Does anyone live in a place where they don't know the language?

[aliss]

Just out of curiosity?

We're moving to Quebec in a few months (yes, near the due date!) for my OH's job and I don't speak French. I've tried taking classes but it's quite difficult and it will be years before I am fluent. It will be a good move for our new family (day care is $7/day subsidized and housing prices are 1/2-1/3 cheaper) but I'm frightened at the language issues I will have. I'll be on BnB a lot

Good thing I took Japanese and Mandarin in high school and college

 

[Kaites]

I used to... I spent a few years teaching in Korea but never learned more than what I needed to go shopping. All part of the adventure I guess Quebec's subsidized daycare is awesome- makes me think we should have moved to Gatineau, lol. Depending on where you are moving to in QC, you might find pockets of other English speakers though. Either way, your baby will have the huge advantage of growing up bilingual Best of luck with your move!

 

[caz81]

yeah i do, i live in Oman but not speak Arabic! I set up an expats group if you want to join

 

[dizzyisacow]

well not the same situation but my mum didnt know greek when she moved here and married my dad. now 20 years later she still doesnt know very good greek lol! but she can understand most everything and speak it just not great, and she never took lessons or anything.
you just catch on and learn because you will be hearing it every day.

 

[Mum2b_Claire]

My brother moved to Quebec 2 years ago and didn't speak any French when he moved there but isn't finding it a problem, he is picking up the language gradually, I think when you actually live somewhere you pick up the language much much quicker.

 

[JASMAK]

You pick it up quickly! My hubby went to Montreal for french classes, and he said he became really good in a matter of weeks! Keep studying...and you will be fine!

 

[sparkle_1979]

yeah Scotland and sometimes I struggle lol x

 

[aliss]

Thanks for the advice and encouragement

It's sort of a funny position for me because I went back to school to get my teaching degree & TESL (teaching English as a second language) certificate, and I was always so proud/amazed of my students who came here with no English, it was really brave of them (they were mostly mothers). Now I am in the same position!!!

I'm trying to sign up for classes, hopefully all goes well While there is a decent size anglo population in Montreal, my OH is French and we're going to a French community I'll try and get into a Saturday class so OH can stay home with the baby

caz81, I'd love to check out that group! Do I still count as an expat if I'm still in Canada? lol

 

[ald]

Yup me, I live in Germany and don't speak a single word of german!

 

[Abz1982]

Yup. Its called Tilly. haha

 

[MartaMi]

Yup me, I live in Germany and don't speak a single word of german!

You say it like you're proud of it. I can't stand or understand people who live in a foreign country and don't speak the language

 

[sam#3]

i live in england but dont understand a word of all the different eastern european languages that are spoken here now, there is a very very high population of immigrants here in northampton so when you walk around the town centre you hear LOTS of different languages!!

 

[caz81]

Yup me, I live in Germany and don't speak a single word of german!

You say it like you're proud of it. I can't stand or understand people who live in a foreign country and don't speak the language

Thats a bit harsh!! I dont speak Arabic because I moved to the country were my husband lived & I did not know 10 years ago i would meet & marry him so i did not start learning the language then!!! I never planned to live here so saw no reason to learn the language, maybe that is the case with the op too??

 

[c1reid]

yeah Scotland and sometimes I struggle lol x

whit dae ye mean ye cannae make us oot? know what you mean tho,i go other places in scotland and i struggle too sometimes....

hopefully living there you will pick it up easier,my previous relationship was with someone who's 2nd language was russian so i started learning/picking it up (his 1st language was waaaay to hard to even try) and i found being around him and friends i picked it up quicker....maybe if you take a class across there to learn it might be a good way of meeting other people in same situation and you might make friends? xx

 

[tasha41]

aliss--- there are lots of English-speaking people in Quebec. Though I do recommend trying to pick up French... when I travelled there the locals were kind of snooty toward me because I wasn't fluent in French! My friend is however and was able to tell them off in French for me lol. They were pretty embarrassed

 

[Nathyrra]

I live in Germany and understand only basic written German but get completely lost in the spoken language because it's spoken too fast for me to decifer. It can be a pretty lonely existense sometimes. I've been learning German for for about 4 years now and I feel a bit linguistically challenged and extremely insecure about it >.<

MartiMi: It isn't always as cut and dry as going to a country and not being arsed to learn the language, some of us really struggle. Also, I'm pretty sure Ald is stationed in Germany through Military.

 

[MartaMi]

Thats a bit harsh!! I dont speak Arabic because I moved to the country were my husband lived & I did not know 10 years ago i would meet & marry him so i did not start learning the language then!!! I never planned to live here so saw no reason to learn the language, maybe that is the case with the op too??

But you started learning Arabic when you moved there?
Maybe you think that I'm being a little harsh but studying a foreign language isn't hard especially if you live in that country. We have lots of Russians in Estonia who have lived here 20 years and more and still don't know language. It is really frustrating that they live here and don't respect our country and/or language. In school where I work we have an exchange student. She's from Germany, has been here for 6 months and speaks Estonian really good. I have more examples.
Even if you are sent to somewhere through military like nathyrra said, then it is polite to get yourself to beginner level. I do that even if I travel to somewhere. Couple of years ago when I went to Quimper, France for a week I started learning French a bit: numbers, greeting, thanking, farewell etc. So I was able to communicate in French in shops, on border, asking direction etc. It wasn't that difficult.

But maybe that is weird.

 

[caz81]

Thats a bit harsh!! I dont speak Arabic because I moved to the country were my husband lived & I did not know 10 years ago i would meet & marry him so i did not start learning the language then!!! I never planned to live here so saw no reason to learn the language, maybe that is the case with the op too??

But you started learning Arabic when you moved there?
Maybe you think that I'm being a little harsh but studying a foreign language isn't hard especially if you live in that country. We have lots of Russians in Estonia who have lived here 20 years and more and still don't know language. It is really frustrating that they live here and don't respect our country and/or language. In school where I work we have an exchange student. She's from Germany, has been here for 6 months and speaks Estonian really good. I have more examples.
Even if you are sent to somewhere through military like nathyrra said, then it is polite to get yourself to beginner level. I do that even if I travel to somewhere. Couple of years ago when I went to Quimper, France for a week I started learning French a bit: numbers, greeting, thanking, farewell etc. So I was able to communicate in French in shops, on border, asking direction etc. It wasn't that difficult.

But maybe that is weird.

No, I agree its good to learn some of the language, I have learnt some Arabic but its really hard to learn it because as soon as someone sees me & can see im British they will just want to speak to me in English to improve their language so they will only speak to me in English!! I am picking some of it up though & Tamil as well (which is hubbys language) so very slowly getting there!!!

 

[Minstermind]

I live in Ireland everyone pretty much speaks English, but they do have Gaelic here as well. I don't know it but I'm working on it via my son's school as they teach everyone Irish in the schools here. But it seems like most the people I know here only learned it well enough to pass their classes in youth and then forgot about it and never speak it anyway, and don't like it. Not sure why that is. There are a lot who do speak it and want to preserve the cultural heritage and all, but just seems most can't be arsed.