Do I really have to worry about competing with foreigners throughout my career?

dave330i

jibbajabba wrote: »

Some Americans are even worse (no offence). Most didn't even know that Berlin had a wall (nothing to do with language, just remembered the conversations we had).

Berlin had a wall?!

Your post reminded me of a dinner several months back. There were 2 women seated near my table, talking loudly, bragging about their ignorance. One of them talked about how in her high school English class she was supposed to read Macbeth and write a report. She told the teacher to fail her on the assignment because she's never going to need to know about Macbeth in life.

jibbajabba

dave330i wrote: »

Berlin had a wall?!

Rumours ...

powerfool

jibbajabba wrote: »

Locals barely know the difference between who and whom, their and there or they're, affect and effect and it hurts my eyes when they say 'would of'.

Well, they don't have the luxury of growing up with three different words for the various cases... I guess four when you include Wessen in the genitive case.

I think what you have experienced is a difference between Western Europeans as foreigners to native English areas, and what has been considered the "problem" in the Americas with folks from India.

Germans and Scandinavians (and to a slightly lesser extent, other Western Europeans) generally have VERY good skills in English and work very hard at improving their accents (although, I enjoy listening to accents).

Another part of the cultural differences with folks from India is that they tend to be more direct and assertive than Americans are accustomed. It is not a bad thing and I am sure that Germans have a good appreciation for directness.

Personally, I don't have an issue with Indians, or anybody for that matter. I think that certain individuals are difficult to work with, but I feel that way about plenty of (most) Americans... and I am American (of course, I am probably the problem... I have high standards and the standards have an inverse relationship to my patience)!

In regards to "would of"... that is just people butchering the contraction "would've"... but folks tend to do that.

So, based on what you have stated, I would surmise that you have a relatively good experience finding work as a German abroad?

I would like to do the same thing, in reverse... an American finding work in a German speaking country.