11 August 2014
The final blog post
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| The boys (left to right): Marcus, Steve, Me and Mason. |
In the beginning of the trip it was definitely difficult communicating cross-culturally especially with the local Germans since most of them did not speak any English. As we were constantly getting lost and asking for directions. I was forced to adopt the Communication Accommodation Theory (CAT) in which I altered my communication behaviors. Now 9 weeks later without even hesitating or thinking about it I find myself speaking with my hands all the time as well as putting my own German accent on the end of all my words. I have developed into speak this new language and vocabulary sort of an in between English-German with a few Spanish words here and there. Throughout my entire time in Europe I can say I was constantly trying to converge into my surrounding culture in order to reach a level of cohesion and understanding but never completely. At times I was definitely my typical American self but for the majority of the time I tried to fit in with the culture and people surrounding me. Of course I never quite reached this complete common point of uniformity but I was able to follow and adopt the cultural norms and behaviors that surrounded me successfully.
Every experience and trip we had was something I cant even put words to begin to describe. Prague, 5 story night clubs, gun shoot, The reggae bar, Neuschwanstein Castle, 5 star hotels in Fussen, Bottle service in Munich, Berlin both times, The World Cup finals, Palma de Mallorca, Devils Tower, absinth night, The Caribbean bar, Amsterdam, Hotel Utopia, Traveling to a new city with nothing but a backpack and no idea where we were going to sleep yet it all worked out in the end, biking riding through the city and of course everything in Erfurt which really felt like a “Home-Base.” Being able to share these moments and create memories with a group of people like the SPICE group was unbelievable.
Just briefly I would like to give some advice to any future students interested in SPICE. One thing is that I would definitely suggest becoming competent or at least some what understanding of the German language before hand. It will make everything so much easier trust me. Also travel as often as possible. Don’t be afraid to try new things. Stay in creepy hostels. Maker every moment count because the 9 weeks will fly by without you even realizing it. Your experience is all about what you put into it so make the best of it.
My entire intercultural experience throughout the SPICE program has been incredible. It has truly been an experience I will never forget and I will carry on the lessons I learned with me for all my future adventures. All the places I have been and all the people I have met have helped make me the man I am today.
09 August 2014
The Devil's Tower
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| Graffiti everywhere! |
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| Abandoned listening tower. |
Berlin -- The SPICE group traveled to Berlin during the week of July
28th-31st. While in Berlin we were told we must visit Teufelsberg for the
amazing view and history behind it. Teufelsberg (German for Devils Mountain)
sits on an artificial hill on the outskirts of Berlin. The site was used in the
Cold War by the Americans and British (NSA) to listen in on what was going on
in the Soviet controlled East Germany. Sitting on top of the highest elevation
in West Berlin the station was able to intercept radio signals from all
directions. The listening station was eventually abandoned with the fall of
East Germany and the Berlin Wall. In 1996 the site was sold to a group of
investors who had plans to develop and build high-class apartments, restaurants
and even a hotel but the project reached debts over 50 million euro. They were
forced to abandon the property once again.
Now today a group “protects” and spends 90% of their free
time there have taken full control over the property. The group claims they are
preserving the area by making necessary repairs to damages as well as cleaning.
They have repaired the broken fences and equipped the only entrance at the main
gate with chain locks to prevent unwanted visitors and vandals. It cost 7 euros
to get in. We were the first people to get through the front gate. Every
visitor is forced to sign a sign-in sheet with our names, address and email.
Once we had payed the guard we headed up the hill towards the abandoned
buildings. The whole property is filled with graffiti. It is a world-wide known
destination for famous graffiti artists to make their mark here (including us).
We were told that the art is constantly changing here as artists come
everyday.As we approached one of the abandoned buildings a man came out of
nowhere. He stopped us asking us how we got this far, what we were doing and
how we got into the property. Eventually we were escorted back to the front
gate. We learned that it was strictly a guided tour only and unfortunately we
are not allowed to wander ourselves.
