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Where's the best place to emigrate to?

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    #62
    colsku
    Registered Users Posts: 301 ✭✭colsku


    The best advice I could give some when when they move abroad is to join a football team (of expats or locals).

    I did that 6 months ago and haven't looked back. In fact I'm going for a naked sauna with 15 other lads tomorrow night! Can anyone guess the country?


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    #63
    phonejacker
    Closed Accounts Posts: 139 ✭✭phonejacker


    UAE:rolleyes:


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    #64
    argosy2006
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 4,210 ✭✭✭argosy2006


    colsku wrote: »
    The best advice I could give some when when they move abroad is to join a football team (of expats or locals).

    I did that 6 months ago and haven't looked back. In fact I'm going for a naked sauna with 15 other lads tomorrow night! Can anyone guess the country?

    http://data.whicdn.com/images/10585859/tumblr_lmfq7tJS0h1qbokzbo1_500_thumb.jpg?1307536845 ?


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    #65
    syklops
    Closed Accounts Posts: 18,966 ✭✭✭✭syklops


    phonejacker wrote: »
    when u were looking for working in the Czech Republic did employers want u 2 be able to speak Czech?

    No. And I still don't 3 years on. I can ask for a beer or for directions, but any more than that and I just end up asking the way to the beach in a loud voice. I do and have worked for large multinationals, for all of whom the language of business is English.Speak English and your golden.

    In fact for some, my fluent command of English put me ahead of some slightly better qualified native candidates. This is not specific only to the Czech republic but I would say many if not all foreign countries where English is not the first language.


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    #66
    Jim2007
    Moderators, Business & Finance Moderators Posts: 10,144 Mod ✭✭✭✭Jim2007


    syklops wrote: »
    In fact for some, my fluent command of English put me ahead of some slightly better qualified native candidates. This is not specific only to the Czech republic but I would say many if not all foreign countries where English is not the first language.

    I used to thing like that too and while it is possible to function in the work environment using English only, you miss out on a lot from the banter at the coffee breaks to home invitations from colleagues and so on.

    And of course while you may be able to function fine at work, you still have to live there! So there are lots of situations where you are going to have a lot of difficulties without a basic command of the language.

    If you are going to spend any time in a country, it is well worth learning the basics of the local language.


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    #67
    scruff321
    Registered Users Posts: 729 ✭✭✭scruff321


    Jim2007 wrote: »
    I used to thing like that too and while it is possible to function in the work environment using English only, you miss out on a lot from the banter at the coffee breaks to home invitations from colleagues and so on.

    And of course while you may be able to function fine at work, you still have to live there! So there are lots of situations where you are going to have a lot of difficulties without a basic command of the language.

    If you are going to spend any time in a country, it is well worth learning the basics of the local language.

    I would definitely agree with this, how can you experience the culture or connect with local people on a meaningful basis if you live in a country and dont speak the language.

    Atleast if your going to be there long term.


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    #68
    syklops
    Closed Accounts Posts: 18,966 ✭✭✭✭syklops


    Jim2007 wrote: »
    I used to thing like that too and while it is possible to function in the work environment using English only, you miss out on a lot from the banter at the coffee breaks to home invitations from colleagues and so on.

    And of course while you may be able to function fine at work, you still have to live there! So there are lots of situations where you are going to have a lot of difficulties without a basic command of the language.

    If you are going to spend any time in a country, it is well worth learning the basics of the local language.

    Yes, but the question I was asked was, "Did any employers want you to be able to speak Czech before getting the job and the answer to this is no". In the context of getting jobs which is why many boardsies would be coming to this thread, you do not need to speak the local language to get a job in continental Europe.
    I used to thing like that too and while it is possible to function in the work environment using English only, you miss out on a lot from the banter at the coffee breaks to home invitations from colleagues and so on.

    Well actually the company I work attracts a lot of different nationalities so even the coffee breaks and banter around the office is either in English or in one of the other languages. If I were to listen in on and understand the office banter on my floor alone, I would have to brush up on my conversational abilities in Macedonian, Ukranian, Russian, Slovak, Czech, Hungarian, Italian and a number of others.
    I would definitely agree with this, how can you experience the culture or connect with local people on a meaningful basis if you live in a country and dont speak the language.

    I think many people coming to this thread are looking to find a meaningful connection with a pay cheque, above all else. Czech is considered by some to be one of the most difficult languages you can learn, and so I do not like to discourage people from getting a good job and maybe even a better life over here, just because of the language barrier.

    I have met many people who were under the impression that they should be near fluent in a language before moving there. If that were indeed the case, I would still be sat at home in Dublin on the dole.


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    #69
    Fysh
    Moderators, Arts Moderators, Regional Abroad Moderators Posts: 11,030 Mod ✭✭✭✭Fysh


    If you're looking at a very short term move, then learning a new language is clearly out the window.

    If you're formulating medium or long term plans, there's no good reason not to try and learn at least a basic command of the native language of the area where you're planning on moving.

    Yes, you may be able to find a job without having the language. But on the other hand, if another candidate has a similar background to your own and has the local language in addition to a good command of English, you'll be stuck.

    Having grown up in the south of Spain I've seen what happens in a place where English is assumed to be equivalently spoken to the local language. Whether it's necessary for your role or not, employers will usually see having multiple languages as a good thing (though less so where those languages aren't widely spoken in their business markets eg Irish, Catalan, Basque) and so it seems daft to discount it as a way to make yourself more employable.

    English is to some extent the international language of business, but in any country where it's not the native language you will find that failing to make any significant effort to learn the local language counts against you to some extent.


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    #70
    Jim2007
    Moderators, Business & Finance Moderators Posts: 10,144 Mod ✭✭✭✭Jim2007


    Fysh wrote: »
    Yes, you may be able to find a job without having the language. But on the other hand, if another candidate has a similar background to your own and has the local language in addition to a good command of English, you'll be stuck

    It is also the case when the down turn comes, the least integrated are the first ones to go, unless they have very special skills. I've seen this a couple of times now over the past 23 years.


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