Language Learning: Get An Early Start

Posted on 16. Jul, 2009 by Emmanuelle Archer in Blog, Expat Life, Relocation
2 comments

There seems to be two schools of thought among expats when it comes to learning a new language:
- Some start hitting the books as soon as they learn that they will be moving soon
- Others choose to wait until they get to their destination to learn the new language.

I am in the first camp. While I entirely agree that immersing yourself in the language is the best way to become truly fluent, I would not recommend this strategy when you still have to learn the very basics.  Too overwhelming!

Confidence and resourcefulness

I know that when you’re busy planning your move, the last thing you want is to add yet another task to your mile-long To-Do list… especially if the task involves conjugations, declensions and other fun grammar stuff.

But think of the confidence boost that even basic language skills will give you! Being able to communicate in simple, everyday situations is a huge step toward self-reliance in your new host country. The peace of mind you’ll gain is well worth the time and effort.

Get a head start

At the very least, familiarise yourself with the grammar and learn some practical, immediately applicable vocabulary. With that foundation in place, it will be much easier to pick up more advanced language skills by immersion once you get there.

Studying before your move is particularly critical if the language you will be learning uses a different alphabet. You will feel much less disoriented if you can read numbers and some commonly used words – anything that helps lessen the culture shock is a good thing in my book!

It may take you a few months of dedicated self-study before you can hold a conversation in the new language. You might not be able to learn as much as you want to before you move, but don’t let that stop you from getting a good head start – once you step out of the plane into an unfamiliar culture, you’ll be glad you did.

If you are already multilingual, how did you go about learning the local language? Did you start studying in preparation for your move, or did you wait until you got there? Share your stories and tips with us!

Emmanuelle

Image by natalia & gabriel, via Flickr Creative Commons