Throughout the guided tour we had the opportunity to see
most of the property and walk through the buildings. Though we were very
curious as to what else was in the buildings and why they would not allow us
into certain areas. We became very friendly with our tour guide named Arthur.
He had been “living” here for the last couple years. When we told him we were
living in Erfurt he almost did not believe us because he explained he actually
grew up in Erfurt and left to come to Berlin. He spray painted a flying WV and
also “SPICE 2014 ERFURT” on the side of one of the buildings for us. He even
invited us to come back for a barbecue and let us know to bring our own spray
paint to have some fun. It was very interesting looking at all the different
graffiti everywhere. The artists were all very talented. One of the most
exciting parts was being able to climb to the top of the highest listening
tower. Here you are able to see a view of all of Berlin.
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| "Arthur" tags SPICE ERFURT 2014 |
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| View of Berlin from one of the highest points. |
08 August 2014
Topf and Sohne
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Urns found from of victims Topf & Söhne
helped murder with their designs of the ovens.
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| Overview of the entire factory. Only the Administration building stands today. |
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Order confirmation between
Topf & Söhne and the SS
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Erfurt, DE -- My Communication Ethics class took a field trip over the the Topf &
Söhne place of remembrance which is located in Erfurt. This was where the Topf
& Söhne main factory was located years ago. Only the original
administration building stands today. The building has been remodeled and been
turned into a museum. Topf & Söhne (Topf & Sons) was a German
engineering company. Before the company was contacted by the Nazi party
they were one of the leading and largest manufacturing companies in Europe. During
the 1920s the company became the market leader in the field of incinerator
ovens. In 1939 the Nazi party reached out to the firm in order to find an
answer to dealing with the large numbers of dead prisoners. Topf & Söhne
was soon contracted by the Nazi party to produce crematories or incinerators to
handle large numbers of bodies. The company designed and built these furnaces
for concentration camps and extermination camps all throughout the Holocaust
including Auschwitz, Buchenwald, Dachau, Gusen, Mauthausen and Belzec. They
also designed, built and implemented ventilation and exhaust systems to be used
in the gas chambers for mass murder. As the company continued designing and
building these crematories and gas chambers they were faced with many ethical
decisions. The designers knew exactly what these furnaces were being used for.
The designers even visited Auschwitz, Dachau and other concentration camps
numerous times. The designers and engineers began trying to build better and
bigger furnaces. They were trying to design ways to incinerate as many corpses
as possible in the shortest amount of time. Which brings up even more ethical
questions on what they were thinking. I think the engineers and designers
stopped thinking these people as humans but more as numbers. They were just
trying to produce and build the best product. It was a very surreal moment
taking a tour through the museum and learning about the history of the company
realizing the ethical issues and decisions they dealt with on a daily basis.
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| Drawing boards used by engineers and designers at Topf and Sohne. |
07 August 2014
Buchenwald Concentration Camp
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| The crematory where prisoners were brought to be executed. |
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The words "Jedem das Seine" on the front
gate which translates to
"Everyone Gets What They Deserve".
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Weimar, DE -- Thursday August 7th Mason and I took a trip to Weimar a town
just outside of Erfurt to tour the Buchenwald Concentration Camp. It was
estimated that a network of about 42,500 facilities in Germany and
German-occupied territories were used to concentrate, confine and kill Jews and
other victims. Buchenwald Concentration Camp was established in 1937 and was
one of the first and the largest of the concentration camps in Germany. The
camp was mostly a used for forced labor. Prisoners were forced to work at the
near by quarry, or workshops on site. As we explored we had the opportunity to
see many different parts of the camp. We saw the railway station where the
prisoners from all over Europe and the Soviet Union would arrive. The SS
barracks and Headquarters which were located just outside the main
camp. As well as the guard towers that surrounded the main camp.
