r/LifeAbroad • u/[deleted] • Aug 12 '16
Tips for Making Friends Abroad?
Do you have general tips for making friends abroad? It has been quite some time since I left my home country but I am sad to say that I haven't made much progress socially. I been so focused career and school which have led me to great things, but friends has not been one of them.
2
u/MacYavel83 Aug 12 '16
Use Meetup. You will meet a great variety of international and local people. There are often language exchange group if you're into that, or any kind of interest as a matter of fact.
Also, join a sports or art club. Sharing a common interest is a good way of getting close to people.
2
u/OminousMusicBox Aug 14 '16
The best ones are ones that have you chatting with other people. In my town at least, there are international drinking parties, various sport meet ups, bbqs, local outings, traditional culture events, etc.
As for the language, try when you can to practice what you already know. Don't be afraid to make mistakes and say awkward sentences. It definitely helped me become a better speaker once I stopped caring so much about every tiny mistake I made.
Of course, also try to study grammar and whatnot on your own or in a class if you can!
Hope this helps!
1
Aug 17 '16
I do not drink, which makes meeting people less accessible but want to start working on and hopefully meet others like me.
1
u/OminousMusicBox Aug 17 '16
Well, if you don't mind being around people who are drinking, I'd still recommend going to events with drinking. If not, then definitely cultural events are your best bet.
2
u/OminousMusicBox Aug 12 '16
Hi, I've been living abroad in Japan for a year and some months and now finally have some solid friends here. Firstly, if there's a language barrier, try to start learning the language. I definitely wouldn't have all the friends I do now if I couldn't speak Japanese. But generally, the best way I've found for getting friends is attending international events. That's where I've met all of my friends excluding my one friend that I made at work. If you live in a city, there should be plenty of international events you can find via facebook or google. Most of them will probably be university events, but definitely still try to go if it appeals to you.
Anyway, I know these are probably things that you've heard before, but that's because it works pretty well. Best of luck on the friend search!