Dealing With Language and Culture Difference
When you retire overseas, you’re in a different country and culture…meeting new friends…and you finally have time to do all the things you’ve looked forward to doing. That can seem an almost intimidating prospect, but it’s also an invigorating one.
Learning the culture can be the most fun and rewarding part of getting to know a country. You will find that in most countries, the locals are very tolerant and patient with newcomers when it comes to learning the language and cultural traditions.
However, in most countries, there is no obligation to assimilate. Some expats live in gated communities where they socialize only with other foreigners and have little need to learn the local language. This being said, even a small degree of assimilation has big rewards, opening the door to a unique culture and helping you to explore the country’s rich natural beauty.
Experiencing a new culture is a huge part of moving overseas and undoubtedly you’ll make a lot of great friends among the locals. But it can also be comforting to meet people from “back home” who share a common background and interests. Search out the local “expat hangout” in your new home; it’s usually a restaurant, café, or bar. Here you will meet other expats who will not only become new friends, but valuable contacts. You can find out who to call when you need a mechanic, plumber, or builder and where to go for the best food in town, all by asking a fellow expat.
It will be easier to make new friends in places where there are large English-speaking expat communities. After all, you and your new friends will have the shared experience of being expats in your host country. And remember, a little of the local language goes a long way when making friends with locals, too.
Learning the Local Language
While we recommend that you try to learn as much as you can before you go abroad, don’t worry if you’re not able to. For some, the best place to study a foreign language is in the country where it is spoken. Consider, for example, a food-related conversation class versus a visit to an actual French market. You’re likely to learn more about real-world comprehension and communication by talking to local vendors about soft and hard cheeses…seasonal and year-round produce…or recipes for anything from crêpes to bouillabaisse.
Click on the language below to see a few samples of the many reputable programs out there. Whether your destination is Panama or the Philippines, rest assured you will have myriad options to choose from.
The 3 Best Reasons to Learn the Language
By Tara Lowry
Traveling: When it comes to exploring the country where you are living, being able to speak the language makes travel richer, less stressful, and more independent. Being able to talk with non-English-speaking taxi drivers, waitresses, and locals along the way gives you insider tips and bargains that you just don’t get when you can’t communicate with the people who best know the area. As a result of speaking Spanish, I’ve often been given a last-minute tip by someone who casually mentions the best time to go to a place or an event that I didn’t know about that has turned out to be the highlight of my trip.
Logistics: Let’s face it—when you have a toothache or need a plumber or electrician in a foreign country, it’s a bit of a headache to find someone reliable if you can’t speak a word of the language. I speak from experience: I’ve lived in a Spanish-speaking country without knowing anything beyond how to say “hello” and “please help me.”
I still cringe when I think about the time I went to the dentist when my language skills were almost non-existent. I was nervous—firstly because I do not enjoy dental work at the best of times, but also because all I had to communicate with was a piece of paper where I had written what I thought my Spanish teacher had told me to say. Don’t ask me how, but instead of telling him I had a cavity, I managed to inform him that there were canaries in my mouth! Thankfully my experiences with doctors, telephone companies, banks—and dentists—nowadays are much less stressful.
More Meaningful Relationships With People: Apart from all of the other benefits that speaking Spanish has given me, the one I am most happy with is the ability to make deeper connections to the people I meet and live among as an expat.
Being able to have in-depth conversations with your neighbor in their language, or make long-lasting friendships in your adopted country is priceless. In my case, being able to communicate in Spanish has positively influenced my life quite a bit. If I hadn’t learned Spanish, I probably wouldn’t have met and fell in love with my husband! Married to a native Spanish speaker, and currently based out of Mexico, I now speak Spanish more than I speak English.
“But You Can’t Speak Spanish…”
By Kristance Harlow
“Wait, what? Don’t move to Argentina, you can’t speak any Spanish!”
Everyone reacted the same way when I announced I was moving. My Spanish education consisted of one class I took for a few months when I was 11 years old. Outside of that, I picked up some curse words from South American friends, I knew basics like how to count to 10, and most importantly I could say in Spanish, “I don’t speak Spanish.”
In moving to Argentina, I was going for full language immersion. I’d given up trying to find a regular job and accepted that I couldn’t escape my calling of cultural travel and writing.
I wasn’t going to be alone in Buenos Aires. My boyfriend was from there and I would be living with him and his family while the two of us searched for our own place. Knowing I’d have a native speaker to translate for me, I’d seriously slacked on my plans to study Spanish before leaving.
A layover in Colombia turned into my first crash course. When we landed in Bogota, the plane sat on the tarmac for nearly an hour. Everyone with connecting flights missed them. I’m a professional eavesdropper and like a moth to a flame, I scuttled toward a businessman who was speaking English to a fellow passenger. I was his shadow through the entire process as he negotiated with the airport to get hotel rooms for the night. I tried to go it alone for a minute, then I remembered I didn’t know Spanish so I just smiled and put my faith in the other passengers. Luckily, leaps of faith are my forte.
Since arriving in Buenos Aires nearly, I would describe full language immersion as a hilarious headache. Some days I can carry on a complex discussion about higher education and other times my mind goes blank and I don’t understand a word.
At the start when I would go to the store, I’d pray that the cashier would just do the transaction without speaking to me. “Do you want a bag? Do you want it in one payment? Did you find everything OK?” I didn’t know the difference so no matter the question, my answer was going to be, “No, gracias” along with a ridiculous dumbfounded nod.
I took French in high school and Italian in college, but as hard as I tried I could never learn a language just in the classroom. Necessity is the ultimate teacher. When you’re lost on a run in a foreign neighborhood, you will remember how to ask for directions and you will understand the answer.
With practice, humor, and humility I’ve finally learned how to communicate in another language. The confidence that comes with that is priceless.
Editor’s Note: Experts say there are half a billion Spanish speakers in the world today. Wouldn’t it be great if you could communicate…have a basic conversation…with even just a handful of them? Imagine how much richer your travel experiences will be… You can do just that with the Warren Hardy Webtutor. For a taster of what you can learn from Warren, watch the video below.