This blog is a fun way to see a different point of view, learn about the world and study English!
The story is the same, but you can choose the level that you want!
GETTING THE HANG OF IT (High Beginner English)
Did you live in more than one city or country before? Many people want live in different countries. Maybe they want a challenge or a new experience. People can live abroad because it’s fun or because they had to move. Maybe some months or maybe forever. I know how it feels to live abroad, too.
I have experience living in 5 countries in my life and I went to 12 countries to travel!
It’s a lot, but this helped me become better when I talk to people. I am very lucky because I met people from many countries. I lived in places and I spoke the language. I lived in a country and I was a beginner in the language. I also lived in a different country and I didn’t know how to speak the language! My experience is different from other people that did the same thing, but I want to share a couple of reasons why living abroad is something you should think about.
Here are the top 5 ways living abroad was good for me:
It’s okay to be nervous, but don’t be scared to try something. After I moved to Japan when I did not speak the language, I feel that I can go anywhere in the world. The language is not a problem. I think: “It’ll be okay”. I also think the same about business, meeting new people, and trying new activities.
I am very happy that I moved to many places because I made many friends in different countries. These days, it’s easy to travel to other countries. So, I can visit friends in their hometowns or other places. Most of my best friends live in different countries right now!
Language and culture are part of your personality. It’s sometimes hard to understand someone from a different culture when you talk, even if you speak the same language. It’s easier when one person knows the other person’s culture! I have some examples. While I was in France, French people were very nice to me when I tried speaking French. They are proud of their culture and proud of their language. If you show them that you are interested, they will help you a lot. In Japan, I walked with a Japanese person into a store or a restaurant and the staff only talked to my friend and not to me. I thought it was rude until I talked about this with people. I learned that they were just nervous because they could not speak my language. Now, I remember this when I go out. Actually, I started making jokes with the staff so they laugh or smile and feel more comfortable.
Many people are very similar. We go to school, go to university, get a job, try to be happy, travel, and raise a family. This happens in all countries, but especially in Japan. Some people are very lucky because they find their passion when they are young. Other people need more time. Travelling and moving abroad helped me learn about my personality, know my skills, know my hobbies, and know what I want to do in the future. Every time I travel, I think, “do I want to come back here on vacation? Can I live here and be happy?”. I could see that I always feel the same way. I started seeing the things that make me happy, what kind of friends I want to have, and what personality I want.
You will always remember living abroad. You will remember the hard times and how you became better. You will remember the places that you saw, the people that you met and all the things you learned. All because you were brave.
Maybe you want to move to another country because of a video you watched or a story you heard. Maybe you want to change your life, get a new experience, or study abroad. I really recommend that you try it.
Look at the people around you and think about which people have lived abroad and which people haven’t lived abroad. What’s the difference? I hope that you can get this experience.
HALFWAY THERE (Intermediate English)
Have you lived outside of your hometown? Have you lived outside of your home country? People may live in a different country for a variety of reasons. It may be because they want a challenge; it could be that they are tired of always seeing the same sights; or one could be moving abroad to get some life experiences. People can live abroad for pleasure or for necessity. They could live abroad for a short time or forever. There is no specific reason to move outside of what they know; trust me, I know what this feels like.
I have personal experience living in not just one, not 2, but 5 different countries throughout my life! Not only that, but I have been in 17 countries.
I know, it is a surprise for many. However, this has given me a great life experience when it comes to human interaction. I believe I have been very lucky as I have been able to talk with people from all over the world. I have lived in places where I spoke the language before I moved there. I lived in a country while I was learning the language. I have also lived in a country where I did not know how to speak the language. Of course, I lived in these places at different ages. Therefore, my experience may be different from someone else who has done the same thing. Nevertheless, I want to share a couple of reasons with you why living abroad is definitely something you should really consider.
Let’s list the top 5 ways living abroad was fruitful:
It is natural to feel nervous, but then letting that fear stop you from doing something you want is a problem. After moving to Japan, a country where I did not speak the language, I feel that I could go anywhere in the planet regardless of the language barrier. I like to think: “I’ll figure it out”. Same goes for business, meeting people, and trying something new.
I am very grateful for having moved around because of the friends that I could have around the planet. Nowadays, it isn’t hard to move around from country to country. So, I could go and visit friends in their hometowns or meet up with them in another country. As a matter of fact, most of my best friends currently live in different countries!
Language and culture shape the way that people are with each other. It can be quite a challenge to understand what someone from a different cultural background is telling you, even if you speak the same language, unless one person knows the other one’s culture. Let me give you a couple of examples from what I’ve seen and learned. Remember that these examples are based on my personal experiences; some people have had different experiences. While in France, French people were the nicest people to me when I tried communicating with them in French. They are proud of their culture and language and if you show interest in that, they will go out of their way to help. While in Japan, if I am walking with a Japanese person and go into a store or a restaurant, people working there will talk to my friend. I thought this was rude until I discussed this with people and learned that they were just nervous because they could not speak my language. Once I realized this, I reminded myself not to be offended when it happened. Actually, I started trying to make them laugh or smile so they felt more comfortable.
