Useful Vocabulary for Working Abroad

Useful Vocabulary for Working Abroad

Useful Vocabulary for Working Abroad

Hello English learners! Welcome to a new lesson. Today, we’re diving into one of the most exciting and life-changing topics: working abroad. Whether you dream of starting a new life overseas, taking your career global, or simply exploring new cultures while earning a living, this lesson is packed with the vocabulary you need. From understanding key terms like expatriate, work permit, and visa sponsorship to mastering everyday expressions and idioms used by professionals abroad, you’ll learn how to talk about international jobs like a native speaker. We’ll also explore phrasal verbs, collocations, and common workplace expressions that will help you communicate with confidence, overcome the language barrier, and broaden your horizons. Let’s begin this journey together—your passport to global English starts here!

Key Words and Phrases

Expatriate (expat)

Meaning: someone who lives and works outside their native country

• After graduating from university, Tom became an expat in Dubai, working for a multinational company.
• There’s a large community of British expatriates living in southern Spain.

Relocation

Meaning: the process of moving to another place for work

• Her job offer included full relocation support, including help with housing and schools for her children.
• The company is covering all relocation expenses for staff moving to the new headquarters in Berlin.

Work permit

Meaning: official permission to work in a foreign country

• Before accepting the job in Canada, he had to apply for a work permit.
• Without a work permit, it’s illegal to take up employment in many countries.

Useful Vocabulary for Working Abroad

Visa sponsorship

 Meaning: when a company supports an employee’s visa application

• The tech firm offered her a position with visa sponsorship, which made the move much easier.
• Many graduates look for companies that provide visa sponsorship to work abroad.

Cultural adjustment

Meaning: the process of adapting to a new culture

• Cultural adjustment can be challenging, especially if you’re not used to the local customs.
• He underwent a prolonged period of cultural adjustment after moving from rural India to London.

Language barrier

Meaning: difficulty in communication due to different languages

• At first, the language barrier made it hard for her to make friends at work.
• We used gestures and translation apps to get past the language barrier.

Remote work

Meaning: working from another location, often online

• He was allowed to continue his job through remote work while living in Portugal.
• Remote work has become much more common since the pandemic.

Cross-cultural communication

Meaning: interacting with people from different cultures

• The training focused on cross-cultural communication to help teams collaborate better across countries.
• Good cross-cultural communication skills are essential in a global workplace.

International experience

Meaning: work or study experience abroad

• Having international experience gave her an edge when applying for the management role.
• Many students now look for internships abroad to gain international experience.

Useful Vocabulary for Working Abroad

Global workforce

Meaning: people working internationally or from different countries

• We’re part of a global workforce, with team members spread across five continents.
• The rise of digital tools has made managing a global workforce much easier.

Collocations

Gain international experience

Meaning: to get work or life experience in a foreign country, especially valuable for personal or professional growth.

• Working abroad is a great way to gain international experience.

Adjust to a new culture

Meaning: to get used to the customs, habits, and social rules of a different country.

• It can take time to adjust to a new culture when you move abroad.

Secure a work visa / permit

Meaning: to officially obtain legal permission to work in another country.

• Before moving to the UK, she had to secure a work visa.

Face cultural differences

Meaning: to encounter or deal with differences in behaviour, values, or communication styles between cultures.

• You may face cultural differences in the workplace.

Useful Vocabulary for Working Abroad

Learn the local language

Meaning: to study and understand the language spoken in the country where you live or work.

• It’s essential to learn the local language to integrate fully.

Broaden your horizons

Meaning: to expand your experiences, knowledge, and understanding, especially by travelling or trying new things.

• Working abroad really broadens your horizons.

International job market

Meaning: the global employment sector where people apply for jobs across different countries.

• The international job market is becoming increasingly competitive.

Phrasal Verbs

Useful Vocabulary for Working Abroad

Idioms & Expressions

Hit the ground running

Meaning: to start a new job or task with energy and confidence.

• You’ll need to hit the ground running if you’re starting work abroad.

Thrown in at the deep end

Meaning: to be given a difficult task without preparation.

• I was thrown in at the deep end on my first day abroad!

Learn the ropes

Meaning: to understand how something works.

• It took a while to learn the ropes at my new job in Canada.

A steep learning curve

Meaning: a difficult process of learning something quickly.

• Living in Japan was a steep learning curve at first.

Home from home

Meaning: a place where you feel comfortable like your own home.

• My flat in Lisbon quickly became a home from home.

Red tape

Meaning: bureaucratic procedures and paperwork.

• There’s a lot of red tape when applying for a visa.

Useful Vocabulary for Working Abroad

Reading Text: A New Chapter in Spain

When Mia accepted a job offer in Madrid, she knew her life was about to change. She had always dreamed of gaining international experience and was thrilled by the opportunity to work abroad and although she was nervous about the language barrier and cultural differences, she decided to go for it.

Getting ready wasn’t easy. First, she had to secure a work permit, which involved a mountain of red tape. Then came the relocation itself—packing her life into two suitcases and saying goodbye to her family and friends. Her company offered visa sponsorship, which helped ease the transition.

The first few weeks in Madrid were challenging. Mia was thrown in at the deep end on her very first day—asked to lead a meeting with clients from three different countries. At first, she found it hard to get by in Spanish, and the fast-paced work environment didn’t give her much time to breathe. But bit by bit, she began to learn the ropes.

Socially, it took time to fit in. Her colleagues were friendly, but she often felt like an outsider. Still, she made an effort to adjust to the new culture, learn the local language, and get involved in social events. Within a couple of months, her new flat started to feel like a home from home, and she had made some close friends.

Professionally, things were going well. Her career had really taken off—she was managing projects across Europe and loved the buzz of the global workforce. Working with colleagues from different backgrounds taught her the importance of cross-cultural communication and flexibility. She was constantly broadening her horizons, learning things she’d never imagined.

When she looks back, Mia believes that this experience changed her for the better. Yes, there were difficult moments, and the steep learning curve was real, but moving abroad gave her confidence, independence, and a fresh perspective on life.

Useful Vocabulary for Working Abroad

If you really want to learn English but don’t know how to do it and where to start, don’t hesitate to contact us. Book an online English lesson with one of our certified and experienced English teachers and take a test and consultation! Tap the banner to learn more!