Half?

[Juswundrin]

I regularly see the comment made, here & elsewhere, that half (sometimes 2/3rds) of Brits return to the UK within 2 (sometimes 3) years. Assuming this isn't just anecdotal, could anyone point me to the source of this information?

I ask out of simple curiosity (and would be interested to see how the figure breaks down by those who do/n't speak the language, do/n't need to work, etc..)

Thanks for any links!

[Val_2]

Personally speaking I have seen six lots of brits return to live in the UK after three years or less that we knew, because they eventually found they had no interest in staying here in two cases and this was a lot to do with isolated properties and no friends who spoke english,lack of money in another two cases,one partner already returned to find proper work in another case which made two homes unviable to finance and the pull of their family in the elderly couple's case. Three years is stated  because by that time your holiday mode has ceased,your savings are beginning to dwindle if you have no work or your pension is suffering the exchange rate difference. Other factors such as the pull of grandchildren and family for elderly immigrants or elderly parents in the UK signalling they need care for younger families. A lot of people just generally find it isn't all it's cracked up to be especially in the long winter months and they don't make friends easily or speak the language which is also another large problem to overcome.

[Georgina]

I can't imagine what it must be like living in an isolated area because just living in a street full of people can be isolating enough in France.  Sometimes, you don't see anybody even in summer and how can you learn the language anyhow living in the middle of nowhere.  After all living in the country in France is not like living in the country in England.  We have a house in a fairly busy area but if we had not tried to speak French, I doubt if anyone would have bothered to speak to us and why would they?

Georgina

[Stuart]

[quote]I can't imagine what it must be like living in an isolated area because just living in a street full of people can be isolating enough in France. Sometimes, you don't see anybody even in summer and ...[/quote]

Georgina

I agree with you that, if you want to make to make meaningful contact, and eventual friendships, with your neighbours, you really do need to make the effort to learn some French.

However, you may be surprised at how many people live fairly solitary lives here in the UK - and there isn't a language barrier to blame.  There was a report on today's new channels about a man who died in his flat and was not missed for SEVEN MONTHS.  This is not a new phenomenon - there are some who have lived (and died) like this for many years.

I know that there are a few people at work who seem to have little in the way of a social life outside of the office and it seems that their main source of company in the evenings is the TV.  I can't see that they are likely to change this way of life once they are retired, so it is probable that they will experience the same kind of isolation here that you are saying can exist in rural France. 

In fact, as long as they had installed Sky TV in their French home, they could live in much the same way over there as they do over here - except for the added bonus that their house would have cost them much less to buy.  Also, if they do all their shopping in supermarkets, and used Credit Agricole's Britline for their banking, they wouldn't really need to have any French language skills at all.

Mind you, if that is their lifestyle of choice, they might not feel that they are isolated.  They might just consider themselves to be private, self-sufficient types.  Not the way I would necessarily choose to live but, as they say, it takes all sorts.

Stuart

[Iceni]

We live in a rural hamlet of 8 or so houses and have had more interaction with the local inhabitants than we had in many years of living in a fair sized UK town. People stop to talk to you, they make you communicate by talking to you in French and expecting you to understand.  For me there is no comparison.

If you are not going to make it, you are not going to make it. Where you choose to live probably has not much effect on the ultimate result as you can always move.

[Tresco]

Sorry, juswundrin,  no answer to your original question.

I just want to say I am with Georgina, and Stuart (for other reasons). It is really hard to 'pick up' the language if you only have a few, if any, neighboubours. I am in regular contact with my neighbours, shopkeepers, etc. but it is not the same as if I was living in an inner city area.

Anyone who thinks they can simply 'pick up' the language, living in a in a rural area should think again.

[letrangere]

If you are not going to make it, you are not going to make it

Di, true words of wisdom.

And I fully agree with all of you that it is nigh on impossible to "pick-up" much French if you live in an isolated, rural part of the country.  Frankly, it would have been hard enough (if not impossible) in central Paris without going to classes and/or home study.  Ironically, I actually fear that my French may deteriorate when I move back to France and no longer use it all day at work.

M