Like many people, we all live doing what we are “supposed” to do. Go to school, go to university, get a job, be happy, travel, and raise a family. This is very clear in the world today, but especially in Japan. Some people are very fortunate to find their passion when they are very young, but others may need more time to learn about themselves. Travelling and moving abroad helped me know myself better, what I am good at, what I enjoy doing, and what I want to do from now on. Every time I travel, I think, “would I come back here on vacation? Would I enjoy living here? Was coming here once enough?”. After having done this more than one time, I could see a pattern in my thinking. I started noticing what makes me happy and what doesn’t. I started noticing what activities I enjoy, what kind of people I want to be around with, and what kind of person I want to be.
One of the best things about living abroad is that you will always keep those memories. You will remember the hard times and how you overcame them. You will remember the different places that you saw, the people that you met and all the things you learned. All thanks to having the courage to try something that many people want to but don’t.
You may be thinking about moving to another country because of a video you watched or something you heard. Maybe you are looking to change your life, get a new life experience, or study abroad. Regardless of your reason for considering this option, I strongly encourage you to give it a try. You will definitely not regret it.
Now, look at the people around you and think about which people have lived abroad and which haven’t. Then ask yourself in what way they are different. I hope that you get to have this experience.
NATURAL (Advanced English)
Have you experienced living outside of your hometown? How about your home country for that matter? People may choose to live in a different country from the one they grew up in for a variety of reasons. Perhaps it is because they want a challenge; it could be that they are tired of always seeing the same sights; or one could simply be moving abroad to acquire some life experiences as a break. People can live abroad for pleasure or for necessity. They could live abroad temporarily or permanently. There is not one specific reason to determine one’s choice to move outside of what they know; trust me, I’m with you on that one.
I have personal experience living in not just one, not 2, but 5 different countries throughout my life! Not only that, but I have been in 17 countries up to this date.
I know, it is a surprise for many. However, this has given me a great life experience when it comes to human interaction. I believe I have been more than lucky when it comes to this aspect as I have been able to interact with people from all over the globe. I have lived in places where I spoke the language before I moved there. I lived in a country while I was learning the language. I have also lived in a country where I did not know how to speak the language at all. Of course, I lived in these places during different life stages. Therefore, my experience may vary when compared to someone else who may perhaps have done the exact same thing. Nevertheless, I want to share a couple of reasons with you why living abroad is most definitely an endeavour you should highly consider.
Let’s list the top 5 ways living abroad proved fruitful:
It is natural to feel nervous, but then allowing that fear to stop you from doing something you want to do is when it becomes problematic. After moving to Japan, a country where I did not speak the language (not that I do at the moment, but I get by), I feel that I could go anywhere in the planet regardless of the language barrier. I like to think: “I’ll figure it out”. Same goes for business ventures, meeting people, and just trying something new.
I am very grateful for having moved around because of the friends that I could leave around the globe. Nowadays, it isn’t hard to move around from country to country (before the coronavirus hit at least). Thus, I could go and visit friends in their hometowns or meet up with them in another country. As a matter of fact, most of my best friends currently reside in different countries!
Language and culture shape the way that people interact with each other. It can be quite challenging to understand what someone from a different cultural background is trying to tell you, even if you are speaking in a common tongue, unless one party knows the other one’s culture. Let me give you a couple of examples based on what I’ve seen and learned. Keep in mind that these examples are based on my personal experiences and it’s just a general idea for some groups of people; some people will have had different experiences or may themselves be different. While in France, French people were the nicest people to me when I tried interacting with them in French. They are simply proud of their culture and language and if you show interest in that, they will go out of their way to help. While in Japan, if I am walking with a Japanese person and go into a store or a restaurant, people working there will direct themselves to the person I’m with. This seemed rude to me until I discussed this with people and learned that they were just nervous because they could not speak my language. Once I realized this, I reminded myself not take offense when it happened. As a matter of fact, I started trying to make them laugh or smile so they felt more comfortable (the attempts were a hit or miss since humour varies even more among cultures!).
Like many, we all go through this life taking the steps we are “supposed” to take. Go to school, go to university, get a job, be happy, travel, and raise a family. This is very evident in the world today, but especially in Japan. Some people are very fortunate to find what calls out to them from a very early age, but others may need more time to discover themselves. Travelling and moving abroad has given me insight on myself, what I am good at, what I enjoy doing, and what I want to continue doing. Every time I travel, I think to myself, “would I come back here on vacation? Would I enjoy living here? Is it enough to have been here once?”. After having done this multiple times, I could determine a pattern in my train of thought. I started noticing what makes me happy and what doesn’t. I started noticing what activities I enjoy, what kind of people I want to be around with, and in what way I want to portray myself.
One of the best things about having lived abroad is that you will always keep those memories with you. You will remember the difficulties that you encountered and better yet, how you overcame them. You will remember the different places that you saw, the people that you met and all the things you got to learn. All thanks to having had the courage to try something that many would want to do.
You may be thinking about moving to another country because of a video you watched or something you heard. Perhaps you are looking to switch your life around, get a new life experience, or study abroad. Regardless of your specific reason for considering this option, I strongly encourage you to give it a try. You will most definitely not regret it.
Now, look at the people who surround you and think about which ones have lived abroad and which haven’t. Then ask yourself in what way they are different. I hope that you get to have this experience.
You can also check out the following blogs by BAWI Languages!
Benefits of Living Abroad (海外に住むの利点)
This blog is a fun way to see a different point of view, learn about the world and study English!
Pet Names (Nicknames)
This blog is a fun way to see a different point of view, learn about the world and study English!
