German Culture:
The Hows and the Whys
Germany has a rich cultural heritage. Before the late 19th century, Germany was a collection of individual fiefdoms and regions. This history is reflected in the country's cultural diversity.
Why Should I Learn About German Culture?
The reasons for learning about German culture and German life are the same as for learning the culture of any language group.
Learning German language and culture is useful to:
- Broaden personal knowledge.
- Make yourself more marketable at work by speaking a foreign language.
- Improving business communication with partners from Germany and other countries where German language is used.
- Increase career prospects.
- Help you get around when on holiday.
What About Business?
Learning about German culture is also essential for those who travel to Germany on business. There are many courses designed to help business people learn cultural customs and language relating doing business in Germany.
German Language courses cover areas such as:
- Meetings
- Negotiations and deals
- Telephone conversations
- Making presentations
- Travel vocabulary
- Money and banking
- The business environment
How Can I Learn About German Culture?
One of the best ways to learn about German culture is to travel in Germany. Travel is a good way of learning about the cultural traditions of cities as diverse as Frankfurt, Munich, Stuttgart, Berlin and many others. These cities showcase aspects of German culture such as museums, beer, wine and food festivals, theatre and music, and so on.
Another useful way of learning about German culture is to study in Germany. Study in Germany allows students to appreciate German culture from the inside. Not only will people learn the German language from native speakers, but they will have the chance to share social and cultural events with native speakers of German. This is an excellent method of learning about German culture and language.
What Do Courses In German Culture Cover?
Courses in German culture will cover areas such as history, geography, music, dance, literature and the arts in general. Other aspects of German culture include food and drink. Studying German culture is a key aspect of learning German, as language and culture go hand in hand.
Other Options For Learning German Culture
Another way of learning about German culture is to take part in an exchange program. This has the benefit of immersing the learner in the German language in a home setting. This makes it easy to learn everyday language for daily communication and provides an inside view of German culture. Exchange programs can range from a few weeks to nearly a year. Some students taking German in other countries find this a useful addition to their language courses. Those students may choose to teach their native language in return for the chance to live in and travel through Germany.
Once you have learned about German language and culture, you'll be ready to travel not just in Germany but in countries such as Austria, Switzerland, and parts of the US, Canada and South America where German is still spoken.
"Wir denken selten an das, was wir haben, aber immer an das, was uns fehlt.
(We rarely think of what we have but always what we lack.)" ~ Arthur Schopenhauer
:: What You Should Know ::
Public transportation is very good and affordable in Germany (especially in the larger cities), but taxi service is expensive. Uber service is not used in Germany.
All cities and larger towns in Germany have public transportation that is reliable and efficient. Buy day-passes that will get you a better rate.
If you plan to use a credit card to pay for taxi service in Germany, make sure you arrange that ahead of time because not every German taxi driver offers that service.
High-speed trains are very popular in Germany, but they can be very expensive. If you are not in rush use intercity trains and save on ticket price. Keep in mind that in Germany, the earlier you book tickets, the cheaper they are, so don't wait, book early and save money.
If you plan to travel Germany, make sure you have plenty of cash on you because many places in Germany don't actually take credit cards. Also make sure to have at least some change with you at all times, especially if you have to use restroom, because free public restrooms are quite rare or non existent. That means you'll have to pay some change to use restroom at bus stations, train stations, shopping malls and even restaurants.
In most parts of Germany, shops are closed on Sundays, so don't plan any shopping on that day. If you want to cook your meals, plan to buy groceries on time. Some restaurants, beer halls and pubs will be open on Sundays, if you want to enjoy a nice meal without preparing it.
"Nicht in die ferne Zeit verliere dich! Den Augenblick ergreife. Nur er ist dein. (Don’t lose yourself in distant times! Seize the moment. Only that is yours.)"
~ Johann Christoph Friedrich von Schiller
