For example, if you’re British but hoping to climb the ladder of “a Russian organisation that’s been around for hundreds of years”, learning Russian is likely to add value in the longer term. However “if you’re British and working for a British subsidiary” in Russia, Vaara suggests that while still highly useful, Russian proficiency might be less relevant.
Assimilation or acceptance?
But where to draw the line when it comes to both linguistic and cultural fluency remains a complex issue for many people living and working abroad.
Sima Mahdjoub, 30, who is French but has lived in nine countries including the UK, Australia and Spain, recently decided to settle in Sweden for the foreseeable future, largely as a result of its outdoor lifestyle. She has become fluent in the language and worked hard to understand local business norms (“in France you can close a deal in one meeting. That’s not possible in Sweden”), but says she can’t ever imagine viewing herself as Swedish, or becoming completely fluent in her adopted nation’s culture.
“In southern European countries in general we tend to be quite fiery people, quite expressive in both negative and positive emotions,” she explains, arguing that she does not want to remove these “natural instincts”, which are less common in Scandinavia.
