What to do when your foreign language phrasebook isn't enough
Your first few weeks living overseas can be when you have one of your biggest problems.
You don’t know the language (or can’t speak it very well), but you need to find a place to live, open bank accounts, get utilities, and much more – all in the local language.
If only you could have a local interpreter go along with you. But that seems like a luxury way out your budget.
Fortunately, it may not be very expensive to hire your own interpreter.
Next week, I need to take care of a few things that exceed my Spanish skills. They aren’t anything that needs a certified, official translator. However, they are things where it will be much easier to have an interpreter with me.
If you find yourself in the same situation, you can try what I’m doing. Get in touch with a local language school that has teachers who speak your native language. You could also look for a private tutor who teaches your native language. Then, ask if you can hire them for an hour or two, to help you with your tasks.
You should meet the person before you hire them. If you have them go along with you to a bank or doctor, you’ll probably want someone who appears a bit more professional.
Having an interpreter with you will make it much easier to settle in, and take away much of the stress from your first few weeks.
So, even though you may not be an Ambassador, you may be able to easily, and inexpensively, have an interpreter help you when you move to a new country.
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