Good Question: On Learning The Language

Posted on 09. Sep, 2009 by Emmanuelle Archer in Blog, Expat Life, Tools & Resources
3 comments

A reader visiting from Study Abroad In Argentina blog recently asked the following question:

How can one merge with society in order to really learn the language if they don’t have a job there or any other activity surrounding them with natives?

Great question! We all know that immersion is the best way to boost your language skills, but if you’re never around local people, you’re not going to make that much progress.
Here are three scenarios* you may be faced with:

*or should it be scenarii? These Latin plurals are so darn confusing!

Case #1: You don’t know anyone in your new city

You’re a new arrival, and you haven’t made any friends yet.

Solution: Focus on meeting people and rebuilding your networks.

You don’t need to have a job or be a member of a gazillion clubs to make new connections.

If you’re not the social butterfly type, go at your own pace – every single local person you befriend can help you practice the language, give you some insight into the culture, and introduce you to his or her own friends. Just make it known that you’re interested in learning more and meeting new people!

Case #2: You rarely socialise with native speakers

You may be a stay-at-home parent, running an online business that keeps you in front of the computer all day.

You may live in a compound and only socialise with other expats.

Or you may be a language student who means well but ends up spending all of his or her time with fellow foreign students.

Solution: Make it a priority to get out there and practice the language every chance you get.

Work from a coffee shop or a library, just to be surrounded by the language –bonus points if you start a conversation with the barista or the librarian!

Run errands yourself, even if you have domestic help. Ask for directions in the street, and take the time to chat with the shopkeeper. If you live in a country where haggling is common, why not try your hand at it? Keep it fun, pretend it’s a game, and get a good linguistic workout in the bargain!

Sign up for a class or join a club, but only if it puts you in contact with native speakers – think wine appreciation or the local soccer club, rather than language lessons or an expat club.

Case #3: You cannot freely mingle with local people

Whether it is culturally inappropriate or just plain dangerous to do so, in some countries you cannot simply saunter down the street for a little stroll and, perhaps, a friendly conversation.

Does that mean that you should give up all hope to immerse yourself in the language? Not necessarily.

Solution: Identify exactly what the barrier is. Then brainstorm ways to work around the obstacle.

For example, if the country you’re in restricts women from coming and going as they please, find out exactly what those restrictions are. Get clear on what’s expected from you as a foreigner. You may well find that you have a bit more leeway than you thought, or a more experienced expat may be able to point out solutions you hadn’t considered.

Now if the issue is personal safety, that’s obviously different – and I will never advise you to take uncalculated risks. Once again, seek advice from other expats and find out what the do’s and don’ts are. “Safe” and “unsafe” are subjective notions; so do your research and find out firsthand what the facts are.

If you really cannot surround yourself with native speakers, you’ll want to “artificially” immerse yourself in the language as often as possible.

Tune into a local radio station, read magazines, rent movies… talk to yourself in the language you’re learning if you have to, but make sure that you interact with the language for at least an hour a day, every day.

Are you in a situation that I haven’t covered here? Do you have tips to share?

I always welcome your questions, so if there’s anything you’d like me to write about, please don’t be shy and ask away! You can leave your questions in the comments after any post, or reach me directly by email or on Twitter.

Emmanuelle

Images by j-No (top) and elycefeliz (bottom), both via Flickr Creative Commons