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ExpatWomen Confession:
Dear EW Girlfriend,
Greetings from Vancouver, Canada. My husband and I are on the verge of our first expatriate assignment and are very excited to be moving to London. I think that this will be a very easy transition for us, as English is our first language and the English way of life and culture seems rather similar to our own. However, an experienced expat friend of mine warned me that sometimes it is more difficult to settle into English-speaking countries as opposed to countries that speak a foreign language and have a completely different culture. How could settling into a similar country be more difficult than moving to a country that is vastly different? Surely this was just her own personal experience and not typical of expats on the whole, right?
TG
ExpatWomen Girlfriend:
Dear TG,
Hi there and congratulations on your impending move abroad. It sounds very exciting and a decision I am sure you will remember and cherish forever. An overseas assignment is certainly what you make of it and can be one of the most enriching times you may ever have the opportunity to experience.
There are many determinants as to whether someone settles in well to a new location. For example, there are a few personality-based factors thought to make an expatriate posting successful, regardless of cultural and linguistic similarities of the location. These include a positive and open attitude right from the very beginning, willingness to move abroad and a very good understanding of the location you will be moving to. Get on the Internet and research, research and research some more. Armed with up-to-date and relevant information, you will be able to mentally prepare for the move and most importantly, align your expectations of your new home-to-be.
Expectations play an important role in a successful assignment abroad. It is true that some expatriates encounter more difficulties when relocating to countries similar in cultural values and language to their own. This is largely due to their expectations and the expectations of those around them. For example, you would expect that moving to an African country might be a difficult transition. You are obviously different in the way you look, the language you speak, the food you eat and the values you adhere to. You expect this to be different, difficult, exciting, scary and frustrating and you prepare yourself and your family accordingly. But because of these vast differences, you grant yourself ample time to adjust. Whereas, when expats move to an English speaking country, they typically expect life to be the same and therefore expect an easy transition – allowing themselves only minimal time to adjust. They are often not prepared for the myriad of emotions and sheer upheaval that comes with relocating – leaving family and friends, the familiar, moving house and belongings, dealing with potentially resentful children and so on.
Companies too, are at fault. They expect a move to an 'easy' country to go smoothly and tend to put more emphasis on providing support (such as cross-cultural training, language lessons, setting up an internal buddy system, helping out with accommodation, health insurance and so on) for transitions to 'difficult' locations. The idea of providing or even requiring similar support for moves to an easy place like Australia, New Zealand, the United States or the United Kingdom typically seems over-protective, unnecessary and a waste of resources.
The local community may also impact whether an expatriate settles in quickly and with ease. In a country where you are obviously foreign, you may be excused for a cultural faux pas and what may be viewed as cultural ignorance. This may not be the case in a community where you look the same and expectations of you are the same as for the local community.
One of the factors hindering the transition into English speaking countries is the lack of established support networks and the difficulty to meet people. In hardship postings, the expat community band together and opportunities to meet people (via expat clubs, associations, business networks for foreigners and various activity-specific groups for expats) are usually readily available. Newsletters, websites and local expat magazines publicize information about these events and it is relatively easy to find an event that interests you, for you to go to. Everybody tends to look out for one another and the community tends to be supportive and close-knit.
Conversely in English-speaking countries, expat associations and organisations are typically less prevalent and less active because they are not considered as necessary. Facilities that expats may require such as religious services, sports clubs, business networks, child care and the general opportunity to meet people are already available in the local community for anybody to use. What is more, the local patrons of these community facilities usually already have their network of friends and are less likely to feel the need to reach out and meet new people – especially newcomers who are likely to be transient.
As a newcomer in an English-speaking country, you do need to make a concerted effort to socialise if you want to meet people, get to know people and get them to know you. Again, not impossible, it just involves a little more work and you do need to shape your expectations accordingly.
Another factor often not considered is the difficulty for the trailing spouse to work in the English-speaking location. Opportunities may be less abundant and the competition more fierce, in a country where your English-speaking skills are not considered as precious a commodity.
So your friend was right: sometimes it is more difficult to settle into English-speaking countries. However, managing your expectations through research and putting in a little extra effort to make contacts when you arrive, will give you the best possible start to your time abroad in the UK.
Good luck and enjoy yourself - your time in the United Kingdom will be what you expect it to be!
ExpatWomen Girlfriend
July 2009
Our ExpatWomen Girlfriend is originally from New Zealand. She has been living abroad as an expatriate since 1996. She has an educational background in Human Resources and Cross Cultural Psychology and has worked with expatriate support issues at the private, corporate and non-profit level. In 2004, she saw a need and established an English speaking hotline in her expat location, offering free mental health support to the growing expatriate population. The hotline provides confidential and anonymous support and information via trained telephone volunteers and is funded through corporate sponsorship. Our ExpatWomen Girlfriend has always been an active member in the various expatriate communities she has lived in, providing cross-cultural awareness training and informal counseling sessions with a particular focus on the 'trailing spouse' and family.
Disclaimer: This column is intended to be of general interest to ExpatWomen.com visitors. Its suggestions and/or inferences are generalizations and do not address the needs of individuals, nor should they be relied upon in any shape or form. Please seek professional advice/counseling/therapy if you genuinely need assistance to talk through issues in your life right now. |
