Letzt Blog

I started out wanting to study German because it was an easier alternative to Spanish. Once I began to learn the language, however, my perspective changed entirely. I knew a lot of people who thought it was a harsh language, but it's really beautiful once you know what you are saying (and how to say it). I actually learned a bit about English grammar while taking German! Now I prefer speaking German as opposed to English, and I actually try and make mini-conversation with my friends who took German as well. There are also times when I overhear foreigners speaking in German. Instead of just listening to them talk, I will try and translate what they are saying to see if I can understand any of it. Although I never really held negative feelings towards Germans in America, I definitely make more of an effort to follow them when I see them.
As I learned about the difference cultural standards and practices, I began to realize that there were all of these false negative stereotypes about Germans. There is more to Germany than beer and schnitzels, although those things can play a big part in having fun in Germany. For the most part, the people are like us-- they harbor negative stereotypes of their own, hate cops, and like to go out with friends. I also learned that Germans have stronger feelings for more things than Americans do. For instance, Germans feel as if they only have one or two real 'friends' whereas Americans like to think they have up to 300 'friends' just because they met them once and befriended them on Facebook. (Ugh-- Facebook friends). Also, Germans are really interested in knowing about how one another are if they ask "Wie ghet es du?", whereas it's more of a polite, habitual greeting in America. All of these subtle yet important differences can make Americans seem shallow. I know that was my first impression of us when compared to the German way of doing things. But I guess I can feel better about my country knowing that we are just really friendly people, regardless of how shallow we are.
I think learning about Germany in general-- the culture and the language -- has shown me the good side of Germany. These introductory classes taught me that Germany shouldn't be judged for things it did in the past. It's given me an appreciation for a country I otherwise would have never considered visiting. Now I really want to study abroad and become fluent in German.