Have you found your perfect holiday home? Dealt with the paperwork? Done the decorating? Met the locals?
Yet…
- Don’t feel quite at home?
- You want to get involved but can’t quite manage to?
- Is there something missing to make this experience the one you had always dreamed of?
Don’t worry. Most property owners abroad feel the same.
Try to imagine how you would feel if you could speak to your neighbours clearly and accurately; make friends and even strike up a conversation in the village café? How about dealing with local tradesmen with ease and getting the best deals; surely that would give you a sense of pride and achievement?
Is ‘fitting in to the community’ the last piece of the puzzle?
My advice is to try and make your property investment go further by mastering the local language.
1. Choose a language programme to suit you, personally:
- short or long term
- flexi class times
- group learning
- personal coaching
2. Also, go for the right teaching methods. I suggest the Communicative Approach: a real hands on experience of the language and the only one that works for people with property abroad.
Why? Let me explain…
Having studied languages at school then lived abroad (where the real test starts), language teaching in control of grammarians who taught you that after all the conjugation, declensions, irregularities and exceptions were mastered, surely, fluency would follow is … NOT my cup of tea!
I defy the language-teaching tradition of rote regimentation and grammar worship. There should be no chart to learn, no homework, no drudgery, and no tests. But all fun! The emphasis should be on real conversation between teachers and students and ideally, it should take place in a relaxed ‘café’ atmosphere.
Wouldn’t you prefer real-world to student-world contact with the language?
Nobody is too old or too busy, there is always a way! And that beautiful house you’ve just purchased is by all means, well worth it!
01635 5224210 is the number to call if you need a friendly chat and lots of great (and free!) advice.