What's it like over there?

Have you ever thought about packing up and leaving to work in another country? It's both a dream and a huge challenge. Of course, the more information and tips you can get, the better. You might like to start with the special report on working abroad in the current edition of Spotlight (4/2009). Five Germans were interviewed about their experience, which ranges from working and studying abroad for a limited period, to living abroad permanently as an immigrant family, to going on regular foreign missions from a home base.

The best way to get interesting information from conversation partners is to do what correspondents at Spotlight do: You need to keep the conversation going by asking the right questions. People generally like to talk about themselves, sure. But, honestly, haven't we all at some time made the classic mistakes that stop a conversation from flowing, or cause it to stop abruptly: being too direct, forcing your partner to say "yes" or "no", and forgetting to make "friendly noises" using the spoken language that signals that you are, indeed, really interested in what they are saying?

This week, practise your skill at asking questions and the grammar of everyday spoken English so you can move from small talk to meaningful conversations about the experience of living and working abroad.

Anne Hodgson