Exploring the Wider Europe
A New Partnership
In 2004, the extension of the European block to seven new countries formerly part of the Soviet Union created waves of social, economic and cultural change. These have altered, for good, the way Europe is thought of and lived in.
Mobility has occurred, with widespread migration from east to west and from west to east. As a consequence, cultures that previously had little contact are learning more and more about each other. The first step towards the greater integration of member states is learning about each other: on both sides, there is a real desire to learn more about the languages, history and culture of the new co-members.
Learning Abroad
Many eastern European citizens head to France, Germany or the UK, and for those looking for an English school London is the destination of choice. The English language's status as the main mode of communication between people who do not speak each other's language means that learning English is seen as more than just a necessity for life in the UK; it opens up possibilities of world travel and international work.
However, travel is increasing in the opposite, west-to-east direction as well. Many western Europeans are seeing the advantages to doing business, holidaying or even living in the former Eastern bloc, and are taking the opportunity to study or work abroad. They're taking advantage, not just of economic freedom, but of the EU rules allowing freedom of movement between member countries, with EU citizens able to choose whichever European country they want to live in.
The attractive rate of currency exchange in countries that haven't yet adopted the euro is a big factor for migration in this direction, but also present is a genuine curiosity about eastern European cultures.
Language Immersion
For French or British travellers in particular, though, language learning can be tricky. Because of the international dominance of English and French, many native speakers of these languages are not well trained in language learning. They may struggle when attempting to learn languages – particularly languages that, like Bulgarian or Hungarian, are not derived from Latin. Some eastern European languages are even written in the Cyrillic script, rather than the Arabic alphabet, which western Europeans are familiar with.
Students are benefiting from the EU's freedom of movement, though. The most universally recommended method of improving language skills is immersion, and long stays in the destination country, in order to practise the new language, are becoming more and more popular.
City or Country?
When looking for a job placement or a language school English people tend to head to the big cities: Warsaw, Sofia, or Bucharest. These cities offer the attractions of English-speaking professionals, services and facilities similar to what they're used to, and large western European expat communities. However, for an experience in real immersion, it's wise to head out into the countryside, at least on weekends.
There, western Europeans can experience the newly open countries in the same way that eastern Europeans experience theirs: as broad vistas of strange and fascinating alternative cultures. Stays in the eastern European countries will leave travellers with a real solidarity with the wider Europe of which we're all a part.