Zu guter Letzt

Studying German speaking cultures has affected my perspectives in many ways. Talking about stereotypes of both Germany and America has shown me that most of what we have in our mind about other countries is probably not true. Although, I can see how people from other countries could think that Americans are superficial. My culture is probably either too loud or obnoxiously open to the point were our interaction with others is just a façade. These may be stereotypes that they have for Americans, but I can honestly see these in a lot of people, although definitely not everyone has these traits. This class has taught me that the German culture is very different from one part of the country to the other. While the average American stereotype is that of Germans in lederhosen drinking beer at Oktoberfest, the actual perception is completely off the mark. I did not realize that it is not as common for Germans from northern Germany to celebrate Oktoberfest. I bet there are also similar stereotypes that Germans have of Americans. One negative thing that has been made apparent is that most people tend to think that Germans are closed or standoffish and come across as superior. It was said enough times in the interactive and in class that I have begun to wonder if that is true or not. I have always been intrigued by foreigners that are either living or just visiting the US. I have never really had any negative feelings toward foreigners since we are all from some foreign background here in America anyway. If anything, this class has made me want to travel to Germany and see their culture first hand. I would not mind being the foreigner then, it would be fun.