Is Life in the Canary Islands Getting Easier for British Expats?
The Canary Islands have long been among the top places for British expats to reside in Spain, only beaten by the Valencian Community and Andalusia. However, over the years, foreign communities have often found it hard to integrate and live a normal life away from their home nation.
This could be changing, though, with the internet making various things much easier. As well as being able to get a taste of British life online to stay connected with home, new online tools have made daily life here easier due to improved translation technology.
Past Research Suggested Many Brits Found it Hard to Integrate
Moving to Spain is the dream life for many people from the colder climate of the UK, and there are certainly many obvious benefits to living in the country. The Canary Islands are a key attraction because they offer warmer weather and the chance to live by the sea. On top of that, there’s a great mixture of scenery in these parts.
Various pieces of past research have shown, however, that a lot of UK expats struggle to integrate into Spanish society. They can feel isolated and alone because of a lack of understanding of the language and culture. This leads to British people often sticking together and not blending with the Spanish locals.
Online World Has Made it Easier to Get British Staples
Thanks to the internet boom, things could be starting to improve for UK expats. That’s because a lot of home comforts are now easily accessible online, and they don’t need to seek them out among expat networks in Spain. Instead of having to socialise solely with other expats to experience British culture, they can do so online now, with social media helping people keep in touch with friends from back home.
It's also now possible to get some of the most important British staples such as newspapers online. There’s nothing quite as quintessentially British as the red-topped tabloid, and Brits in Spain can read it online every day. The papers have even branched out to offer a casino online UK as well, where players can try out slot games and live casino.
For British TV licence holders, it’s also possible to watch all the soaps on BBC iPlayer or ITVX. You need to access them through a VPN in Spain, which allows you to get your Corrie or EastEnders fix. This was something a lot of British expats missed in the past.
Modern Technology Has Led to Efficient Translation
One of the biggest breakthroughs in recent years has been the improvement of translation tools with AI. The language barrier was one of the biggest obstacles to integration for British expats, but now services like ChatGPT can easily translate Spanish to English accurately and in seconds. This can make it easier for people to learn the language or to speak key phrases when they are out and about.
Life in the Canary Islands seems to be getting easier for British expats thanks to modern technology. Hopefully, this will lead to greater integration between the British and Spanish populations on the islands in the years ahead.
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