Taking two courses in German at Chapel Hill has helped my German improve drastically. However, because I took German 101 and 102, I cannot say that my perspective of the United States has changed. My German teacher in high school was very keen on his students learning of current German culture so only the past culture taught in both 101 and 102 added much to my understanding of Germany. But it was entertaining to learn about Germany while learning German, thought I believe it does subtract from the effectiveness of the courses to actually teach German. I do not believe I learned much about my own culture through German 101 and 102 mainly because that was not the structure nor the point of the class. Most of what was covered with respect to the culture of America I already knew or had some idea about. Though, I did learn about the interactions between Americans and Germans that I was unaware of. The two courses I took have also made me want to study abroad in another country. But, I don’t know if I could handle it unless it was fairly laid-back. I shall see about this As for my identity, I have always known that I have a hard time successfully studying for a language. I have never been able to practice speaking much and I have never found a way to study vocabulary. But, these two courses have re-affirmed my knowledge of my weak areas in German. Maybe I can do something about them.