Broken Language
A Few Words, Broken Japanese, Broken English
noun, の adjective
One sided saying things means you don't know both sides of the language, causing you to speak in broken language, for example speaking a few words in broken Japanese or broken English.
かたこと
The reading is the reading you learned for 片 and the こと of 言葉.
私は片言の日本語でなんとかパスポートの再発行をしてもらいました。
I managed to get my passport reissued with my broken Japanese.
うちの娘はまだ小さいので、片言ぐらいしかしゃべることができません。
Our daughter is still little, so she can only speak baby talk.
片言も聞き漏らさないようにサヤカはコウイチの話に集中した。
Sayaka focused on what Koichi was saying so as to not miss even a few words.