Building A World Wide Community
What is community?
It is easy to see the community as just the people who live next to you—your neighbors, classmates, local market owner, or postman. Yes, this is considered community, but so is the person living overseas who is interested in the same languages as you. Community is about people with the same interests, regardless of group size or physical distance.
Types of community?
Area Code: There are communities you are born into based on proximity and your family. For example, I am a part of the Black community.
Ideology: There are communities you join based on your life choices and personality ie church community, writers community, and student community.
Interest and hobbies: communities based solely on your current interests: book-lovers community, language community, anime community, crafters community, and so on.
These communities are all over the world and are often broken up into smaller sections based on location, and language spoken, and broken up further by when and where people meet. Many communities host events, have private virtual chat rooms, or even gather together in the comment sections of other community members.
Level 1 Study Group 2022
I started a study goup for our class so we could pass together
Local Versus Chosen Community
Local
Having a local community is a beautiful thing. I still cherish the moments of the elderly woman who worked at the neighborhood market helping me grocery shop because she knew I had no idea the difference between sesame oils. She very gently pointed me in the direction of a better oil for a cheaper price. She did this often because I was a part of the local community.
Chosen
I also remember being invited to my first outing with my pole dance community. They found out I had never properly been introduced to Korean drinking customs and wanted to be the first. I was wholly unprepared for the experience but it was a blast nonetheless.
Pole Dancing In Korea
It is beautiful to know that hobbies transcend language barriers.
Local vs Chosen
And that is the difference. The local community is a blessing of familiarity in day-to-day life and offers help and a feeling of safety and belonging. Your chosen community offers new experiences often in the form of group gatherings. Everything will not always be familiar but this group will challenge you and walk you out of your comfort zone little by little.
Benefits of Community
A sense of belonging reduces depression.
As friends moved away and the days got shorter, I found myself alone in my apartment often. My pole class once a week became the only source of sustained human interaction. I looked forward to these classes all week and always felt joyful when the time came to learn a new dance combo.
Gain different perspectives
There is a lot to learn from people in all walks of life.
Build a support system (for when you end up needing an emergency surgery)
When the time came, my community showed up for me in such a way, that my heart still feels full at the thought. Living in a foreign country can be difficult and can lead to feeling like a burden. However, you are not a burden, and your community will want to show up for you. Whether for an immediate emergency or helping you open a new bank account.
Language learning through community.
Who better to teach you than your community? I have found that a community teaches you without the pressure of classes or tests and without judgment about what you don’t know. They just simply help you understand through connection.
추석 (Chuseok) 2023
Spent Thanksgiving with this lovely family and learned all about 제사 (jesa- ancestral rites and customs).
How Community Boosts Language Learning
Authentic Conversations
Interacting with native or fluent speakers in real-life settings enhances speaking and listening skills. Regular conversations build fluency faster than solo study.Cultural Immersion
Language and culture go hand in hand. Engaging with a local community gives insights into cultural norms, idioms, slang, and context-specific expressions.Motivation Through Social Accountability
Being part of a community keeps you motivated. Knowing others are expecting you at meetups or language exchanges encourages consistency in your studies.Opportunities for Practice
From casual chats to structured activities, local communities offer frequent opportunities to practice speaking, listening, reading, and even writing in your target language.Constructive Feedback
Community members, especially native speakers, can correct mistakes, offer tips, and provide guidance, helping you improve faster.Access to Resources
Members often share books, apps, tools, and learning materials you might not have discovered on your own. They can recommend local classes, tutors, or cultural events.Real-Time Context
Unlike online courses or apps, local communities help you practice the language in real-time scenarios, such as ordering food, asking for directions, or discussing local events.Networking and Friendships
Forming bonds with others creates emotional connections to the language. Friendships make learning enjoyable and less like a chore, while networking can open up opportunities for travel or work.Learning Beyond Textbooks
Community interactions teach you colloquial phrases, regional dialects, and non-standard usage, enriching your understanding beyond formal language rules.Increased Confidence
Regular interaction with speakers in a supportive environment helps reduce the fear of making mistakes, boosting confidence in your language abilities.
