For years, you’ve dreamed of traveling to your fantasy destination. Or maybe you’ve been wanting to move abroad. Or the love of your life speaks another language.
You have the opportunity to do what you want, but it’s not always easy. Perhaps you’ve never left the country before. Or your family wants you to stay with them. Pursuing those types of goals requires a number of decisions. Those decisions require a lot from you, like discipline — and one of them may be learning a language.
How often do you travel to a new place and speak their mother tongue? How important is it to you to speak to locals in their language?
You will need language to communicate how many tickets you want or what kind of wine you’d like. More importantly, you will need language to know how to ask “Where is the bathroom?” All jokes aside, the languages you speak will shape your international experiences.
When I stepped foot in Spain for my study abroad experience for the first time, the number of new, stimulating communities, architecture, and landscape disoriented me. You typically don’t hear too much about this disorientating phase of traveling. Luckily, there are tons of resources like podcasts, blogs, and videos these days to mentally prepare for your upcoming trips or moves.
At Craving English, we have a diverse student and teacher community who’ve experienced the challenges and joys of living abroad. You have the opportunity to learn from their aha-moments, their trials, and their advice in this blog.
Living Abroad and Learning Another Language
Someone once said, “If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head. If you talk to him in his own language, that goes to his heart.”
Learning the local language of the country you are visiting provides you with an invaluable skill. You can connect with a community on a deeper, more nuanced level.
What is the Value of Living Abroad?
In the past, many people spent the majority of their lives living in the same place. However, with access to flights, other forms of high-speed transportation, and now remote work, you can now land in a new destination within days. Depending on where you’re from, you may even be able to stay months at a time in that place.
There are multiple reasons why you might choose to live abroad somewhere. Let’s take a look at why some of our teachers moved to these places and how living abroad affected them.
Teacher Sandra: From Florida, USA → Japan
I’m from the United States and I lived in Chiba, Japan for 2 years! I wanted a change of scenery. I had just graduated from college and was ready to explore the world!
The value of living abroad in my opinion is that you get to learn so much about the world we live in. I feel like living in your home country and not exploring limits your ability to interact with people, cultures, and customs. You learn that there is more to life than what you’re used to.
Teacher Lilly: From Indiana, USA → Ecuador
I was living on the coast of Ecuador in Portoviejo, Manabí. I chose to live abroad to spend more time with my significant other who is Ecuadorian. I stayed with his family while I was teaching classes with Craving English.
Living abroad opened my mind to other political systems such as healthcare, preventative health care, correctional facilities, government subsidies, and environmental protection. It showed me also what it is like to live in a country that is less modernized than the US. It showed me the unspoken cultural pressures that I didn’t know my country had and other ways of life. I learned lessons like how it is to live when the cultural emphasis is on family rather than productivity. I could see the negative and positive effects my home country is causing from the outside and made me aware of my impact of gentrification.
Teacher Matthew: From Pretoria, South Africa → Mexico
Although I studied medicine for two years, I’ve always been interested in linguistics. When deciding what to do after leaving medical school, I became interested in the Spanish language. During my first year studying Spanish at university, I decided to spend my vacation in Mexico. Despite only spending 3 weeks in the country, I fell in love with the culture, the people, and the food. I also met a lovely girl from Mexico City. After dating for 2 years, I made the decision to move to Mexico and subsequently got married.
Teacher Jordan: From Ohio, USA → Mexico & Spain
I am from Ohio and lived in Mexico for 3 years. Now, I am at the beginning of my 4th year in Spain.
I chose to move to Spain originally because I am from a small town in Ohio and felt like I was missing out on the rest of the world. I had a friend who had traveled extensively as a kid. His mom worked for an airline. His stories about the world outside of the USA blew me away. I needed to see if he was just trying to be cool or if what he was saying was real. Very few people from my town never even left the state, let alone the country.
Teacher Johanita: From South Africa → Peru & Ecuador
I chose to live overseas for a variety of reasons. Primarily, I was drawn to the opportunity to immerse yourself in other cultures and situations. Second, I wanted to broaden my personal and professional horizons. Living overseas provided me with the opportunity to stretch myself, learn new things, and get a broader perspective on life.
Teacher Angeline: From Indiana, USA → Spain
You will discover new things about yourself that you never thought possible. In my case, I explored my Filipina-American heritage a lot while I was in Spain! If you didn’t know already, both the US and Spain have long intertwining histories with the Philippines, where my mother is from. I learned a lot from a Filipino family I met while I was working abroad in Barcelona, and I got a taste of how the Filipino community interacts with Spaniards. I didn’t expect that to happen!
