Partners from other countries?

jakem_2

Soubrette wrote: »

It's hellish He's doing a bit better now he's been here 5 years

Hahaha, just twigged....

Eton_Rifle

In my case we had no language barrier as although my wife's first language is Japanese, she had relatives in the US and she worked for an American company so was already fairly fluent in English when I met her. I spoke rather rough casual Japanese because I lived in Tokyo for many years so we were able to meet in the middle, as it were.

I've seen many other similar couples in Japan who weren't so fortunate linguistically and I can't fathom how they cope with it as eavesdropping their conversations in the office, it sounds incredibly frustrating.

Older_but_not_wiser_2

Wife is South African.

Great going to Cape Town for holidays.

globalds

The language barrier can be frustrating.
I was in a similar position to Eton Rifle My wife had spent time in Australia so could speak fairly good English.
I can remember before we moved to Japan the house was covered in little notes stuck to everything , with it's name in Japanese to try and help me ..It didn't help much ..The first year I wouldn't give to my worst enemy ..Really hard work ..I worked in a little Japanese company in Yokohama . I was the first foreigner they had employed and no one spoke English .
It all worked out good though and a lot of my ethic to work was learned there.
We came back to UK when the kids were ready for school ..Well we moved to Taiwan first ..But it was a step to far in hindsight ..So bundled ourselves back to UK .....
It has all worked out good though ...
I think my kids will want to go back after Uni though.

LisaLou1982

Sometimes i think my OH is from a different planet.......does that count!

vaio

I've had two english partners, the first was a bit of a false start (=disaster), the second is much better, has lasted 25 years ish and has even grown into supporting Wales when the rugby is on

Shalva

Im English and my husband Israeli and we live in Israel.....After what seems like a thousand years living here I still find it hard with the Hebrew. Also when I do occasionly get the chance for a proper conversation in English it takes a while for it to flow and not to talk broken English...........

mumoftwo

I am the foreigner, from the Netherlands (Holland) and married a Scot. I was already a fluent English speaker and although my husband has a Scottish accent it was easy to understand him. Not so with his mother though, she had a very broad Scottish accent and I didn't understand a word she said to me, so I just smiled and laughed when she laughed until I picked up the different words for everything like child = bairn and I know + ay ken.

Now twenty years later some people can hear a slight accent in me but never guess I am Dutch

Nottoobadyet

jakem wrote: »

Very interesting reading these posts.
Just out of curiousity, or nosyness lol, but did any of you have trouble with the language barrier

No problem for us, his mum is English so his English has always been very good, with a bit of an accent. I speak enough Hebrew (with a French accent, bizarrely!) to communicate and banter, but I don't think I'll ever be as fluent in it as he is in English. Like Shalva says, its a very hard language to get fluent in!

heretolearn_2

My other half is Nigerian.

No serious language barrier, as English is official language of Nigeria and he's been speaking it since he was 3 years old and is very fluent. ... but Nigerian English is a bit different to English English (in the same way that American English is different, for example) so we get the odd minor misunderstanding. Sometimes on meaning of words, but more the 'way' that we speak. Nigerians are very direct whereas English people like to beat around the bush a lot, so that can cause a bit of frustration or ruffled feathers.

Quite a lot of cultural differences but you have to give and take. He is Yoruba but not 100% traditional in his attitudes - there's no way it would work if he were... He does like to think he's the 'head of the household' as the man, as that's a big Nigerian thing, but I just figure that the mental hospitals are full of people who think they're Napoleon, but what they think doesn't make it true, lol! He doesn't actually throw his weight around in practise so it's one little concession I've had to make (letting him think that).

I've not been to Nigeria but would like to visit. I've met quite a lot of his family and they've been very nice and welcoming, and my parents think he's the best thing since sliced bread!