Walking through the main camp’s front gate was a very
surreal moment. The gate entrance had the words “Jedem das Seine” which I later
learned meant “To Each his Own.” or Everyone gets what they deserve. The phrase
can only be read from from inside the camp. As you enter through that gate it
immediately opens up into the massive main
concentration camp itself which is surrounded by watch towers and barbed
wire fencing. Mason and I took a moment to look at the barbed wire and
discussed how it must have been impossible to even think about trying to get
through it or climb over it. I can’t image what the prisoners felt like looking
at the fence knowing their freedom is being taken. Most of the buildings and
living quarters were destroyed. It is still easy to imagine as to where the
buildings used to stand since you can still see some of the remains and where
the buildings used to stand. One of the more emotional buildings we stepped
into was the Horse stable and crematory. This was where they brought the
prisoners to be executed by ovens, shot or hung. When I took a moment to
actually stop and think about what really went on at this camp, it almost made
me sick to my stomach. As I took a panorama of inside the main camp being
surrounded by barbed wire all I could think about was the lives of the people
who suffered here. Walking through the museum buildings and seeing artwork and
even the shoes of prisoners was hard to imagine. Throughout my entire life I
have taken classes and learned about the Holocaust, but it was an entire
different experience actually being inside a concentration camp. It's a moment I
will never forget.
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| Buchenwald main concentration camp front gate. |
06 August 2014
World Cup Finals
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| Marcus, Mason and I at the Branderberg Gate, watching the World Cup Finals. |
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Aerial view of the fan-mile at the Brandenburg gate during
the World Cup Finals. Image from Winnipeg Free Press.
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During the victory celebration you could tell that the people were proud of their country once again. I had spoken with people that said how great of a feeling it was to be able to celebrate such a positive event like this as a unified country. The significance of the win was not only a soccer game championship win but also such a positive thing for the country and its citizens all together. It was a very moving experience for me knowing the history behind the Brandenburg Gate. This was where Hitler made some historic speeches, The Berlin Wall was first destroyed here in 1989 and now I stood in celebration as Germany won its first World Cup as a unified country. I felt like I was a part of history in the making being there during that moment.
05 August 2014
Intercultural Adaptation Theory
Erfurt, DE -- With about a week left until I head back to the United States I find myself reflecting back on my overall experience. I look back on how I adapted to my new surroundings and culture during my stay here. For a while I guess you could say I was “out of my comfort zone” and in a bit of a culture shock but it was also exciting trying new things and I quickly warmed up to the change. I’d have to say I was in the “Honey moon” stage for quite a while. Intercultural Adaptation is described “as the process through which persons in cross-cultural interactions change their communication behavior to facilitate understanding.” While Intercultural competence is defined as “the complex of abilities needed to perform effectively and appropriately when interacting with others who are linguistically and culturally different from oneself.” There is a distinction worth noting here between “effective” (how we view our communication) and “appropriate” (how our host view our communication). Individuals might communicate effectively and achieved a certain level of understanding but that does not mean that the individual has communicated appropriately since cultural norms are always vary. |
Here at Modern Masters, I tend to point at a random drink
and wait for the surprise.
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According to the numerical scale I think I would fall after 3 and making my way towards 4. I say this because I definitely have adapted to the culture here while changing my norms to better suit my surrounding and my own intercultural competence has grown by observing and listening to others. My communication might not always be completely effective right off the bat but I make sure it is appropriate and by IA I am able to convey my message to the sender. I am not quite at “level” 4 of complete adaptation since I have only been here for 2 months now. I would say overtime if I was able to emerge myself in the culture for a longer period of time I would be able to reach a level of competence and complete adaption.
04 August 2014
Reflecting on Berlin
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Inside with Für Kommunikation
(Communication Museum) robots.
