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You are here: Home / General / Do I Need to Learn the Language?

Do I Need to Learn the Language?

March 15, 2009 by FutureExpat

One of the big questions when moving to another country is, do I need to learn the language, and if so, when?

Since we have already determined we will move to Central or South America, and since I am already well past the age when language learning comes easily and naturally, I have started to learn Spanish already. This also means I am probably ruling out Brazil as a place to live, since they do not speak Spanish there. I have taken a couple of classes in conversational Spanish at the local community college, and have also been learning through language software.

Would love to hear from those who have also given some thought to this, or taken action.

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Filed Under: General, Learning the Language, What Kind of Expat Are You? Tagged With: cultural expat, expat, language, learning, student

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Kaywinnet says

    March 23, 2009 at 10:44 pm

    Is there anybody out there?

  2. FutureExpat says

    March 23, 2009 at 10:45 pm

    Hello, Kaywinnet, did you have a comment about learning the language before you move overseas?

  3. Annie376 says

    March 25, 2009 at 10:59 am

    You should consider providing a link allowing others to post your blog onto their facebook or twitter sites! This would allow great visibility…in addition, consider making a “group” on facebook or twitter….and link to the blog!

  4. Kama says

    April 11, 2009 at 9:47 pm

    Learning the language of the country you are moving to gives a whole new experience to the journey. With the basics of a language you can begin quickly to emerge yourself in your new environment. It will be easier to find your way around and you may find that people are more helpful. It can be fun to start slowly, perhaps by testing out you basic questions at the local supermarket. You don’t have to master a language before you start using it just take it one step at a time. Enjoy the experience of learning something new…

  5. FutureExpat says

    April 11, 2009 at 11:41 pm

    Thanks, Kama. My feeling is, if you don’t even attempt to learn the language, you’re going to miss out on a lot. Are you fluent in any besides your native language?

  6. Kama says

    April 12, 2009 at 2:06 am

    Yes I am also fluent in Norwegian as I lived there for 15 years. I taught myself the language by watching children’s television and reading comics with the added help of an English/Norwegian dictionary. I learnt to say some silly things which just added to the fun of learning. I used Norwegian when I could and I became fluent after roughly two years.
    I also started learning Dutch when I lived in the Netherlands, I practised by going to my local cheese shop and asking for certain cheeses. The guys behind the counter would help me by refusing to speak English so that I could learn (unless I got really stuck of course!).
    Once you are living among the language it becomes easier to learn but it does help to learn some basics first.
    It sounds as though you are already well on the road to learning….well done…..have you got someone to practice with?

  7. FutureExpat says

    April 14, 2009 at 12:26 am

    Wow! I am impressed that you taught yourself! I studied German in high school and college, and had a smattering of French (required in my middle school). Learning a language as a teenager is a whole ‘nother world from trying to learn as an adult!!!! It was fun back then, now it’s a struggle, but I’m sure once I’m immersed it will be much easier.

  8. Margarita Palatnik says

    October 22, 2009 at 3:24 pm

    You definitely expose yourself to emotional misery and a high financial cost if you don’t learn at least some of the local language.

    In every place you may relocate to there are a number of predators ready to pounce on the unaware gringo. The less you speak the language, the more limited your social network will be and the more vulnerable to those people.

    But from a quality of life point, you also stand to lose if you don’t learn Spanish, because your social circle and activities will be limited to expats and the few locals who speak English, who will not feel like speaking English all the time, either.

    I have spent my entire life learning languages. The only one I learned as an adult was Turkish, and it was a nightmare but I became conversant and fluent enough to give my life in Turkey a whole other dimension. I know chit-chat with my husband in a mix of Turkish, English and Spanish, and continue to acquire more Turkish despite the fact that we haven’t lived there for two years already.

    Kudos on your preparation studies. The most important thing to digest is the basic structure of the grammar, because probably your vocabulary and all idiomatic expressions will be different from what you learn from a book/software. So concentrate on digesting the logic of the language and you will make big strides after one year or so of living in the language.

  9. Mary Mimouna says

    February 4, 2010 at 9:36 am

    One of the best things about learning the local language is that you will be able to understand much of the television and radio broadcasts. You will be able to read newspapers. You will be able to understand street signs. You will be able to read directions and cautions on medicne you purchase.

    Moving abroad in a country where you do not read or write the language turns you into an illiterate person. It’s really disconcerting! You learn what an illiterate person feels like. I have learned French, and I have learned Arabic writing, so I can make out signs (sometimes) but have never managed to learn to speak Arabic. I can manage a few things like giving taxi directions, but I can’t understand the TV, radio, or newspapers in Arabic. Many countries only give the important information in the local language, and don’t report any of the things an expat really should know about when living in a place (for their own safety) in any other language (including French) because they don’t want to scare off tourists!

    • FutureExpat says

      February 4, 2010 at 7:32 pm

      So true about turning into an illiterate! I spent a week in Athens on a business trip a few years ago, and despite my best efforts to learn a little before I went, I was unable to read anything in their alphabet. (In my defense, I have to say the trip was put together on very short notice, only about 3 weeks.) But it was quite frustrating, and certainly made me realize that for me, learning the language is essential to feeling comfortable living someplace.

      Susanna

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