In this episode I dip my toes in to the world that is learning a new language. With a few quick tips on language learning for both you and your children.
Even if you’re moving for just a couple of years or so, you’ll get so much more out of your stay if you can speak the lingo.
I’ll share 5 reasons why an expat should learn the local language, however long you’ll be living in that country. And especially if you’re moving to an expat hub – get yourself out of the expat bubble and thrive!
Also, I’ll offer you some quick tips to get you up and running. And most of what I talk about will apply to your kids as well as you.
Then I move onto talking about what’s known as full immersion language learning, and the pros and cons of that... Whilst it’s generally acknowledged that full immersion into a language is the best way to become fluent, this is pretty stressful and not always possible.
And I’ll share why I don’t believe that full immersion is always a good format for children and can be extremely damaging for some.
Not learning the language will make your everyday expat life more stressful – like going to doctors, shopping or getting your paperwork done – simple things you’ve always taken for granted become minefields when you’re trying to navigate them in a foreign language.
If you don’t speak the language, you will feel cut off from the country you live in.
Remember, learning even a few words and phrases of a new language is inclusive and will open so many doors for you as well as boosting your confidence and giving you a massive sense of achievement.
- Get expat life support at every stage of your expat journey - from home to away and back again! Join The Expatability Club so you can get your priority boarding pass when the doors to this very exclusive club are open.
- Want independent advice about your move overseas? For a one-to-one chat, please check my calendar for dates and options here
- All my articles on Language Learning on ExpatChild here
- Companies who offer Language Courses on The Expat Directory
- Take a look at my Expatability site for more details on how we can work together to make your expat life the dream life you want!