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| Walking through the Holocaust Memorial site. |
As you can image with all these events occurring only a short time ago Berlin itself is still recovering and beginning to form a new identity. Berlin is still a major International hub. Comparing the culture of Berlin to other cities we have traveled to they do not even compare. Most cities like Erfurt, Frankfurt, Dresden, Leipzig, Munich and others are more generally dated and not as modern for example the infrastructures and architecture is visibly much older, not so many international food chains and the language is heavily only
German speaking while buildings can be traced back centuries. Much of the other cities there is not much diversity as compared to Berlin where there was people from UK, Spain, Russia, Australia, Italy and all over the world. Which is much like cities in the U.S where people come from all over for various reasons. Berlin is much more prominently becoming modern. There is still many historical buildings and sites throughout Berlin but there is also skyscrapers, hotels, international food chains like McDonalds, Dunkin’ Donuts, Gucci, Nike, KFC and many more on every corner throughout the city which is unlike what we have seen in other cities of Germany, especially Erfurt. I would say Berlin can be easily compared to US cities because of how modern and diversified it is. English was also a very prominent language throughout Berlin. Through my experience I noted almost everything was already translated for me from restaurant menus to the museums having English explanations and even most people I came into contact with could communicate using some English. Compared to Erfurt where the older generation of people speak little to no English which can cause lots of misunderstandings. Berlin was very much more accessible for an English speaker from getting around either by train, bus or taxi and having the opportunity to learn from the museums since they all were translated into English or a English tour guide present.
As a group SPICE had the opportunity to visit different museums or places of remembrance. One of which we visited was the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe also known as the Holocaust Memorial. The memorial consist of 2,111 concrete “slabs” in a sort of grid pattern so that you can walk through. No two concrete slabs are the same, they all vary from the height and width to as high as my ankle to ones that soared above my head at 15ft tall. This place of remembrance was very touching as much of the memorial explained by our English speaking tour guide is up to your own interpretation. What I took from this experience was that each concrete slab represented or was built in remembrance to the jews that died. Every person that died in the Holocaust was different and they came from all different places throughout Europe. No two people were the same and no two concrete slabs are the same. We had the opportunity to visit other museums like the DDR museum in which we got to learn about daily life in East Germany in a hands on kind of way. Also the Communication Museum called “Für Kommunikation” where we got to play with robots and learn about the history of communication use from postal mail, cell phones and other means of communication used throughout history.In all Berlin was a great experience. I really had the opportunity to learn a lot about the history of Berlin which opened my eyes to a wide range of new things I had never thought before.
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| A typical living room and kitchen from East Germany inside the DDR Museum. |
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Holocaust Memorial, a place of remembrance for the Jews
murdered in Europe.
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24 July 2014
Palma de Mallorca
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| Beautiful beaches in Mallorca. |
Palma De Mallorca, Spain -- Palma De Mallorca is an Island in the Mediterranean Sea that we took a flight to over the week July 22nd-24th. After a train ride to Frankfurt, a 2 hour flight and a taxi ride to the hotel which was all the way up a giant hill, we finally made it. We spent 2 nights there which ended up being enough time for all of us. I expected everyone to speak Spanish on the Island to us but once we got there I noticed everyone either was British or could speak fluent English towards us. It makes sense to me now that most people would speak English since the Island is a big tourist attraction. That is very different than here in Germany where most older people do not know any English, so there is a language barrier I have to get through most of the time.
