How to Learn a Language in a Foreign Country?

[Wolfeye]

I was just getting things together for my trip to Europe & was wishing that I spoke the language (Czech, in this case). There is a place in Bohmeia, NY that teaches it from time to time, but they weren't offering it at the time. I've got a couple of books on Czech (one's a pocket dictionary/phrasebook & the other is that Dirty Czech one- don't want to be getting cursed-out & be saying "thank you").

Do you need a student visa to go to a language school or college? I remember that you can get a visa when you sign up, but do you need to do that in your home country? Or does the consulate of your country work (since it IS technically foreign soil)? What about if you just want to learn & don't care about being certified? Maybe a little cash to the teacher? Private lessons? Where does one find that?

I don't know much about learning a new language, since they barely taught anything in school & I learned English as I went (not really sure where a lot of it came from).

[MrMan]

Visa rules depend on the country you are from and the country you are going to. Check out the embassy website and call the embassy or consulate if you have questions.

[MrMan]

Visa rules depend on the country you are from and the country you are going to. Check out the embassy website and call the embassy or consulate if you have questions.

[xiongmao]

I am (for now anyway) a European so it was good I could quit the UK and go and live in Barcelona for a while and enrol in a language school.

I met quite a few Americans living in Spain on dodgy visas - the general feeling was as long as you stay out of trouble you're OK.

You can probably get a visa to enrol in language school but this is the thing that the UK, Thailand and other countries have been cracking down on. Legit university courses are OK, and fees can be quite attractive compared to language schools.

[Wolfeye]

xiongmao: What do you mean? That I could more likely get into university courses & it would be cheaper? I remember that if you enroll, you can use that to get the visa (you take some proof of it to the consulate)- but I don't know if it has to be IN your original country of if it can be at a consulate in another country, since it's considered foreign soil.

Same with work visas. I'm hoping I can get some manual labor or something off the books & be able to re-supply until I get more permanent papers. I was hoping I could get Italian citizenship through heritage, but that seems to have fallen through (I couldn't find any records for my Great Grandparents). So I guess I have to live there a while.

[El_Caudillo]

Wolfeye, you are looking to go to the Czech republic right? I don't speak from experience but only from information I've heard from others, but I don't imagine it's easy to pick up manual labour there, especially if you don't know the language. I've met many people who have been able to get that kind of work off the books in Denmark though. I'm sure the pay there is better too. While is might not be the 'funnest' country in the region you could always go there to make coin and head back and forth to Eastern Europe.

As for learning the language - get a tutor until you can sus out some university programs.

[Wolfeye]

El_Caudillo: Good to know, thanks! That shouldn't be too bad, just cut across Germany now & then.

Have you heard anything about Romania or Bulgaria? I figure I'll head there instead of, supposedly HIGHLY expensive Ireland when my Schengen limit is up & then bounce back after 3 months.

[El_Caudillo]

I've been to Bulgaria. I thought Sofia was quite a nice city, good architecture, cafes, bars and nice looking women. The level of English wasn't great when I went (2004) and I found getting around a bit difficult as I couldn't read the Cyrillic alphabet. Price wise, it was quite cheap. I stayed in hostels, which were at best half-full. I caught a bus from Sofia to Istanbul, which seemed like a rat race in comparison. I would go there again, and maybe check out the Black Sea too.

[Wolfeye]

Sounds interesting. How about work off the books? I think if I could nail that, it would tie up a lot of my loose ends.

[El_Caudillo]

I know the EU is bust now for the UK - but why did so many Bulgarians and Romanians go to the UK to do manual labour after their countries were admitted to the EU? well because, pay was much better in the UK and there was f**k all work at home anyway.

You want a manual labouring job off the books in Bulgaria? You don't speak any Bulgarian right? Oh, but lots of Bulgarians were in the UK doing labouring without speaking English...yes, but there has been a tradition of that. Probably, in many cases, the foreman was a Bulgarian who could speak English. As an American (?) trying to work as a labourer/manual worker in Bulgaria, you will be going against the grain. Are you planning on turning up to a construction site to ask for work or something? If anything, I'd imagine it easier to go the English teacher route. And what does a manual labourer in Bulgaria earn in a month? Probably what you earn in less than a week in the USA. I'm sorry Wolfeye but you need to get real...!

[Wolfeye]

Ah, I didn't think of that. I figured you could do over there like the people from Mexico/Cuba/etc... do over here. I guess they don't get a lot of Brits or Americans looking for jobs like that in Bulgaria. Not many looking for any jobs at all, come to think of it.

I really don't need much in the way of money, but seeing as I might not get the "local price" I might need to spend most of what I get on housing. Would someone hire an American off the books in the UK? Maybe further away from the big cities? Where do you think an English speaker would get by?

Teaching English is a good idea & it's something I thought about, but don't really know how to go about doing it. I'm fluent in English & know quite a bit more than the average American (in my experience), but aside from someone asking me for lessons & explanations, I don't really know how to go about getting the jobs. I could always do the lessons themselves like in the language books (I wish I had the opportunity to learn them when I was in school- introductory Spanish doesn't cut it).

[El_Caudillo]

Are you leaving the US forever? Why not just make a three month trip to check things out? Going over with the idea you can never go back will be stressful. Since it doesn't seem that you have your heart set 100 percent on one country, you could take the time to find out one that suits you. You seem a little bit green on the whole expat experience so I suggest you dip your feet in the paddling pool, rather than diving in the deep end of a pool with high vertical sides.

[Wolfeye]

Yeah, I'm thinking so. Even though there are REGIONS that appeal to me, they aren't their own countries & they're still geographically connected to America if they decide to become that way.

I figured I'd do exactly that to find where I wanted to stay, but staying in Europe as I do it (like staying in the Czech Republic for 3 months, then Romania for 3 months, then Slovakia, then Bulgaria- I figure I'll start getting low on money after Romania, that's why I'm looking into work). I could go back & forth, but I figure I might meet people & also want to be around in case new opportunities pop up.

Another serious reason I don't want to go back & forth is that really don't trust America on a lot of levels & the border is one of them. I guess "law enforcement situations" would be the blanket term- if 6-year-olds are getting arrested for SEEING a fight, I figure all bets are off. I know anything could turn into anything anywhere, but it's getting so ridiculous in America that I don't figure it's a good place to start a family or even to live by myself.

[El_Caudillo]

Yes going back and forth will be a hassle, especially if you prefer to go by boat? I would love for you to report back in 6 months that you are earning buckets in Bulgaria as a bricklayer. However, I think England and Denmark etc. will be better options unless you teach English or work remotely. Good luck!

[Wolfeye]

Thanks! I figure that once I have the language squared-away, I'll have a lot more job opportunities (including people willing to train me).