Germany: Language & Culture (Links and Info from BS "Experts")

[T Nitty]

Post any helpful information regarding the language, customs, courtesies, and oddities :D of Germany.

To start off, the magazine German Life has a nice site to learn about interesting happenings and history. It's geared towards Americans, but it has more than the regular touristy mumbo jumbo. They have several years of searchable articles in the archives.

http://www.germanlife.com

[T Nitty]

Just found this on Amazon. The reviews were actually positive, but I don't have any personal experience with the book.
http://images.amazon.com/images/P/0452272211.01._SCLZZZZZZZ_.jpg

I do have this book, though, and I definitely recommend it. It is small enough to fit in your pocket. It is less "textbook" and more enjoyable than other phrasebooks and dictionaries I looked at. I'd say it's geared towards a slightly younger crowd (early 20's), but at 29 I will be taking it to Germany this summer. It's well organized for useful and simple conversations. There's also a few fun phrases dealing with relationships, love, etc. Want to know how to tell someone you have no diseases? Want to tell someone you are not gay? It's all in there.
http://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/P/1566915198.01._SCLZZZZZZZ_.jpg

[dfb547490]

I have the "Scheisse" book somewhere in my house, it's very good.

As for the culture, I suggest that everyone rent the movies "Eurotrip" and "National Lampoon's European Vacation" as they both present a perfectly accurate and up-to-date depiction of typical day-to-day life in Germany and other European countries.

[DoctorD]

Germans love to talk and explain. Until you accept that, it can be very frustrating for Americans. Once I was talking with a German colleague about radio broadcasts. As I literally was about to tell him I though there was too much talking and not enough music on German radio, he told me there was too much music and not enough analysis on American radio.

If your German is rusty like mine, buy the Bild am Zeitung newspaper to practice it. It is like the NY Daily Post and is not filled with inpenetratable prose like the standard papers. One time I told a German friend I was reading this to practice my German and she was genuinely appalled that a college-educated person would read it.

I find the Germans to be easy to get along with - once you accept their (to us) long-windedness. Of course we come off as shallow to them.

[bltleo]

Germans love to talk and explain. Until you accept that, it can be very frustrating for Americans. Once I was talking with a German colleague about radio broadcasts. As I literally was about to tell him I though there was too much talking and not enough music on German radio, he told me there was too much music and not enough analysis on American radio.

If your German is rusty like mine, buy the Bild am Zeitung newspaper to practice it. It is like the NY Daily Post and is not filled with inpenetratable prose like the standard papers. One time I told a German friend I was reading this to practice my German and she was genuinely appalled that a college-educated person would read it.

I find the Germans to be easy to get along with - once you accept their (to us) long-windedness. Of course we come off as shallow to them.


I come excellent with Americans along. I have few american friends and I understand them pretty good. One of my best friend live in America as well.
We have always many good topics to talk about. So I think many Germans will come good along with Americans. I hope many Americans will visit Germany. After your visit many of you will have positive impression about Germany and Germans.

Gruss aus Köln

bltleo
GERMANY

[AGF Aarhus]

Germans love to talk and explain. Until you accept that, it can be very frustrating for Americans. Once I was talking with a German colleague about radio broadcasts. As I literally was about to tell him I though there was too much talking and not enough music on German radio, he told me there was too much music and not enough analysis on American radio.

If your German is rusty like mine, buy the Bild am Zeitung newspaper to practice it. It is like the NY Daily Post and is not filled with inpenetratable prose like the standard papers. One time I told a German friend I was reading this to practice my German and she was genuinely appalled that a college-educated person would read it.

I find the Germans to be easy to get along with - once you accept their (to us) long-windedness. Of course we come off as shallow to them.

This is 100% accurate. It took me a long time to get used to being lectured by Germans (if I am even used to it by now). My experience is that if displeased, the English will suffer in silence (or if drunk get in a fight), Americans will complain and expect compensation and Germans will discuss ad nauseum with no expectation of compensation.

An example is when the jeweler at the largest department store chain in Germany damaged my watch while switching the battery. After a 45 minute discussion of how it happened (doesn't she realise I don't care how it happened, I just want it fixed?), I was told that she would do nothing even after admitting fault. I had to get the store manager myself. In the US I either would have been compensated immediately or told right off the bat that I was talking to someone not in a position to correct the situation and sent up the chain of command.

BTW: the newspaper is simply 'Bild' or 'Bild am Sonntag' (daily or Sunday editions). It's the German 'Sun'. Actually, I think more serious papers are better for learning because they use less slang even if there are fewer pictures.

[NBlue]

An example is when the jeweler at the largest department store chain in Germany damaged my watch while switching the battery. After a 45 minute discussion of how it happened (doesn't she realise I don't care how it happened, I just want it fixed?), I was told that she would do nothing even after admitting fault. I had to get the store manager myself. In the US I either would have been compensated immediately or told right off the bat that I was talking to someone not in a position to correct the situation and sent up the chain of command.

Dude, you may have been away from here too long.

Most places in the US would have told you that your watch was, in fact, broken to begin with when you brought it in but they would be happy to fix it for a small fee . . .

;)