Year in Europe, working options

[workinglife]

If you were to spend a year in another European country, DH working, DC at school, and your knowledge of the language is good but not fluent and you would like to improve conversational fluency, which of the following work options would you choose:

• teaching English to to adults or doing work for English clients remotely - so not improving your fluency (and so the only chance to improve fluency would be the odd chance to chat to people when not working or spending family time with dc)

• doing "unqualified" work such as cleaning or work in a cafe which would involve a lot of interaction with people, so fluency would improve

Thanks!

I'd do the second option. Being forced to speak the language is the best way to learn/improve.

I'd go for the 2nd option also.

I would do the work for your existing clients - not for the language but so you can hopefully keep the clients for the future if you'll only be away for a year.

In your situation, with an adequate knowledge of the language, I picked up quite a lot through being the 'trailing spouse' and having to do stuff like rent a house, buy a car, do the shopping etc. You might get to practise at the school gate too. I'd look up local language classes for yourself, especially conversation classes, and join groups doing hobbies you're interested in, that operate in the foreign language - eg choir or exercise classes. Also join local Facebook groups and offer a language exchange with someone who wants to learn English ('your German for my English' is the kind of thing I see).

I don't think you'd necessarily get much language practice cleaning - often the homeowner is out. Cafe could be good though, can you manage that and some of your existing work?

Thanks for the replies.

The cleaning work available is more like care work and with a team of women. It appeals to me because of the language and because it would give me a bit of insight into the culture here as well, but I am wondering if I am being a bit unrealistic as it will not be something I am used to.