Author: cduffy8

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Critical Incidents Reflection

One cultural difference I noticed almost immediately upon arriving in Germany was how much more cash is used here. If I’m in the grocery store and have to pay with a card, I have to let the cashier know. While this may seem like a very small difference between the U.S. and Germany, it took a while for me to get used to. I don’t often carry much cash on me at home (if any), because in every store or restaurant I go to in America, it is assumed that people will pay with a credit card. In Germany, it’s not incredibly uncommon for a restaurant or shop to only accept cash. 

It was surprising to me that the types of payment people use most frequently are opposite from where I live. I think this difference stuck out to me because it felt scary at first to have more cash with me. I had a conversation with another American student about this fear and we concluded that our culture has probably taught us that a credit card is safer to carry around. Unlike cash, money stolen by the use of a credit card is easily traceable. Talking through this cultural difference with my friend helped me to better understand why this change of payment type was such an adjustment for me. 

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Cultural Perceptions

My time in Germany so far has introduced me to many new friends with varying cultures. Beyond a deepened understanding of traditional German culture, I’ve been able to learn more about the experience of those who move to Germany from other countries. It’s been interesting to hear in what ways my expectations or perceptions of other cultures have been inaccurate and to hear how others perceive my culture. 

There’s not a more stereotypical American holiday than the 4th of July. To make up for missing barbecues back home and to introduce new friends to some American traditions, some American friends at the language center and I organized a 4th of July barbecue. We spent time grilling hot dogs by the lake and I taught a few people how to make a s’more (this was definitely my favorite.) We sang along to a 4th of July playlist featuring the songs that anyone who’s familiar with stereotypical “American” music could at least hum along to. Our friends from Germany and other countries soon began adding their own “classics” to the queue. To my surprise, I knew many of them. 

Music and food have been some of the best ways for me to learn about the cultures of my classmates and friends. Recently my housemates shared nachos and baklava with me for dinner (they’ve moved to Germany from Mexico and Turkey), during which I was able to hear about their reasons for coming to Germany. Or learning more about coffee drinking habits from my friends who are native to Germany (they always prefer a hot coffee to an iced coffee, perhaps our greatest dissimilarity). 

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First Impressions

Studying at a German language center abroad means that my classmates come from countries all over the world. When eating at a restaurant with a group of students in my class, our waiter was thrilled to find out that two of my friends speak Italian. Translated by my friends, he told them our lunch sounded like the beginning of a joke (“A Russian, an Italian, and an American walk into a restaurant…”). Getting to know students from other cultures who also want to improve their German language skills has been important in helping me understand the value of language learning. I’ve noticed my favorite conversations with my classmates have often been centered around the question: “Why German?” The answer to the question is incredibly varied. While some students are learning German intensively because they already study it in their schools or simply enjoy learning the language, others learn German out of necessity. Regardless of the reason they’re learning German, my time in Radolfzell so far has been defined by my friendships and conversations with my fellow students.

Unlike a German class back home, German culture is not explained comparatively to specifically American culture here. One of the first things I noticed when I arrived in Germany was a difference in attitude surrounding driving and crossing the street. In my small town back home it is acceptable for a pedestrian to cross the street on a red light if there no cars around.  I quickly learned this was not a universally accepted mode of crossing the street. I had a similar learning curve my first day as I figured out which lane was for walking and which was for biking. I’m happy to share that I have adjusted to the orderliness of German crosswalks and sidewalk lanes (although I do sometimes still find myself nervous whenever I come across an unfamiliar sidewalk system.) Although to me it seemed that drivers in Germany were much less friendly than in America, some of my friends from other countries experienced the opposite. This hesitation in crossing the street I had seemed silly to my friend from Russia who felt much more at ease crossing the street here in Germany. Because many of my classmates did not share my former experience of “friendly” drivers and lenient pedestrian crossing, this was not an aspect of German culture that we viewed in the same way. 

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Leaving Soon!

Although I’ve been planning and packing for my time in Germany for several weeks now, it’s so strange to think that next week I’ll finally be there. I’ve never been the kind of person to be afraid of leaving home or going somewhere new but going to another country by myself feels completely different. I know these weeks in Germany are going to improve my foundational understanding of the language and I look forward to the challenge of immersing myself in both German language and culture this summer.

I imagine day-to-day tasks will become easier as my language skills progress. My goal for my time in Germany is to speak as little English as I can. Given that I’ll be in a smaller town, I hope that people will be less likely to switch to English when speaking with me. I’m excited to be learning German in Radolfzell rather than a big city.

My greatest worry for the weeks ahead is how difficult communication might be for me when I first arrive. I’ll be learning German intensively in Radolfzell and anticipate my German will improve over the eight weeks I am there, but the idea of not being able to express myself in the same way English allows me to makes me nervous. I understand that these difficulties are part of learning a language, and I’m excited to see what this summer will bring!