D: Is THAT what I sound like when I speak German? Ahhhh noooo stupid Americanization... Now I feel a little bad for making fun of my History teacher for pronouncing Chinese words incorrectly... GAH, that would be embarrassing.
I have had this happen to me, too. I was in Australia and ran into a couple of guys from Austria. They didn't think I was from America and bashed Americans similar to the cartoon. When I told them I was American, they turned beet red.
I recorded myself reading aloud in German and I sounded a great deal like the stereotypical American in the cartoon. So now my elderly German friend is helping me with pronunciation :).
Well, bashing Americans is pretty fashionable. :-/ It still amazes me what people say when they don't realize (or forget) that you are one! I think they do it without really realizing it, honestly, it's just kind of become fashion/habit.
Prejudice can sometimes be bad. But I'll say learning isn't so hard. You can learn how to speak german through skype at websites like http://preply.com/en/german-by-skype and be actually fluent.
D: Is THAT what I sound like when I speak German? Ahhhh noooo stupid Americanization...
ReplyDeleteNow I feel a little bad for making fun of my History teacher for pronouncing Chinese words incorrectly... GAH, that would be embarrassing.
I'm sure you have a delightful accent!
DeleteThank you. :)
DeleteI get told I sound French when speaking German and I am American o3o
ReplyDeleteI take it you speak from experience.
ReplyDeleteYes, and with a passable accent!
DeleteI have had this happen to me, too. I was in Australia and ran into a couple of guys from Austria. They didn't think I was from America and bashed Americans similar to the cartoon. When I told them I was American, they turned beet red.
ReplyDeleteI recorded myself reading aloud in German and I sounded a great deal like the stereotypical American in the cartoon. So now my elderly German friend is helping me with pronunciation :).
ReplyDeleteWell, bashing Americans is pretty fashionable. :-/ It still amazes me what people say when they don't realize (or forget) that you are one! I think they do it without really realizing it, honestly, it's just kind of become fashion/habit.
ReplyDeleteI guess that's what we get for being the greatest and best nation on earth
DeletePrejudice can sometimes be bad. But I'll say learning isn't so hard. You can learn how to speak german through skype at websites like http://preply.com/en/german-by-skype and be actually fluent.
ReplyDelete