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| Aerial view of Mallorca as I fly back to Germany. |
15 July 2014
Communication Convergence Theory
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Converging into the German culture by relaxing
at the Domplatz, enjoying "eine bier" ... |
Erfurt, DE -- The Cultural Convergence Theory can simply be explained that communicators tend to move toward or away from one another to reach a common point of uniformity but never quite reach that point of total uniformity. A communicator can either converge meaning move toward or diverge, move away from a culture but it depends on the openness or closeness of the culture. The theory suggests that “In a relatively closed social system where communication is unrestricted, the system as a whole will tend to converge over time toward a state of greater cultural uniformity.” Contrary to that the theory also explains that “In a relatively closed social system in which communication among members is restricted, the system as a whole will tend to diverge over time toward a state of greater cultural diversity.” Basically an individual will adjust or adapt (converge) to achieve a common level of understanding with another individuals culture when communicating but will not reach a total level of cohesion across cultures. Individuals may also diverge from the another culture meaning if they wish too they do not have to adjust at all. An individual can make a decision to stay within the norms of their own culture and not adapt to another culture whatsoever. I definitely believe I’m converging into the German culture or at least I'm trying to thus far.
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... and "eine one euro brats" daily.
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05 July 2014
What is Nationalism?
Erfurt, DE -- As most Americans in the U.S celebrated the national holiday “Independence Day” by binge drinking, barbecuing, watching fireworks while relaxing with friends and family over the past weekend the SPICE students and faculty gathered at the Zitadelle Petersberg to celebrate the 4th of July on German soil. We ended up having plenty of food for everyone ranging from bacon cheese-burgers, Brats, chicken wings, guacamole, salsa, chips, popcorn, cookies, pasta salad and plenty of beer to go around.
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At the University public viewing for the
Germany soccer game enjoying a nice liter!
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Independence Day for Americans is seen as a time to celebrate and show your national pride by decking out in all your best red, white and blue attire maybe even an America flag as a cape if your bold enough. The American flag is a symbol and seen as an icon throughout the country. Americans take great pride in the stars and stripes and are not afraid to show it. In our reading this week the following quote is a great excerpt of how Americans feel towards the flag “Over the last 100+ years, the Pledge of Allegiance has become a staple of the American classroom and likewise, a staple of how many Americans treat and respond to their flag.” Displaying the American flag and showing your national pride at anytime is socially acceptable and even encouraged especially during this holiday.
During my time overseas in Germany so far I have learned that Germans do not share the same feelings toward their national flag as Americans do. Their perspective and thoughts towards the flag are very different than ours. One of the first things I should note is that the first two verses in “Deutschlandlied” (the German national anthem) are frowned upon and are no longer used due to their Nazi references. In comparison Americans take pride in singing the National Anthem in fact before almost every major sporting you will see fans belting out the lyrics. Exposure of the German flag tends brings negative thoughts and feelings to the mind of most Germans. When discussing this with classmates and some local Germans I have met so far the majority of them explain that most people do not show much national pride and tend to have thoughts of the past like the “The third Reich” or “Hitler” associated with the German Flag. They also explained that when their friends proudly show national pride and flaunt the Germany flag they feel stronger and more entitled to do so as well. I have been able to experience and see the rise of national pride and exposure of the flag first hand since arriving in Germany. All across America you will see flag poles, banners and private homes flying the American flag year round. But I have noticed throughout Germany and especially Erfurt when we first arrived their were no flag poles and people did not flaunt the national flag often at all. You would rarely see the flag anywhere. Now that the World Cup is in full swing and Germany has recently qualified for the Semi-Finals, I have seen a tremendous increase in exposure of the German flag and individuals showing pride. Now a days I rarely see a vehicle without germany flags flapping, people walking the streets with the German Flag sticker on their face or wearing team jerseys. Even restaurants started bringing big screen televisions to the outdoor tables so that customers can view the game while enjoying a meal or beer. The city and university even offer public viewings with massive screens that draw crowds. These crowds cheering on the national team, singing, chanting and of course drinking together in public. Throughout this World Cup I have seen a major increase in national pride here in Germany which I believe is a good thing to express pride in your home country. I’m spectacle to see whether or not Germans will put their flags back into storage or keep them flying when the World Cup is over. Although if the German national team continues to win and be crowned World Champions that can play a major factor for the future of the German national pride and flag.
