Living in a country where you have to speak foreign language can cause serious social and practical problems. To what extent do you agree or disagree? v.1

A number of potentially dangerous social and practical challenges could occur by residing in a foreign culture. I completely agree with this view because foreigners encounter language barriers and security issues away from home. One main difficulty faced by residents of overseas is the language barrier, especially as a newcomer. This is due to the inability to communicate in the local dialets, which of course is vital at work or in school, and without which learning and working become extremely frustrating. A particularly good example is the case of Nigerian students studying in the Netherlands, a Dutch nation, where interacting with colleagues becomes an issue, thereby leading to poor academic grades. Undoubtedly, having to cope with this form of mother tongue has serious negative impacts on outsiders. Another possible problem encountered by visitors is security risks. As these categories of individuals are unable to converse in the local language, not only is there a communication gap, but there is also a risk to lives and property. A good illustration is Iran, a terrorist infested country, where, in 2010, 60% of the victims of terror were foreigners, and research showed that the inability to understand security advice broadcast in local dialect was the main cause of these casualties. There is, therefore, no denying the fact that living in a foreign land with different languages is risky to visitors. In conclusion, I strongly agree that residents of overseas with different dialects could face insecurity and communication breakdown. It is imperative that visitors enrol in linguistics courses before embarking on their journey to a foreign environment.