British Expats - Moving to Europe speaking only English?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mikeyc (Post 6456955)

My opinion is that if anyone moves to a country, give them a chance, if they are not pretty much fluent in local language within 6 months to a year of being there then they should be sent back.

My career has taken me all over Europe. I am now living in my 5th country. I have learned the language in two of the countries. But I think that it is rather arrogant to assume that if you live in a country more than 6 months you must learn the language. It is a personal choice. It will make life easier, but it is not, nor should it be, considered a requirement.

By the way, there are often several types of jobs that do not require you to learn the local language. If not, I would never have been able to work in 5 different countries. Anytime your job requires you to work in all European markets, for example business-to-business sales or business development, English may be enough. As for support, larger companies usually have the infrastructure and experts to help employees to settle down and get through the paperwork. Smaller companies usually have someone to lend a hand when necessary.