Zu guter Letzt

Studying German has taught me about the diversity of culture in Germany. Just like there are many regional differences in America, there are many regional differences in Germany. It has reminded me to be sympathetic to foreigners living in the US because it’s shown me how big an adjustment it would be for me to go to Germany, and so it helps me realize how hard it must be for them. Also, it changes the way that I think about the way that Americans relate to the world. I hadn’t realized that what I think of as simple friendliness to strangers would come off as insincere. Also, it’s helped me see the importance of studying a culture to understanding a language, because the two are very closely related in surprising ways. Even though you can translate the words, you don’t always translate the meaning.