A study from the European Commission analyzed 88,000 people who studied abroad on an Erasmus program and found that 27% of them met their current partner during their program, and that around 1 million babies have been born from these so-called “Erasmus parents”.

The study also showed higher levels of mobility after completion: Two out of three graduates went on to work in another country, and a third of them established a family with a partner of another nationality – three times higher than the average. So it’s safe to say that you may find the love of your life when studying or working abroad for an extended period.

Meeting your partner abroad very likely brings with it the need to learn their native language. However, this is a perfect opportunity to learn a language which you may not have considered, or maybe a reason to pick up something you tried many times but could never find the motivation to finish (to find out other relevant reasons to learn a language, read this article).

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Some of the benefits of learning your partner’s language:

  • It opens the door to better communication
  • A higher level of interaction in their social circles, like family and friends
  • A new skill which will improve your CV and your chances to find employment in their country

First off, you shouldn’t be intimidated to learn a language for your partner. Knowing they’re there to help you is crucial – not all of us had the privilege of a personal tutor teaching us a language out of love. Your effort and passion to learn their language will be appreciated, and they may even find your dedication a little romantic as well.

Still, if you are happily in a relationship, you can take it a step further and learn a second language together by traveling to another country. This works our great, because you two can share the experience of learning a language and rely on each other for support. For example, anybody who has traveled abroad knows how easy it is to retreat and loose motivation. If you’re learning a language with your partner, be sure to pull them out of those phases and encourage them to discover a new culture together!

Feel free to share your experiences with us or get right to work and download one of our free conversation guides to get started!