Leave your linguistic comfort zone

The language barrier is one of the biggest challenges, but at the same time, it is one of the main opportunities. If traveling is an experience that makes you grow, living a season outside your country changes your life. Personal growth and learning is constantly lived. Involving yourself in a new culture is a very big human challenge, but everything you can get out of it makes you a citizen of the world, with new languages, with fewer barriers.

Although today there are many tools to translate the language and be able to write or even interact in another language, for an expatriate, speaking the local language helps increase productivity, increases effective communication and trust between the local team and partners commercial.

Some tips that can help the linguistic integration of an expatriate are the following:

• Listen, observe and learn: No more dubbed movies, listen to local music, pay attention to the gestures, expressions and communication of the locals. Dedicate your attention and activate your senses. 
• Be clear why:  You have to be aware of what you are doing and why you are doing it, whatever the motivation, you have to maintain it, be consistent, dedicated and do not lose hope.
• Use the language: practice the language, change the language of your phone and your laptop, use mobile applications like Duolingo to practice in your free time, write down the key words and read them every day , use the language with your co-workers or when making purchases, it is important that you start using it daily.
• Immerse yourself:  Get involved with locals, make a group of friends, try to be participatory, communicate all the time, join a team of your favorite sport, get rid of your old life, Follow and listen to the local youtubers, TV shows, news and comedy. 
• Have fun: Use the language in any creative way, learn songs, watch movies, enjoy the new language. Learn how a child does, be curious, with innocence, without embarassment and without social predispositions. 
• Get out of your comfort zone: Attend networking events, talks, cultural exchanges, read books in the new language, any mental and social exercise that makes you leave your language comfort zone , practice it. 
  

   

  

  

  Beyond the personal sphere, the reality is that a large number of expatriations and internationalization projects fail mainly due to the lack of cultural integration. Companies are increasingly aware of this and establish a series of grants in their expatriation policies , which include intercultural and language training and training programs for the expatriate and his family. 

  “As language barrier is quite significant, Expat Advisors was as a very big help! They managed to deal with all basic settling in and bureaucratic issues, dealing with housing search, bank account opening and medical care. Their service was fast, professional and friendly communication.”  Krist Hlevickis – Expatriate from Lithuania to Bilbao, España.

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  Por Martina Familari – Global Relocation Consultant – Expat Advisors 

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  Expertos en Global Mobility

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