If you pour into your community they will pour into you. As you venture out and show your support for community members they will reward you with insights into their culture and inenvertedly through your language learning. The more you engage and show your interest in their culture and daily lives the more integrated into the community and society you will become.
How to Create Community While Traveling
One of the hardest parts about moving abroad or traveling long-term is the lack of community. Whether the lack comes from language barriers, shyness, or distance, community is a key factor in quality of life and longevity in your pursuit to live away from home. Here are tips on how to connect while traveling:
Building Community While Abroad
Engage in Familiar Hobbies
My first group outside of my classmates was my pole dancing class. I didn’t speak enough Korean and they didn’t speak English. However, we were able to communicate because of our shared interests. As I had already learned to pole dance, I was able to follow the instructor’s movements while learning the necessary Korean phrases.
I like to crochet, while I did not join a group I did frequent local yarn shops. I learned the words for my craft while talking to shop owners about upcoming projects and the best way to construct them.
Chat Up Locals
It is impossible to create a community without speaking. Even in virtual community spaces, if you never engage with the chat, no one will know who you are.
Locals can point you to the community you may be looking for or have never even considered. Looking for a dance class- they know where at least 3 are. I was once invited to a dance class by a retiree if only it fit into my schedule.
Say “Yes”
The best way to build community is to say yes even if the interest in you wants to say no.
Please exercise some caution and commonsense.
In my experience, many elderly locals love chatting with young foreigners (language barrier be damned). An elderly man asked me to walk him to his doctor’s appointment, the answer was “Yes”. A local woman wanted to buy me a coffee, “Yes, thank you but I’ll have tea”.
A coworker invited me to church, “Sure thing”.
Pro tip: The top groups of people who will help you learn a language for free are in this order: elderly, Christians, taxi drivers, shop owners
Coworker wants to show off their mother’s cooking skills and invite me to a home-cooked me, “Yes. Absolutely, I wouldn't miss it”.
Join a Local Club/Class.
Having a class takes out the guesswork. You know when to show up, most of who will be there, and you know the topic. What better way to build community than proximity and familiarity? Coming together for a shared purpose is the very definition of community.
Join Online Groups
There are groups and group chats galore! Best way to get invited? Speak to people, tell them your interests and your goals. Someone always knows someone.
Best “Yes” Ever
This was my first home-cooked meal in almost 6 months. I baked the cook some bread as a thank you.
Keeping Contact with Your Community
We all get busy, struggle to keep communication with different time zones, change phone numbers, etc. The community takes work to be maintained. If you lived in a place but feel that once you left you have no one to talk to or connect with you may not have built a sustainable community.
Ways to Communicate
Email/Newsletter
Emails are great but have you ever sent your friends a newsletter?
Pro tip: use a free template from Canva
Voice Messages
I am not a big texter. Voice messages allow my personality to come through in a way that I never bothered to cultivate in text form.
Online Messenger
Facebook, WhatsApp, Line, Kakao Talk. Every country seems to have a preferred app for communication
Stick to the ones you like and make do with other forms of communication if needed
Handwritten Letters
Old school, but never outdated. Handwritten letters add a sense of thoughtfulness you can’t get from a text message.
Phone/Zoom Calls
Phone calls these days require a plan but it is always worth it. Send a quick message to set up a time and maybe even a theme. I sometimes plan a mimosa and sip chat with girlfriends (regardless of what time we meet)
Minni’s Monthly - A newsletter I write for close friends and family 💜
Communication Basics
Keep it simple
A quick “How are you” no matter the timezone lets them know you are thinking of them
Respond to every message
It may take me 2 business weeks to respond but I still respond
Don’t hesitate to reach out
2 weeks, 2 months, 2 years it doesn’t matter (unless maybe there was a huge falling out 🤷🏾♀️)
Reaching out still lets the person know that you are thinking of them and people love to be thought of
In every corner of the world, a community has the power to transform a foreign place into a home. Whether through shared passions, kind gestures, or mutual support, building a network of people enriches our lives and reminds us that no matter where we go, we are never truly alone.
Building a community takes time and requires effort. However, even the most introverted can build a network of friends around the world.
Have you built a community in unexpected places—online or abroad? Let us know how you found your community in the comments.
Before setting realistic goals, you have to be honest about where you are in your learning journey.