Zu guter Letzt

I’ve always thought that learning another language is an important thing to do, because not only does it teach better grammar skills for your language, it also opens up many opportunities for the future, such as the ability to travel abroad and experience a culture first hand, and the ability to read and understand great works of literature in its original language. What I find most interesting about German (and Latin, for that matter) is that the words have so much more weight and meaning to them than they do in English.
Studying German has taught me a little bit about German culture, and has made me see how another culture reacts to my own culture (that is, if you want to say that America even has culture). I know that every culture has stereotypes of other cultures, but it really seems to be based off interactions and relationships between nations, and an individual’s own cultural heritage. Americans perceive Germans as pessimistic and unfriendly, but that is based on the American value of openness (and superficiality) as expressed with the greeting “how are you?” No on wants to hear how you really are, that’s why they ask you that when they see you walking in the opposite direction. Americans are not very open with their emotions, and hold all of their troubles in, yet put on a happy face for the world to please others around them. Germans are more truthful about how they feel and will give an honest answer. I also find it interesting that Germans do not throw the word “Freund” around loosely, as we do in America, because Germans value their friendships very much, and you must be extremely close to someone before you can become a “Freund.” In America, perhaps because we don’t know how to use another word for someone that we know, or perhaps because “friend” just sounds so awesomely friendly, we throw the term around for just about anyone that we have a mild acquaintance with.
Taking German for the past year has really made me want to go explore Germany on my own, and learn more about the culture, and actually spend time where there is culture.