Book recommendations for wannabe expats
Before my first move abroad, I had high hopes, lots of excitement and all the plans on how life will be great.
I was moving for a change of scenery, career advancement and some sentimental reasons. Simply: I moved for adventure. Little did I know what awaits me, how many challenges and struggles I will face. Starting with learning a new language in an immersive environment and then following with all the cultural differences and challenges which I needed to overcome.
It took me a long time to realise that I was not alone. To see that there is help and community available. That there were others in my shoes before, who were brave and wrote about this. So I started to research and read.
To save you time in research, here are a few books I recommend reading before your next move aborad. Take some time to read – or listen to – them and start your expat journey with more confidence.
Gabriel Wyner: Fluent forever
No matter how well you speak a language already, arriving to a new country where you constantly need to speak it (and think on it) is exhausting. And if you are not yet fluent in your target language? Then learning it just adds another level of stress.
Gabriel Wyner’s book will show you, how immersion and a different focus can help you level up your language game. The book talks excessively about language acquisition, the importance of pronunciation (and how to do it better), and how to maintain your language knowledge level.
Learn about spaced repetition system, how testing yourself and using cards just before you would forget something can help you stay on top of your vocab. There are so many apps and books out there about language learning – if you get one, I recommend to start here. And no, Duolingo will not make the cut after you read this… try the Fluent forever app, or (one of my favorites) Lingvist. Both are excellent and use the already mentioned spaced repetition system.
Mariam N. Ottimofiore: This messy mobile life
One aspect of moving abroad (and then around to multiple countries) is the personal changes we face. It is not talked about enough, in my experience. Mariam’s book helps you to understand how your intercultural exchanges and experiences shape your personality and add layers to your life. It guides you on how to recognise habits and customs you took with you from your home culture and how every move adds something to (and takes something from) your life.
She walks you through the concept of the MOLA and how it can help your family design the life you love to live – abroad. Lots of stories, some research results and many exercises help you to integrate this concept into your life.
I read this book in preparation of our move to Belgium – and it felt like a friend is holding my hand and teaches me how to make the move easier as a family. It ignited conversations between me and my partner, and helped me look at our “takeaways” from the Czech Republic differently. It was especially useful for us, because our family is a multicultural and multilingual one.
Mostly I recommend this book for couples and families – especially ones with children – but I think it could be an eye opening read for everyone.
Erin Meyer: The culture map
If you relocate due to work or simply you would like to get along better in a multicultural workplace – this is the book for you.
As more and more people relocate for work or career prospects, culturally diverse teams become part of more and more companies. Being able to communicate effectively and properly is a key for success.
The author describes 8 aspects of her framework, which will help you understand – and handle – better the culturally challenging situations at work. This can be especially useful to those in a leadership position – we also talked about this with Dasha on one of the Coachify podcast episodes. You can listen to our conversation here.
Guy Deutscher: Through the language glass
When we speak different languages, our different personalities – or layers of our personality – show up. I have a slightly different voice and style when I speak in Hungarian than when I speak in English – and both are different from when I speak Czech. And no, I am not alone with this, and I am not some special creature.
But does the language we speak affect the way we think? That is what this book tries to answer. Backed up with research and history, the author goes on the quest to get the answer.
I find this book fascinating, not just because I am a big language nerd, but also because I find that this knowledge can help us understand others while living abroad. The language- and culture barrier we often talk about can be lowered by learning more about how people think. And of course how they think when they speak a different language.
I would go as far as saying, that choosing a language based on this knowledge and on the aim for the conversation could make a difference. Therapy in English, love letter in Portuguese, business meeting in German… the combinations are only limited by our language knowledge.
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8444621-through-the-language-glass?ref=nav_sb_ss_1_26