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Our service learning project helped me accomplish my goal of being brave and speaking more German. Through my bi-weekly conversations with my partner, I was able to practice my German with someone who was kind and understanding — but did not slow down! However, these conversations were not just a way for me to practice my German, but also a cultural exchange and budding friendship. I don’t have the opportunity to talk to elderly people that much because all of my grandparents have passed away, so it was very nice and nostalgic to have someone of an older generation to talk to. Overall, I am very glad that we were able to participate in this service learning experience, and I hope to keep in touch with our old friends!
My biggest takeaway from speaking with my partner this semester is that conversing with a native German speaker is not as difficult as I thought it would be. Finding out about the S-L element of our course at the beginning of the semester was intimidating for me. I was nervous that I wouldn't be able to sustain a conversation with a native speaker because of my limited vocabulary. Luckily, I was wrong! I enjoyed speaking with my partner and felt like I learned something new each time. I tried to let our conversations develop organically, so they didn’t feel like an interview for either of us, so I never asked as many questions as I prepared. I really enjoyed this experience because it felt like making a friend, while helping me practice my German-speaking ability!
My conversations with my partner definitely challenged my German speaking abilities, and pushed them to the next level. Never before have I been in an environment where I spoke to a native German speaker that was not my teacher, and at first I was very nervous that I'd forget everything and we'd just be sitting in awkward silence for half an hour. Luckily, that wasn't what happened. Not once did I feel embarrassed, and I even felt a little more confident in my conversational German. I had expected the intergenerational barrier to feel more prevalent, however my partner was very interested to hear about the intricacies of my college life, especially about my romantic endeavors and music making. It sometimes felt as though I were talking to one of my friends here.
This service-learning experience has been truly rewarding. My conversations with my partner became the highlight of my weeks and always left me feeling in a good mood. I have always been very intrigued by my partner’s perspective on everything we discussed. She has been through a lot in her life, at 83 years of age, so now she finds herself to be very grateful to remain happy and healthy. This has helped me to see the small ways in which I, too, should be grateful to remain happy and healthy with many loved ones surrounding me. My partner told me that I need to always stay calm, do not panic, do what I can, and enjoy the time I have. I am young, and I have a lot of life left to live. You never know when things might change, so enjoy it while you can. Though our time together was short, I feel I have gotten to know my partner through these conversations, and I am very grateful for the exchanges we have shared.
My conversations with my partner were most impactful in that they taught me that there is far less difference between old and young than I thought, perhaps even in Germany. Maybe I was used to the US, where "respect your elders" is a common refrain, but going into a casual conversation with my partner thousands of kilometers away reminded me that the culture around aging in other countries may be entirely different. In fact, I was readily and pleasantly surprised by his willingness to keep good humor even in darker moments, which I found rather inspiring. My partner was a widower, but he seemed to have a certain comfort and acceptance of his situation. There was not so much sadness as there was simply acceptance of whatever the world brings him, and a willingness to keep a good attitude about things. It was rather inspiring, and when I am old, I hope that I am like that. Overall, I would recommend the experience to the German program in the future.
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