A successful executive in residential real estate, Shalom Lamm has been involved in the construction and acquisition of tens of thousands of apartment units and homes. Outside of his work in real estate, Shalom Lamm enjoys speaking and writing about history, along with mentoring immigrants.

Moving to a new country often comes with the unique problem of language barriers. To overcome such issues, individuals must take the time to properly prepare for their move. This includes learning which language is spoken in the area. While some countries speak the same language everywhere within their borders, this is not always the case. In fact, some countries have as many as 11 official languages. It’s essential that people take the time to learn the basics of whichever languages the natives speak. This makes living and working in a new country easier, since it gives immigrants a good foundation to build from.

Once they move to new countries, immigrants must not be afraid of saying the wrong words or using the wrong pronunciation as they learn more of their new language. This failure is a natural part of learning, but the embarrassment it causes often keeps people from using and practicing their new language. As people speak, they should always ask for clarification (if they need it) and take advantage of the locals’ familiarity with the native language. Doing so enables immigrants to listen to regular phrases or words that they can subsequently learn and use in their own conversations.