This is What It Might Feel Like…

Main Entrance of Saalburg Roman Fort

First impressions of Oberursel are overwhelmingly and enthusiastically positive. It’s clean. People are exceedingly polite and friendly. ..and although it isn’t much larger than the very small town In which I grew up, in western North Carolina, it has a train with four stops serving the town and connecting it with nearby Frankfurt. Of course, figuring out how to negotiate tickets from the kiosk was a nearly insurmountable problem-solving task.

I spent much of my first full day here at the Saalburg Roman Fort, an authentic first century fortress, protecting the farthest border of the empire from the Germanic tribes to the north. The layout of the complex is based on excavations (which are ongoing) and the writings of Julius Caesar and other officers who occupied this and other frontier installations.

Many of the rooms served as museums with extensive collections of excavated buckles, toga pins, tools,pots and cooking implements. What challenged me was the descriptive signs, which were all written exclusively in German. Therefore, except for just a few words here and there, I had no sure way of telling exactly what I was looking at.

It was actually and interesting exercise, because we were challenged to act like archeologists, reasoning out what the various objects were, based on our knowledge of the history, other objects in the vicinity and logic.

But all told, it made me feel illiterate. What an interesting experience, facing this wall that prevented me from understanding where I was — for lack of my ability to use the information.

It was not the full effect that I felt, however. I am older, traveled, somewhat accomplished, and I have learned an ultimate lesson, that adulthood does not mean that you stop making mistakes — giving myself permission to admit mistakes is enormously liberating. This is to say that I am confident.

I had assumed, from what I’d heard, that all German people spoke English. This is not true. I have encountered many who do not or are not willing to try. Many who do said they do, actually speak so little English that it is hugely difficult to understand and make myself understood — though there is a richness to a conversation that challenges your own language. I’m not complaining. How could I. I’m an American. But age does give me the confidence to walk in, say, “hallo! Sprechen Sie Englisch, bitte?” and regardless, work through the all German menu to select their best sausage, without the Sauerkraut. 😉

If I was less confident, then I would be terrified to enter any of the fine restaurants of Oberursel, stores, the bank, or even the streets of the town. Too much opportunity for humiliation.  The thought of people living with this terror breaks my heart.

Literacy, in all it’s ranges and forms, is empowering, and if learning any literacy skill does not immediately and meaningfully enable and empower a learner to do something new and wonderful, then we’re teaching it the wrong way!

– Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

6 thoughts on “This is What It Might Feel Like…”

  1. As a former American living abroad in Germany, I found the Germans to be pleasant and helpful whether they spoke English or only Deutsch. Don’t give into your fears about being able to communicate. Get out as much as you can – it is a beautiful country with rich cultural traditions and delicious food, not to mention the local beer and wines. Most Germans are helpful and love a good time too. Those who can speak English will usually try, and keep trying to expand your own vocabulary of useful German phrases too. I’m jealous, this is one of the best times of the year in Germany – enjoy it.

  2. I am in Dr. Strange’s EDM 310 at the University of South Alabama. I am commenting on your blog as part of my assignment. I may be way off track, but while reading the post, I thought of the many citizens here in this great country that cannot read or write the English language. The fears of ordering off a menu, or finding their way in a strange town must be unbearable. What can we do as educators, and future educators, to increase literacy?

  3. As a 3rd grade teacher, all of my students can read, however, some of their fluency and comprehension could improve. How magical it must be the first time one learns how to read and understand text. It reminds me of a historical fiction story that my class just read called “More Than Anything Else” By Marie Bradby. The story is about young Booker T Washington growing up in a poor, salt mining community, with most not being able to read. As he is finally introduced to the mysterious alphabet that he has been yearning to see and know, he exclaims “I shout and I laugh like when I was baptized in the creek”!

  4. I am in a Masters of Art Ed program and this is also one of my assignments.
    This is my first time blogging. I tried out several blog sites from the list provided from my instructor and like how this one is written. I especially like the photo of the fort. The web like shadows drew me right in. I currently teach art K-6 at a small school. Im really an artist teaching what i know. I haven’t been to Germany myself but would love to go just to visit museums. I guess the good thing about that is: art has no language, but is read by and spoken to all.

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