30 June 2014
One Month in Reflection
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Me enjoying the view of the Neuschwanstein Castle
where King Ludwig II built to hide away from society in 1886. |
23 June 2014
Face Negotiation Theory
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Above is a picture of the Charles Bridge in Prague.
We explored and crossed over the bridge finding all
sorts of merchants and musicians playing along the way.
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So far, my time in Europe has been wonderful and I have avoided all conflict. Over the last week the group and I took our talents to Prague. It was a long trip as we stopped in Dresden for one night before arriving in Prague. The hostel we checked into was more than I expected. Compared our experience at the “Kangaroo-stop” in Dresden the night before, it was like a five-star hotel, accommodated with a full bar and restaurant in the lobby. Once nighttime came around we adventured into a five-story nightclub equipped with different themed bars, dance floors and music for each level. It was later on in the night where I found myself amidst my first conflict while abroad. Another SPICE student, another European guy we met earlier who wanted to tag along with us and I were ordering drinks at one of the many bars. The bartender did not speak any English what so ever just the native language of the Czech Republic. Before I drive into the conflict I will explain a little more background on Prague.
Since Prague is not in the EU they do not use the same currency (euro). Prague instead uses the Koruna or Crown. Initially I exchanged 100 euro and I was immediately shocked when I received about 2,500 koruna’s. I was not used to carrying around 1,000 note. So with the currency exchange this correlated to food and drink prices being perceived as more expensive than normal but in reality the currency was just weaker than the euro which caused goods to be more Koruna per drink.
Alright back to the nightclub bartender. We have a simple order of just three house beers. The bartender places the three cups of beer on the bar and calmly tells us in Czech the total price. Of course none of speak Czech so we each begin to pool together how much we think three beers will cost and place it on the bar next to the drinks. Now comes the cultural boundaries we have between us. I’m not sure if the bartender did not like how long it took us to pool the money (yet nobody was behind or remotely near us waiting for us to be done) or how much we “underpaid” him. So the bartender next raises his voice at us which completely threw us off guard and started yelling in Czech. We all were in shock. We tried to use the Communication Accommodation Theory by apologizing and throwing up non-verbals and began putting down coins not knowing what he wanted. The bartender proceeded to grab the drinks and put them on the counter behind him. We experienced a self-face concern as we all felt threatened by this bartender as we believed we did nothing wrong. After more yelling and we were showing other-face concern to show him that we are sorry and did not mean to offend or disrespect him I realized this was going nowhere. I decided to reach in my pocket and throw down a 1,000 koruna. He immediately grabbed it and gave us the drinks and some change back. We quickly scurried off away from this man not knowing in reality how much change he truly gave back. To this day I wonder how much I really paid for those three beers because I’m positive he didn’t give the correct amount back after yelling at us like that. That night I learned a valuable lesson to never piss off a Czech bartender and always try to remain calm in these situations.
16 June 2014
Communication Accommodation Theory
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| A panorama of the Krämerbrückenfest at the Domplatz this weekend. They had live music, food, beer and crowded with locals! |
Erfurt, DE -- Officially I have now spent an entire week in a foreign country that I do not speak fluently in. I could not be happier though with the experiences I have had throughout my week in Erfurt, Germany. So far I have already met and interacted with so many new people. I cannot lie when I say the language barrier has been tough so far. Being surrounded by a whole new culture and language is something I have never experienced before but I have definitely adapted well. The Communication Accommodation Theory (CAT) explains my situation perfectly. CAT basically explains how individuals (me) have to adapt or alter communication behaviors such as speech and non-verbal cues in order to communicate back and forth with the other individuals (specifically non-English speaking Germans.) For example, to complete simple tasks successfully and efficiently like ordering food at a restaurant, asking for directions or have a simple conversation with one another I must alter my communication behaviors to more resemble German culture and the language they are used to for them to understand me correctly. From time to time I try and put on a “German accent” when pronouncing words like “Hello” to “Halllooo!” or simply throw in some simple German words I have picked up on and finish the sentence slowly in English.
