Living in a country where you have to speak a foreign language can cause serious social problems, as well as practical problems. To what extent do you agree or disagree with this statement?

People who have made the decision to live in a foreign country face a multitude of problems and many of them stem from the

language

barrier, which prevents them from integrating properly into society, as well as makes daily life more difficult.

However

, these issues are not as serious as they might

first

appear, thanks to modern technology. Smartphones and their applications have done away with lots of the hangups of traditional communication. Translation software

that is

freely available and accessible,

such

as Google Translate, means that almost anyone can convey basic ideas without learning even a single word of the target

language

.

Similarly

, map and online shopping programs have done away with the need to ask for directions or negotiate in a foreign

language

altogether, making it a breeze to navigate in a foreign city or purchase necessities. Unfortunately, despite all of our advances, technology has still not managed to replace friendship and

this

fundamental human need is unlikely to be available on the app store any time soon.

This

is problematic because crossing the

language

barrier to make friends and put down roots in a new country or city is one of the most crucial parts of living internationally, as homesickness and other related problems can

otherwise

become devastating to a person’s mental health. Modern technology has, to a large extent, eliminated the need to know a foreign

language

even when an individual is living in the country where it is spoken,

although

social integration remains problematic