Why don't a lot of English people live abroad?

[Booneymil]

Hi! I was just thinking about something. I am Irish originally. I have lived and worked in around seven different countries at my age. I am 40. I love moving around and living in different places. I have been working in england now for two years.

At my large workplace, there are a lot of English people and a lot foreign people working there. So we have people from Spain, Poland, Italy, Australia, and Lithuania working there. Every one of the foreign people there have lived all over the world. I was chatting to the lithuanian woman, she has lived in Indonesia, in Sweden, Switzerland and in Italy.

I was chatting to the Spanish woman - she has lived in Italy, Spain, Germany and Norway. She told me she was from a wealthy family in spain so she had no need to move, she just had a desire to see the rest of the world. I was the same, I always wanted to see more of the world.

The English people in my workplace, there are about thirty of them.

Not one of them has ever lived abroad. A lot of them are old enough that they could have moved around the EU before Brexit happened. But they didnt.

I was thinking about it. Why? Why is it so different in England.

Bit of a sweeping generalisation! And I don’t think entirely true either. I lived and studied in France when I was younger, and can think of English friends and family who have lived and worked or studied in Germany, Greece, Poland, France, Australia, New Zealand, India, Nepal, Netherlands, US, Hong Kong, Korea, Dubai, Iraq, Israel, Belgium … off the top of my head.
Also I’m pretty sure that there are plenty of people in other countries who haven’t worked overseas either, I don’t think it’s unique to UK.

I guess you’re the only one allowed to
post sweeping statements eh?

No, not everyone in the world wants to live in England. But lots of people do and lots of people like to visit.

Well you did 😂

Thats a strange statment to say. It would be like me saying

"Everyone in the world wants to visit Ireland".

Of course they don't.

My dad was in the Foreign Office so I grew up moving abroad every 4 years. Had a great childhood and was convinced I would live a similar lifestyle. As a teacher, it would be reasonably straightforward to live abroad. Then I had children and realised how truly wonderful it was for them to be near family and I wouldn't have them grow up away from grandparents for all the money in the world. It is so so special to have those close family bonds- pick ups after school, grandparents at school plays, sleepovers with cousins etc. We see the world on holidays but for me, family is the most important thing in the world.

When are you moving on then OP? What's the next country for you?

I did for two years because I want to see as many different countries as possible.

I didn't want to see England more than I wanted to see any other country. I want to see the world.

I enjoyed my time in England, there are many nice things in the country

I will be moving to a different country next year, and I am looking forward to that too.

That's nice.

I think how close people are to their family - definitely affects how much people move around to.

I have one friend who is very close to her family, she hasn't moved country.

I have another friend who is not close to her parents or siblings at all. She moved to Australia by herself and she is relly happy there.

Yes, but they will be less diluted in expat communities abroad. When I go to Ireland, nearly all the Irish people I meet have always lived and worked in Ireland, when I lived in other countries, all the Irish people I met were working in those other countries.

Interesting question. I think it's mainly the language barrier. My DH is from another European country. We live in the UK. Im wracking my brains to think of any British friends who work abroad and no, I cant think of any. Except for acquaintances who moved to Australia. And family friends who went to Canada. Both my generation so with teenage kids now who were young when they went.

Yup all the English people I know who work abroad are abroad doing their work. They are not in an office in London.

You seem to think the only way you can see the world is by moving somewhere!

I’ve turned down opportunities to move abroad for work. I wouldn’t even consider moving out of the village I’ve lived in for 15 years. But that doesn’t mean I don’t see lots of different countries and get to experience travelling the world.

My daughter is studying languages and will spend a year abroad, hopefully going on to more travel as her career progresses. I would love to live and work in Italy, France, Spain or Holland but I'm terrible at languages, and would feel an idiot not being able to talk to my neighbours.

But I find it quite ignorant to move to another country and not trying to
learn the language? Fair enough in work, but how do you manage in everyday life, ringing trade people, sorting admin, conversing with locals etc. any immigrants that come over here to England and don’t speak a word of English get a hard time

Ok!

Because we can make a perfectly good living at home. Why should we move?

Language is possibly the biggest barrier - followed by the fact that most countries don't like us

Very generalistic comment! Just because in your work place people haven’t worked abroad it doesn’t mean it’s the same everywhere! I’ve friends who have lived or are living all over the world! But what I do find from Irish friends, they can’t wait to leave Ireland as soon as they are able to!

Lots of English people are poorly educated, language barriers and poor skill sets I suspect don’t make the interesting hires internationally. Lots of people in London (English and otherwise) have lived and worked all over the world. Small mindedness probably plays a large part too…

DH and I have never had the confidence, and he has a very close family all based in UK. My cousin moved to Canada, and a school friend married a Frenchman and lives in France. There isn't a great diaspora but we're not all confined to UK.

For me, it's the temperature. Most of the places I might like to move to are too hot. I moan when we have a miserable summer or snow for weeks in winter but generally I like our temperate climate.

All of those countries speak English, and they like to practice their English.

For example, I have enough Spanish to speak Spanish in shops and restaurants. But any time that I tried to speak Spanish to them, they spoke English back to me. Because they wanted to practice their English.

That last bit is a generalisation too!
Though Ireland has a history of emigration for economic reasons, about 5/6 of Irish born people live in Ireland.
I’m Irish, I have 20 cousins and 2 live abroad, 6 close school friends and 1 now lives abroad. It will vary from family to family of course but we’re not all mad to leave! Students do go travelling too of course.

But lots of jobs would require you to speak the local language. You’re really downplaying the importance of languages in a persons decision to live and work abroad.

And it is ignorant to live in a county and only make minimal effort to speak the language.

For someone who seems to think travel broadens the mind I am confused that you are not using the opportunity now to get to know English people. You said somewhere you tend to hang out with international people in England which suggests to me you are not immersing yourself in the English culture. I find that strange because I thought you were saying the advantage of travel and living in different countries is that you get to experience different cultures.

I have lived in UK for many years and I am still learning about the culture. I have very close friends who are English and some of them have travelled and some have not. What I love about my English friends is their broad mindedness regardless of their travels. There are so many sub cultures in the UK and this makes it very rich indeed. I think you are missing out!