Moving is a big challenge, even when it is within the same home. However, possibly the biggest challenge when it comes to switching your home is moving abroad. Packing your things into bags and leaving your country changes everything. You are changing the culture you will live in. Your support system will differ. And finally, you will change your way of life and probably your language. The last part might be the most important one. In order to function well in your new surroundings, you will need to learn the language of the country you are moving into. This will help you meet new people and make new friends. This will also come useful in everyday life. In this article, find out how to best adapt to a new language when moving abroad.

Plan to learn the language

One of the first things you will want to do is, of course, plan to learn the language. As soon as you know you are moving to another country, you should start learning. Experts say that you usually need a month or two to get the basic concepts of a language, so take this time into consideration. However, what’s really important is that you set clear goals. Most of the time, when people start learning a language, they want to speak on a native level at some point in the future.

This might not be a wrong thing to do, but when learning a language, you need to be more specific. In order to make a plan and decide what your pace will be, you should decide what your goals and timeline are. Do you want to be able to have a basic conversation in said language in a month? Do you want to be able to speak relatively well in three? How about figuring out the basics of grammar in two weeks? Setting up these goals will then be useful in creating a detailed learning plan.

Another important thing to keep in mind is not to take language learning as a strictly academical thing. If you are looking into moving internationally with ease, you don’t want to add to the stress of moving by stressing about not perfecting some parts of speech. There are no failures when it comes to learning a language – the only one is if you don’t try. Even if you can only speak in the present simple tense, the natives will get it and help you. What’s more, they will probably be glad you are putting in the effort to learn and use their language.

You can adapt to a new language even before leaving Japan

As we mentioned before, start learning the language before you move to the country. Once you are immersed in it, your grasp of the language will only expand, so get a head start. It is also a great idea to immerse yourself in the language even while you are still in Japan. Get some of the books in said language and watch the movies in the language you are learning (or at least with the subtitles in said language). If you can, get in touch with a native speaker. Arrange for Skype sessions – and don’t be afraid to look funny! Talking with a native speaker might be the best way to adapt to a new language.

When making an international moving checklist, set aside the time for these activities. Be aware that watching TV, reading books and talking on Skype will take time. This is the time you will have to cut from preparing stuff for your move. However, you should be aware that the moving process is hard, and you might be running around the place gathering all the paperwork and packing all your stuff. It can be hard, but having a well-developed schedule will help you with this. Keep organized, and you will adapt to a new language in no time!

There is no one method of learning a language

Throughout this process, there is one important thing that you need to keep in mind. There is no one single way of learning a language. No one can tell you exactly how to adapt to a new language. Depending on what your goals and priorities are, you will achieve them doing various different things.

One of the best tips for doing this is diving deep into your field of interest. Although most of the people will say that their goal is to have a meaningful friendship with someone in that language, there are various other interests. You might want to read some books in their original form, or you might like comic books from the country. Maybe you just want to learn how to write and read in the said language, or you are curious about the grammar of it. Whatever it is, dive into it and focus on it. It is the easiest and the fastest way to achieve the mastery you crave and adapt to a new language.

Speaking the language

If you are looking for international moving tips, then you are probably also curious about learning to speak the language. After all, it is the biggest priority when you want to adapt to a new language. So, what you need to do is to put down the language book, and go out. Speak with the people. If you already moved, then this will be easier for you. If not, then go online and find people who are willing to help you learn over chat sessions. There are many websites that offer help from strangers on the internet. You should try and speak the language at least half an hour daily.

Remember, only with persistence and clear goals can you adapt to a new language with ease. So, set up your priorities a few months before the move. Create a timeline and grab some resources. Start by getting to know the basics of the language, and work on your conversation skills. From there, you can build your confidence, as well as your knowledge of the language.