If you are considering emigrating to America or another country that has English as an official language, you might have to learn English as a second language.  America is pretty diverse in some regions, and some places have communities that are located in America but exist as microcosms of a different country.  However, many of us will have to or want to interact with people on a larger scale, and in that case knowing English is an important skill to have.

It’s pretty intuitive, but language is a very important aspect of communication.  People are familiar with the term “language barrier,” aptly named because not knowing the language of a country can close a lot of doors for you.  You’ll find it very difficult during social interactions.

photo credit: avialle

There’s only so much that body language can convey, and certain gestures can mean very different things according to country.