What I have learnt from living abroad

Have you ever thought about how learning another language can improve you? And how living in another country can change you?

Today I want to tell you about my experience and the benefits I have gained from it.

Living abroad and learning foreign languages has been one of the best experiences of my life. Why? Because it changed and improved me!

Living abroad it is inevitable to absorb part of the culture that surrounds you, and it is something that even when you return home will always stay with you.

Myself, I was lucky enough to live for 5 years in Brighton, which is not only an English city but also a multicultural one, which was even more enriching for me.

But let’s see what I’ve learned!

First of all, living in England, I’ve learned to say thank you. The British say it a lot, almost too much! But today it is something that has remained in my personality and that, I must say, I like a lot. Not that I didn’t say thank you before… but today I pay more attention to it and give it more meaning.

Also, I learned that… anytime is a good time for tea! Yeah, it’s not a myth, the English drink tea at any time of the day. Tea is that thing that cheers you up in every situation, it’s like a hug. After discovering that, any time is good for me to have a cup of tea too!

Third, I’ve learned to smile about problems. A lot of people I met had that ‘easy going’ attitude, which I personally love and have made my own! What does it mean? It means that every problem is solvable, it is useless to think too much about it. Better to face problems with a good dose of self-irony.

Living abroad has actually confirmed this theory for me. I learned what it means to survive. Finding solutions to all kinds of problems in order to keep working, earn a living and be happy.

Another thing I love, for the British there is never an age limit to do anything! Going to concerts, for example, I have often met people of various ages, from 20 to 60.

And this is especially true, and here you might be surprised, in changing jobs. People change jobs a lot, even when they are getting older. Life is one, why should we do the same job over and over again? I like to think that teaching will not be the only job I will do in life.

But now let’s move on to the most obvious thing… the umbrella! After living in Brighton, for me having an umbrella is superfluous! Better to go out with a waterproof jacket with a hood. So even cycling in the rain is not a problem!

And what about the language? What have I learnt from speaking English?

First of all, patience. Towards myself, in giving myself time to understand what people were saying, and towards others.

Then tolerance, and also curiosity, for any kind of accent and any kind of person.

I started to interpret other people, not only by their words, but by their tone, their movements, their expression. A language is not just made up of words!!! And sometimes you can understand even just 3 words in a sentence, but from the expression of the person the message they want to convey will still be clear.

Last but not least, I have learned to adapt to situations and to SIMPLIFY. When you speak in a foreign language, having a limited vocabulary, you will be surprised how many things you will be able to say, simply by choosing the simplest way.

It is, in a way, survival instinct! And I believe that this ability to simplify can then be used in other areas of our lives.

Have you ever lived abroad? If so, how has this experience changed you?