Assignment Takeaway 3 – Immersion
In assignment 3, we were tasked with reviewing several blog posts that were posted from students attending Temple University. The student in which I chose to analyze was a mechanical engineer student named Adam Brock. I soon learned that Adam Brock understood that in order to experience a culture more fully and practice his language skills, that one would have to embrace a mantra known as “Ohne bedenken”, which means: ” without thinking”. This fearless attitude is a mantra that would carry him throughout his journey of experiencing German culture.
In my own life I have found that cultural immersion is best experienced by embracing a fearless attitude and having the courage to put oneself out there even if one fails. In the past I have oftentimes been afraid to fail when it comes to practicing the language of a foreign culture. In a course that I had taken at California State University of Monterey Bay, I was fortunate to have taken a course in “mother tongue” languages (a course meant for those born with a language besides English.” In my case, Swedish is my first language before I went to school and used English. While reading Brock’s posts on language acquisition I felt that his view on strengthening language skills through immersion is an accurate technique used by foreigners when living or visiting a foreign country. Often times I attempt to always incorporate the following phrase while living in other countries before reverting to English: “Excuse me, do you speak English”. I notice that when I implement this phrase it often helps those living in the host country to realize that I am not assuming that they speak English and that I demand their help. It is a more diplomatic approach of trying to use their language for communication while simultaneously not butchering it.
Besides understanding the desire to achieve complete immersion through mantras and etc, I have learned a few things about the culture that Brock speaks of in his blog posts. Although I have lived in Germany I didn’t always have the opportunity to attend some of the local affairs taking place. Some of those items include the festivals that are celebrated during certain times of the year within Germany. An example of this is the “Di Musikstadt” or “The Music City”. In this area, celebrations of music are found dedicated to the notorious Bach- a famous German composition. It is always fascinating to learn about the cultural experiences of others and being able to add to my bucket lists if I ever am able to visit Germany again.
Overall, I have learned the following from working on Assignment 3: language acquisition, the local festivities that occur in Germany, and immersion being the most effective way to experience a culture. It is through these mechanisms that has enabled me to enjoy other countries and hopefully look into the local affairs that are taking place while I am there.
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