Learning a language can make living in another country easier for you. If you move to a foreign country and have no idea of the language, here is the best way to learn a language after moving to another country.

To learn a language without it taking all your time, money and energy, you need to be motivated and passionate about doing it. Prepare to make the most of your time, and be ready to get very comfortable making mistakes. I’m not going to lie and say it’ll be a walk in the park! You will have ups and downs, but it’s worth it. Even if it takes time, there is no shortcut to learning a language. It takes hard work, but you will gain so much more from it than just speaking a new language.

And when you’re already in a country that speaks that language, you’re in a great position to make it happen!

But when you’re in a foreign country and don’t speak the language, it can feel isolating. You want to learn but don’t know how. You feel frustrated because you feel like you can’t learn quickly or easily. Plus, you’ve got a busy new life and don’t have a lot of time to invest in learning new things.

You thought moving here would be the key to unlock sudden fluency, but it’s not. And that’s not your fault. Mentally it’s exhausting to have to constantly focus on the language.

Maybe it feels like the language barrier is making it hard to be part of the community, and you can’t easily go out and have fun with your friends.

Perhaps you were at the market and the words you needed just didn’t slip off your tongue, so you’ve opted for online delivery instead to avoid the awkwardness.

Whatever you’ve already tried, there’s plenty of ways to make the most of living in a country to learn a language. You can still do this!

I’ve arrived in many countries for extended stays where I don’t speak the language on arrival. And each time, I have a few intentional things I do to help me make the most of my time there.

They’re so simple, and can be adapted to almost any similar situation or country.

Get out of the Expat Bubble

When you first move to a new country, it’s normal that you want to hang out with people who speak your own language. But this will only get in the way of learning the local language. This is one of the biggest roadblocks for expats when it comes to learning their host country’s language.

If you do want to learn the language and culture of your new country, don’t get stuck with other foreigners. You’ll possibly make friends and you might have a good time, but it’s not going to help you learn the language.

You need to be outside of that bubble and interacting with locals in order for the magic to happen. You’ll have to be open-minded and willing to let go of your old ways, but I guarantee that you’ll get more out of your experience abroad if you do.

And who’s to say you won’t make friends and have a good time interacting with locals? You can – even without full fluency!

It will be hard and uncomfortable at first, but try as hard as possible to get out of this bubble as soon as possible. You can still hang out with other foreigners — either for intentional language practice or for that occasional connection to home.

Actively seek language practice opportunities

One of the most popular reasons people give for not learning a new language is that they have no one to speak to. After all, you can’t just go up to someone in a foreign country and start speaking your new language, right?

Well… yes, you can. But it’s not for everyone. You’ll likely want to find more planned opportunities to practice than street strangers!

Here are some ways you can practice any language on a daily basis abroad:

Go out and start small talk with locals

Join a meet-up group or sports club

Find an exchange partner or language tutor

Volunteer at a local organisation

Strike up some extra small talk with cashiers and waiters

Actively seek language practice opportunities. If you want to learn how to speak the language, you have to talk with people a lot. That means that you need to find as many opportunities as possible — ideally every day — where you can use the language with a native speaker.

Engage in conversation with locals intentionally. It’s not always easy to start conversations with locals who are fluent in their native tongue. However, if you’re trying to learn their language, this is exactly what you should do! Try striking up conversations wherever possible: taxis, public transport, restaurants and cafes, neighbours.

If you have a friend who can speak the local language, ask them if they can help you practice on a regular basis. They can correct any mistakes that you make, and as long as they are patient and kind, they can be very helpful!

Don’t be afraid to put yourself out there and try using your new language skills. It’s okay if you make mistakes — especially if it means you’re interacting with native speakers! Most people will be happy that you’re trying and will appreciate your efforts.

Get familiar with local culture and traditions

To learn a language, it helps to know about the culture. Attending local events, watching movies or reading books that are popular in your host country will help you understand more about your host culture and increase your motivation to learn the language.

This also gives you plenty of opportunities to connect with locals too.

Plus, it helps you to understand your new home on a deeper level, which is always a bonus.

Consider classes – either in person or online

The first thing you may want to do when you move to another country is ensure that you are enrolling your family in language classes. This will help to set the foundation for your language skills, but it will also help you socialise within the community. In addition, this is a great way to meet new friends who are also learning the language.

Look for group classes or find a private tutor who can create lessons based on your specific needs and interests.

If all you can find is online, that works too! But if there are local face-to-face options available, give it a go.

Not only do language classes help to give you new things to learn regularly but they’re also great to help you get into a routine.

Get into a routine

If you’re not taking classes or working with a tutor, it can be hard to stay motivated when trying to learn a language on your own. The easiest way to stay motivated is by making foreign language practice part of your daily routine.

Some people like studying first thing in the morning before they even start their day. Others find that spending some time on their target language at night helps them unwind for bed. Find what works for you, but make sure you have some set time each day dedicated to studying and learning.

Start With What You Already Know

Regardless of where you’re moving to, I bet you already know more of the language than you think.

Build up a core vocabulary to start of words that keep cropping up, and use these as much as you can to express as much as possible.

When you’re speaking and talking about something new – something you don’t have the vocab for – try to focus on what you do know. See what you can say with that knowledge first, even if it’s not exactly what you wanted to say, you may still be understood.

Prepare to get uncomfortable…then get uncomfortable!

Prepare to get uncomfortable when you don’t know words or can’t express yourself in that language. Prepare for the confusion of people speaking to you in a language you don’t understand. Prepare for the awkwardness of trying and failing, then trying again and failing again, then trying yet again… only to succeed just a little bit more than last time.

The good news is that once you accept that it’s going to be uncomfortable, and let yourself be uncomfortable, it will get easier. And I think you’ll learn at least a few new words every day.

Let yourself be uncomfortable and do it! You won’t learn if you don’t put yourself out there and make mistakes. You’ll also see how patient people are when you make mistakes in their native tongue!

That’s how it’s done!

These are key ways to learn a language after moving to another country. Moving to a foreign country is always an adventure, but if you don’t know how to communicate with the locals, your trip can be a lonely one. Learning as much of the local language as you can will help make your stay more enjoyable and less stressful.

Learning a language after moving to another country is possible with the right attitude and mindset. Anyone can learn another language when they have the right support and patience for it.

I think one of the biggest hurdles for people who want to learn a new language is fear. When you move to a country where the language is different, you have to essentially start from scratch in order to interact with other people. But that doesn’t have to be the case — there’s no reason to do this alone.