I have had to use the Communication Accommodation Theory in almost every situation throughout my time so far in Erfurt. Since very few people speak fluent English here, it has been difficult trying to communicate with them. It all started on the first day when I met my two roommates. One is 28 years old, hangs out with his girlfriend a lot and already graduated with a BA in architecture. He is currently pursuing his masters degree with a full time job. The other is an undergraduate student but his parents’ house is only 30 minutes from campus so he frequently stays there. Both of my roommates are shy, stay to themselves and do not speak English very well so I have had to apply CAT when communicating with them. I try to speak as much German as I can but occasionally I have had to use my English vocabulary and non-verbals when describing things to them. They get confused easily which creates some very awkward pauses where we just look at each other confused. As a result everyone mostly keeps to themselves. I try to accommodate them by being quite by not blasting music or being loud since I’m unsure if they are trying to sleep or study. I noticed CAT also applies in other situations like ordering at restaurants. Since arriving in Erfurt the group and I have explored the city mostly by stopping by each restaurant or bar we pass. We tend to have a drink or two and then leave, and walk around for a bit finding a new place to sit down that we have not been too. This has led to many interactions with locals and waiters/waitresses that do not speak English. We usually start off at the restaurant by asking the waiter/waitress “Sprechen Sie Englisch?” (Do you speak English?) Most of the time I try to order in German but it usually leads to me butchering the word and having to point exactly to what I want. The waiters/waitresses have been more than patient and helpful to us thus far. They usually just laugh at us and try to accommodate us by speaking their best broken English.
Every day I tell myself that I will learn at least one new German word or phrase which will better improve my experience in interactions with the locals. So far that has lead me to learning how to say different kinds of beers and “Danke” which means “thank you”! The waiters/waitresses always laugh at us because the only German we constantly say is “Danke” to them. I am excited to see what the rest of the summer brings to us while always applying Communication Accommodation Theory.
I have had to use the Communication Accommodation Theory in almost every situation throughout my time so far in Erfurt. Since very few people speak fluent English here, it has been difficult trying to communicate with them. It all started on the first day when I met my two roommates. One is 28 years old, hangs out with his girlfriend a lot and already graduated with a BA in architecture. He is currently pursuing his masters degree with a full time job. The other is an undergraduate student but his parents’ house is only 30 minutes from campus so he frequently stays there. Both of my roommates are shy, stay to themselves and do not speak English very well so I have had to apply CAT when communicating with them. I try to speak as much German as I can but occasionally I have had to use my English vocabulary and non-verbals when describing things to them. They get confused easily which creates some very awkward pauses where we just look at each other confused. As a result everyone mostly keeps to themselves. I try to accommodate them by being quite by not blasting music or being loud since I’m unsure if they are trying to sleep or study. I noticed CAT also applies in other situations like ordering at restaurants. Since arriving in Erfurt the group and I have explored the city mostly by stopping by each restaurant or bar we pass. We tend to have a drink or two and then leave, and walk around for a bit finding a new place to sit down that we have not been too. This has led to many interactions with locals and waiters/waitresses that do not speak English. We usually start off at the restaurant by asking the waiter/waitress “Sprechen Sie Englisch?” (Do you speak English?) Most of the time I try to order in German but it usually leads to me butchering the word and having to point exactly to what I want. The waiters/waitresses have been more than patient and helpful to us thus far. They usually just laugh at us and try to accommodate us by speaking their best broken English.
Every day I tell myself that I will learn at least one new German word or phrase which will better improve my experience in interactions with the locals. So far that has lead me to learning how to say different kinds of beers and “Danke” which means “thank you”! The waiters/waitresses always laugh at us because the only German we constantly say is “Danke” to them. I am excited to see what the rest of the summer brings to us while always applying Communication Accommodation Theory.
13 May 2014
Introduction
Great article.
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