Teacher Braulio: From California, USA → Mexico
I grew up in the USA, in Oxnard California and now I’m currently living in Guanajuato, Mexico. I chose to live abroad to pursue higher education and obtain a bachelor’s degree .
Having a community to hear these experiences from is worthwhile. Whether you want to learn about another culture, be independent, learn another language, pursue a romantic interest, or work, living abroad can broaden your mindset and attract unique opportunities that you may not get in your home country.
How Do You Move Abroad to Another Country?
It’s not easy to move abroad. You should expect some mental and emotional challenges while moving. No matter what country you decide to move to, you should research the logistics. There are many resources available to explore including YouTube, Facebook groups, Instagram, and word of mouth. If you’re interested in these countries, listen to the advice from teachers who have already lived there.
Challenges of Living Abroad
If you pursue an experience abroad, it helps to do research ahead of time. Some lifestyles are not ideal for some people. You can prevent a lot of heartache by preparing yourself with research. Consider the mental and emotional challenges you might encounter like:
- Homesickness
- Culture shock
- Language barriers
- Maintaining long-distance relationships, whether they’re friendships, familial, or romantic ones
- Making new friends
These are some of the common challenges people face when they move to another country. Despite these hardships, you can gain a wealth of valuable experiences.
Learn about some of the challenges our teachers have faced with this episode from Craving Podcast.
Overcoming Challenges of Living Abroad
You are in charge of your life. You get to decide if you will have a positive experience or not. By taking action in your own hands, you can use the following techniques to overcome some of the aforementioned challenges.
- Bring pictures of your loved ones. Use any available resources to talk to communicate with them.
- Analyze the values of your host culture. Find ways to integrate yourself into the community and stay busy.
- Take classes to feel comfortable in the language.
- Use apps, online groups, or local community events to meet new people. Compliment someone’s outfit to start that first conversation.
These are a few ways to overcome those barriers. Many of our teachers faced similar challenges while they were living abroad. Here is some of their advice.
Teacher Jordan: From Ohio, USA → Mexico & Spain
Another piece of advice would be to ask for help! I was always so nervous to ask others for help (in English or Spanish). I had some illogical shame tied to asking for help and as a result I wasted almost a year of my life abroad. Learning to reach out was one of the best things I ever did in my life. Everything improved once I got the courage to do so. I genuinely became a better person. We need others to fill the gaps in our life, no person has ever had a fulfilling life alone. Then I knew that, but now I actually believe it.
Teacher Zachary: From New Jersey, USA → Mexico
If you move to a new country, don’t try to live the same lifestyle as in your country of origin; always be humble!
Teacher Lilly: From Indiana, USA → Ecuador
I would advise someone living abroad to educate yourself on the area you are going to live in. Ask the locals how safe they feel, local crime rates, and current politics. This will give you and your loved ones more peace of mind when it is time to travel. Living abroad can cause fear for some people so having the facts can keep you safe and calm a lot of those fears.
Teacher Maxine: From Toronto, Canada → Nicaragua & Costa Rica
If you’re moving abroad, don’t overpack. Whatever your regular life and routine is where you currently live, it won’t be the same in a new place. There are so many things I brought over that I thought I was going to use, that I didn’t – because you adopt a bit of a different lifestyle, and you can purchase what you need where you are. If you’re lacking something, a friend/family member can always bring it for you when they visit!
Teacher Tahirah: From Indiana, USA → Costa Rica & Mexico
Say yes to everything: all the opportunities, any new adventures, meeting new people, trying new foods – just say yes and, two, would be to do your research. Make sure that even if you’re going to an unknown please or a place that you have never seen or heard about, look it up on maps ask some friends for suggestions get to know the locals make sure that you do your research so even though you’re discovering something new you don’t feel completely blind, going into the situation situation.
Which advice brings you the most comfort? Let us know in the comments.
Learning a Language While Living Abroad
Temporarily visiting a place for vacation is one way to assess your target language skills if it’s spoken in that country. However, living abroad for longer periods of time gives you access to more speaking, listening, writing, and reading opportunities. This immersive time period can motivate you to learn and acquire more skills like:
- Accents and pronunciation
- Cultural sensitivity
- Idioms and expressions
- Adaptability
- Confidence
- Problem-solving skills
Let’s see how some of our teachers experienced language learning and later learned how to speak the local language of the area. Some of their stories and tips are very unique!
Teacher Matthew: From Pretoria, South Africa → Mexico
I was in a unique position in that my girlfriend (and now wife) is Mexican. I think there is no better motivation to learn a language than love! Moreover, my wife’s favourite TV show is Malcolm in the Middle. After watching 151 episodes in Spanish, I’m sure anyone would be able to learn the language!
In my opinion, being able to speak the local language is not optional if someone wants to live abroad. You could get away with English in most countries, but I believe that learning to communicate with the locals in their own language is a sign of respect.
