tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6620905.post5429411622531285944..comments2024-02-24T03:46:01.305-05:00Comments on Fred Fry International: Before you Pack your Bags and Move to the EU...Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6620905.post-68636990562532042522008-06-23T01:05:00.000-04:002008-06-23T01:05:00.000-04:00I've quoted you and linked to you here: http://co...I've quoted you and linked to you here: http://consul-at-arms.blogspot.com/2008/06/re-before-you-pack-your-bags-and-move.htmlConsul-At-Armshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04391037582103556978noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6620905.post-29222656358910578132008-06-17T13:15:00.000-04:002008-06-17T13:15:00.000-04:00Toby,"he could either take his chance in Germany g...Toby,<BR/><I>"he could either take his chance in Germany getting a job where only English is needed like TEFL, easy enough an American friend told me if you are presentable and have a decent education. Or he could move to Ireland or the UK and look for a job there."</I><BR/><BR/>I did mention in the post above that teaching English was an option without having to know the local language:<BR/><I>"And forget finding work in any of the other EU countries, other than the UK, unless you plan on teaching English for work."</I><BR/><BR/>I did fail to mention Ireland, but OK UK and Ireland. As for teaching English, that has been a longtime fallback position for Americans moving to the EU for marriage or for the spouses of those moving to the EU to work. I would not recommend anyone moving to the EU with an employment plan of teaching English. I was offered two jobs in Germany without knowing German. I have a background in logistics and Lufthansa Cargo was more interested in that than my German language skills. HOWEVER, they did plan on sending me off to German lessons immediately.<BR/><BR/>I have an American friend living in Germany, married to a German. He spent years teaching English. It is surely no reason to move from the US in search of a better future (which was the gist of the article) but more so an act of desperation. As you said, he took a chance.<BR/><BR/>OK, The driving issue can be seen as trivial, but it is another example of how less of a homogeneous abor market the EU is. Not only do you have to trade in your car for one configured with the steering wheel on the wrong side, but also you'll have to get new appliances as ones from the US and rest of EU don't work there. <BR/><BR/>Anyway, thanks for taking the time to comment.Fred Fryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13532681496977057474noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6620905.post-19179638678155160152008-06-17T06:15:00.000-04:002008-06-17T06:15:00.000-04:00"Great for him. Now he just needs to learn German ..."Great for him. Now he just needs to learn German and move to some part of Germany to be able to look for a job."<BR/><BR/>No he doesn't, that is simply wrong. If doesn't speak German and doesn't want to learn, he could either take his chance in Germany getting a job where only English is needed like TEFL, easy enough an American friend told me if you are presentable and have a decent education. Or he could move to Ireland or the UK and look for a job there.<BR/><BR/>p.s. it takes about three minutes to learn to drive on the other side of the road and about two days to get used to.Toby - Northern Light Bloghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14342195033125549912noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6620905.post-68817610734836351052008-06-13T10:34:00.000-04:002008-06-13T10:34:00.000-04:00The whole situation with citizenship by ancestry t...The whole situation with citizenship by ancestry that is common in so many EU countries is downright absurd: <BR/><BR/>The sheer number of people with a Finnish or German passport who could not speak either of those languages even if their life depended on it, and who clearly have no intention of living in either country, is simply astounding.<BR/><BR/>By contrast, people who have taken the step of learning the language and who have been contributing to their new homeland's economy are routinely disqualified from naturalization, on a routine basis, in both countries.<BR/><BR/>Both situations require immediate remedy. Distant ancestry is no excuse for claiming a passport, while several years of having contributed to a country very much is a very good reason for claiming citizenship.Martin-Érichttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00394315280689943764noreply@blogger.com