I’m a big advocate of learning foreign languages if you’re going to be spending any substantial amount of time in a foreign country. It opens huge doors and opportunities for you in ways you cannot imagine. In my experience, many languages have expressions, and slang that simply do not translate cleanly into English, which leaves it impossible to fully communicate thoughts and experiences.

Learning a local language is simply essential if you want to truly fit in.  Even if your accent is not perfect, you will have an easier time getting your point across, and finding directions, groceries, you name it!

I had a great philosophical discussion with a friend recently about how, in France, the negative is deeply layered into the French language.  For example, to express that someone is good looking, rather than saying “il est beau” (he’s handsome), a French person would more likely say, “il n’est pas moche” (he’s not ugly)!  On a beautiful, warm day, rather than saying, “il fait beau!” (it’s beautiful out), you’d hear, “il ne fait pas froid” (it’s not cold outside).

This translates, too, to how bureaucratic matters are handled – such as arguments with officials over incorrect taxes, or legal situations.  In America, we are trained to get angry quickly, yell, complain, and threaten a lawsuit.  In France, the moment you start yelling, you’ll find yourself ignored and treated like a crazy person. To successfully navigate difficult French bureacracy, you must remain calm, and carefully state how a matter is illogical, rather than being accusatory.

So, when living in a new culture, make sure you take some time to learn the local language. Once you get a hang of the language, you’ll be able to notice the different communication styles used in different cultures, and this will help you more successfully navigate a new country or city.  Even English has different vocabulary, accents, and slang in different regions – even in the same country. So even if you’re a native speaker of American and move to, say, England, Ireland, or Georgia, where you think they speak the same language, prepare yourself for some surprises!

To learn a new language, you can rely on large schools like Berlitz, Software programs like The Rosetta Stone, or find a student or tutor to help you.  Figure out how you learn best (reading, live, interacting with other students) and then find a way to make at least a couple hours each week to practice, ideally before you leave.  Language is one of the cornerstones to learning and appreciating a new culture, so jump in!