Teacher Jordan: From Ohio, USA → Mexico & Spain
I originally learned Spanish in college but when I graduated I felt like I had the language level of a toddler (I was never a very good student 😅). I learned the language everywhere I could. I found that other immigrants were the most patient. My Chinese neighbors in my apartment in Spain took pity on me when they saw how much I struggled to tell my landlord that the hot water wasn’t working. It was 10°C outside, and I waited a week to tell the landlord because I was so scared to talk to her.
The grandfather of the family told me to go to church. Not because he was religious, but because it was the only place where you could sit and listen for an hour and no one expected you to talk. I went every day for months and worked. I could finally understand the people around me!
Learning to speak was different. I went to language exchanges with Spaniards who wanted to learn English. We would do thirty minutes in English and thirty in Spanish. I finally felt like I was in a safe place where someone would let me talk, correct me when I needed it and give me advice on how to get my point across. If it wasn’t for the kindness of others I would have left Spain after one year, returned to Ohio and missed out on the beautiful life I have now.
Teacher Johanita: From South Africa → Peru & Ecuador
Learning the local language was critical to my international experience. I took language classes, practiced with native speakers, and immersed myself in everyday interactions. It not only simplified my everyday life, but it also allowed me to interact with people on a deeper level. Speaking the native language provided me with work chances and cultural insights I would not have received otherwise. It was a priority since it was essential to properly comprehending and assimilating into the communities where I was living.
Teacher Sandra: From Florida, USA → Japan
I was always interested in Japanese from my middle school years, so I knew a few phrases before going. I learned a lot more once I was there living my day to day life. Going to banks, supermarkets, traveling around the country forced me to use Japanese to the best of my abilities and I am very grateful for that!
If you’re interested in learning more about how to learn a language, you can also check out this post about our recommendations for the top five language learning apps.
Final Advice from Our International Teachers
Are you ready to go on your next international adventure? Speak a foreign language? Try a new cuisine? Living abroad has transformed the lives of these individuals. Maybe it can do the same for you!
Let’s hear some final thoughts from our teachers to help those who possibly have some fears about traveling abroad.
Teacher Maxine: From Toronto, Canada → Nicaragua & Costa Rica
For me, the value of living abroad has been testing myself and my ability to adapt to change and live in discomfort. I think moving abroad has put me in situations I never imagined I would face in my life, but they have been invaluable to my growth and becoming who I am as a person.
Living abroad has given me perspective on the motions of life and how everything is constantly in movement – and how to follow that movement. I learned to welcome change, to welcome challenges and disappointment, to foster a positive outlook, or look for solutions.
I’ve learned that there is no “right” way. Maybe I could have learned these things in my own home, but I do feel that specific moments living abroad have shaped these aspects of my life and vision.
Teacher Jordan: From Ohio, USA → Mexico & Spain
One piece of advice would be to not be so shy. I was always a very quiet person and my first year abroad was so difficult. I only spoke a little bit of the language and that combined with being very introverted left me feeling alone and disconnected from the world I had worked so hard to come see.
One day, I made friends with another American who’s Spanish was even worse than mine. The difference was he had all these friends from different places, was always invited to events and had all these stories that I wanted for myself! It was because he wasn’t scared to be vulnerable, he wasn’t scared to make mistakes or be laughed at because what he was saying made no sense.
That day I told myself I would be more like Chris. I would strike up a conversation with anyone, I would say what I wanted to say even if I felt dumb trying to explain my point. Everything changed from that moment on. I made more friends, I got to have the experiences I dreamed about and I finally got to a point where I could be proud of my Spanish!
Teacher Tahirah: From Indiana, USA → Costa Rica & Mexico
There is a quote that really helps me to answer the question why I chose to live abroad and that is “Humans have feet, not roots like trees; therefore, we shall move about.”
I am truly a social butterfly. I love to talk. Learning the language was super important. I happen to be one of those people who are pretty good with learning new languages, but one of the most important things for me to be successful with that is being able to practice it regularly. Not with books, not with studying grammar, but being able to have conversations. It’s just like how we learn in our classes here at Craving — that’s how I was able to learn with different locals.
Explore the World with Craving Abroad Now
You’ve had the chance to hear from our teachers about their international experiences. Now, you get even more with our newest segment of Craving Podcast called Craving Abroad.
These episodes will explore our unique international community at Craving English. We’ll be chatting with teachers, staff, and, of course – you , our valued students. If you’re dreaming about living abroad or wondering what it’s like in these countries, our host and special guests will provide you with firsthand insights and experiences.
Listen to our episode now on traveling to the United States for the first time from a Costa Rican’s perspective.