Living in another country even when you know the language (including natively) can pose a real challenge. When you first move to a new culture even the language barrier may seem small because it is exciting. Then it starts to become a bigger struggle due to culture shock and the language barriers. I lived in Spain for four months and in China for a year. My tips for learning how to live (and not just survive) include, immersing yourself in the language, accept that you will make mistakes in the language such as grammar or use a word in the wrong context, and be wary of the cultural aspects of the language. To immerse yourself, do not just go home and listen to your native language but expose yourself to all mediums such as news, books, and TV shows. Of course a common tip for language learning is to not be afraid of mistakes. I learned some basic phrases in Chinese but they were a bit simple and I allowed a shopkeeper at a food store to help me say something more appropriate and natural sounding. Also a language is also dependent on the culture so something that is okay to say in one region may not be in another. I now live in Liverpool, England which has different dialect and accent (called Scouse) to my native Midwestern American accent and this was difficult at first.
