I've heard an anecdote from a colleague that speaking Japanese moves one from the category of "Gaijin" to "interesting Gaijin", at which point people start volunteering how "we do things." (this is probably true anywhere: it's the fundamental distinction between an expat and an immigrant.)
> Plan a few years of total immersion.
I'd say this is true (although closer to "a couple") even going between european languages and english.
On the other hand, anyone emigrating for cultural reasons might appreciate that learning a language in their host country will be an order of magnitude more rapid than raising and educating a generation or three[1] in their home country.
[1] Has the american character has changed significantly since the publication of The Canterville Ghost in 1887?
> Plan a few years of total immersion.
I'd say this is true (although closer to "a couple") even going between european languages and english.
On the other hand, anyone emigrating for cultural reasons might appreciate that learning a language in their host country will be an order of magnitude more rapid than raising and educating a generation or three[1] in their home country.
[1] Has the american character has changed significantly since the publication of The Canterville Ghost in 1887?
http://www.gutenberg.org/files/14522/14522-h/14522-h.htm