As a freelance journalist and writer, one of the ways I earn a crust is to write reports and articles about the financial services industry. Which is why I found myself last month at a conference in Vienna, writing for a software company that provides technology to hedge funds, wealth managers and the like.
The attendees came from all over Europe and the Middle East. Some, like me, were from the UK. But most weren’t. There was a particularly big contingent from various parts of Scandinavia. There were also many from Switzerland, Germany and the Netherlands, as well as a few from further afield.
The conference was all about current trends in the investment management world, and how software can be used to tackle the industry’s challenges. In other words, highly technical subject matter that mixed complicated financial concepts with complicated technology solutions.
All the presentations were in English. Yet even as a native speaker I found some of the concepts hard to grasp. And here were many of the speakers, as well as much of the audience, dealing with the topics in their second, and sometimes third, language.
English Proficiency
As always, the Swedes, Danes and Dutch proved especially fluent. And do you know what? In all my travels I have never met one who wasn’t. That may be a generalisation, but not much of one.
A 2005 European Commission study supports my impressions [1]. It reported that the percentage of the adult population able to converse in English was 85% in Sweden, 83% in Denmark, 79% in the Netherlands, 66% in Luxembourg and over 50% in Finland, Slovenia, Austria, Belgium and Germany.
By contrast, the report found only 30% of UK respondents can participate in a conversation in a language other than their mother tongue.
Foreign language benefits
Of course, part of the reason for the UK’s relatively low level of multilingual capacity is that English has become the lingua franca in so many fields: business, IT, science, entertainment and politics, to name a few.
Nevertheless, for any expats moving to non-English speaking parts of the world it is crucial they learn the native tongue. Even if you intend to live in an expat enclave in France or Mexico or China, having a good grasp of the local language will make your life easier, and happier.
It will help you:
- Manage day-to-day situations, such as buying quality food in local stores, dealing with utility companies and consulting with medical practitioners.
- Integrate into the community and make friends.
- Delve into the culture, history and social mores of the country, helping enrich your understanding and enjoyment of life there.
As a result, it will give you a sense of belonging, as well as one of achievement.
By contrast, a lack of local language skills leaves you isolated. And that can breed misunderstanding, resentment and fear.
Willingness to learn
Learning a foreign language can be a daunting prospect. But despite popular belief, it is never too late, as this article by Doug Bower argues[2].
Use it as an inspiration. Then take the time and make the effort to learn. It will be worth it.
[1] Europeans and languages, Eurobarometer 63.4, published September 2005, http://ec.europa.eu/public_opinion/archives/ebs/ebs_237.en.pdf
[2] Am I Too Old to Learn a Second Language?, by Doug Bower, http://www.expatfocus.com/am-i-too-old-to-learn-a-second-language
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