by Fernando Oliveira

Created on: November 22, 2010   Last Updated: February 11, 2011

Living in a foreign country can be quite a difficult experience but it can also be very rewarding if one is prepared for the challenges. Many people try to prepare for living in a foreign country by taking as many things as they can which remind them of their home country. The thought is that if you take into this foreign country everything that you had in your home country, you can create and environment that feels like home. The problem with this is that it is very tempting to stay in this comfortable environment all the time and neglect getting to know your community.

If the only time you feel at home is when you are inside of your house, you will feel even more estranged when you venture out into the neighborhood. It is absolutely vital that a person interact with the people of this new country in which they moved. The more you isolate yourself the less you will feel at home or a part of the community in this foreign country.

Communication   

Being able to communicate with the people of this foreign country is absolutely vital. Communication is what brings people together or lack thereof which keeps them apart. If you cannot communicate with a person you will not be able to build a friendship with them. If you cannot build any friendships in this new country, you will not feel a part of it and for sure will not feel at home.

It would be very good to learn some of the language before you arrive in the country. This will allow you to transition a little better and the people will be more accepting of you when they see you are at least making an effort to greet them in their own language. This also applies in countries where there is not only a national language but also local languages. For instance in Africa, people love it when you greet them in their mother tongue. Even if you only know one phrase it shows you really care about them and you value their language.

When you first arrive in the country, try to set a good portion of time to just study the language. One month of concentrated language learning will allow you to say many things in this new language. However, if you want to look at it as a long term investment, six months would give you a better base for your language learning and would allow you to communicate fairly well. Remember if you are living in this country for an extended time it is well worth taking the time to learn how to communicate. The better you know the language the better you will integrate into this new country.

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