The experiences we have abroad are very much dictated by who we are as people. The experience of a woman will obviously differ from that of a man, not to mention the impact of race, socioeconomic status, sexuality, country of origin, age, religion, and so much more. However, one thing that I never expected to help dictate the entirety of my time living in Belgium was my native language. Here are a few things I learned in the process:
You may get opportunities simply by being a native English speaker. Beyond easy access to tutoring and teaching jobs, I was shocked each time someone very high ranking would ask me, a mere graduate student, to write or proofread something for them.
However, people will also constantly ask you for favors. I did not realize living in Belgium would be a crash course in the word, ‘no.’ While I definitely advocate for helping others with their English assignments and job applications, you need to draw the line before you are taken advantage of or burn out.
Be prepared to see your own culture misinterpreted. Having a globalized pop culture in a language most Europeans understand means that many believe watching an American movie makes them an expert on all things American. Unfortunately, while Americans know their own movies are exaggerated, not everyone abroad is aware of this. For better or for worse, I feel that when not editing English papers, I was explaining misunderstood cultural references.
Even though you are native, not everyone will understand you. Learning to communicate in your native language to non-native speakers is a skill in itself. English may be the most studied language in the world, but that means native English speakers are in the minority. This is especially apparent in a place like Brussels, where you will often be the only native English speaker among several European nationals who all learned English as a second language. Determining how your own vocabulary, accent, and phrases differ from the globalized English they learned can be a challenge at times. As an extra hurdle, I noticed people were often intimidated to speak to me in English as well.
Anglophones have a bad reputation. As the saying goes, 'someone who speaks three languages is trilingual, someone who speaks two languages is bilingual, and someone who speaks one language is American.' Even when you are in an international setting and it makes the most sense to communicate in English, the assumption will always be that you are unwilling or unable to speak the local language.
Plus, even if you are learning the local language, it will be difficult to practice. Every time I tried to speak French, people recognized my accent and switched to English. Sometimes this was because the individual sought to facilitate the interaction, but mostly, it was because they wanted to practice their own English. I was told, once, “Why should I speak to you in French?! You don’t need to learn French for anything, I need English just to get a job!”
After two years of living in Europe, I am still not sure whether being a native English speaker was more to my benefit or my frustration. However, it is important to know that, like it or not, it will have an impact on your time abroad.