and show or paste the result. It is clumsy in real time and works best for one or two key words rather than whole sentences, but for exchanging where you are from it does the job.
Is it rude to skip someone because of a language barrier? No. Random chat runs on skipping and both sides understand that. A wave before you leave is the polite version, and it takes a second.
Why do I keep matching with people who speak other languages? Random matching is global by default and is not filtered by language. Whoever is online at that moment is who you get, and at any given hour that is disproportionately whichever regions are having their evening.