English School Malta

If you are planning to move overseas, it is important to learn the language of your destination country. While this is not always possible before arriving, there are a huge number of language schools within the UK that cater to this need and run courses at all levels. Unlike in other European countries, language learningiis not prioritised in British schools and so very few people are able to speak a second language in adulthood. Those who can have either had extensive experience overseas, a foreign parent or have studied a language to university level.

The British newspapers throw up occasional stories about the flow of British people choosing to move to France to see out their retirement. Nostalgic pieces say that Brits are attracted by what are perceived as strong, traditional village values in the French countryside that have disappeared from Britain in the past fifty years. Not all choose to learn French before moving, but those who do are generally accepted more quickly than people who arrive unable to do much more than order 'un croque monsieur' at the local cafe. You can also exercise those language skills on a Canada holiday, particularly in and around Quebec and Montreal.

The most popular language courses for British adults are those to learn Spanish. Spain is the most popular destination for British pensioners who wish to see out their final years in the sun so cruelly denied to most Britons during the course of their lifetimes. The Spanish language is commonly spoken around the world and is relatively easy to pick up in its basic form. Once you have learned one of the Romance languages (Spanish, French, Italian, Portuguese and Romanian) it is much easier to learn another as they have many similarities. As such, after taking a Spanish course it is much easier to learn Italian.

The second most popular language choice in British secondary schools is to learn German. It is not clear exactly why more people choose to learn a language spoken only in Germany and Austria than one spoken in almost all of Latin America and the most popular destination for British holidaymakers, but this continues to be the case. Rather more enjoyable than learning German at secondary school is choosing to learn German in Germany, where you get a great chance to practice outside of the classroom with a nation of people who are both very welcoming of foreign visitors and big fans of language learning. An increasing number of Britons are also choosing to invest in German property as it offers significantly better value than the British housing stock.

Learning a new language is fun, rewarding and - if you are planning on living in another country - practically essential.