One of the first things I did after starting my job at Siemens was to
register for German classes. I assumed that working for an international
company meant everyone would speak English, but I was wrong. Not only did my
colleagues not speak English, but they also spoke a local dialect rather than
standard German. So, off I went to the community college for German classes.
I was so nervous about showing up late for the first class that I ended up being the first person to arrive. Over the next ten minutes, a few women came in and sat near each other. They chatted in German about how they were doing and talked about the weather. As I listened in, it became very apparent that this class was not right for me.
First, the women seemed to know each other, which was intimidating. I didn't want to be the only stranger in the group. Secondly, their German sounded much better than mine. Still, I decided to wait for the class to start before making snap judgments.
The teacher entered, greeted us in German, and asked everyone to turn to page 23 in their exercise books. She was still speaking German at this point. Then, she began writing English sentences on the blackboard. Turning around, she asked, "What colour is your umbrella, Helga?" Helga responded with heavily accented English, "My umbrella is green."
Mortified, I sat frozen in my seat. It was evident that I had accidentally joined a beginner’s English class.
To make matters worse, I had chosen the seat farthest from the door, making it impossible to leave without causing a scene. I silently berated myself for my mistake while the teacher continued asking questions.
Eventually, it was my turn. "What colour is your sweater, Lia?" she asked. I stared back, unsure of what to do. Finally, I mumbled, "My sweater is red."
This awkward exchange repeated several times over the next 15 minutes. The other students began looking at me with growing concern. Gradually, the teacher increased the difficulty of her questions.
"When you go to the concert tonight, will you wear a bracelet or a necklace?" she asked.
"I will wear a necklace," I answered flatly.
The teacher paused and said, "Lia, maybe you should take a more advanced class. Your English seems very good."
Almost in tears, I blurted out, "I am English! I thought this was a beginner’s German class!"
The entire room burst into laughter.
"Oh no," the teacher chuckled. "The German class is across the hall in Room 9."
Ultimately, I experienced a double dose of embarrassment—first, having to leave the English class with everyone wondering why I hadn't spoken up sooner, and second, the horror of entering the correct classroom 20 minutes late, full of strangers.
I was so nervous about showing up late for the first class that I ended up being the first person to arrive. Over the next ten minutes, a few women came in and sat near each other. They chatted in German about how they were doing and talked about the weather. As I listened in, it became very apparent that this class was not right for me.
First, the women seemed to know each other, which was intimidating. I didn't want to be the only stranger in the group. Secondly, their German sounded much better than mine. Still, I decided to wait for the class to start before making snap judgments.
The teacher entered, greeted us in German, and asked everyone to turn to page 23 in their exercise books. She was still speaking German at this point. Then, she began writing English sentences on the blackboard. Turning around, she asked, "What colour is your umbrella, Helga?" Helga responded with heavily accented English, "My umbrella is green."
Mortified, I sat frozen in my seat. It was evident that I had accidentally joined a beginner’s English class.
To make matters worse, I had chosen the seat farthest from the door, making it impossible to leave without causing a scene. I silently berated myself for my mistake while the teacher continued asking questions.
Eventually, it was my turn. "What colour is your sweater, Lia?" she asked. I stared back, unsure of what to do. Finally, I mumbled, "My sweater is red."
This awkward exchange repeated several times over the next 15 minutes. The other students began looking at me with growing concern. Gradually, the teacher increased the difficulty of her questions.
"When you go to the concert tonight, will you wear a bracelet or a necklace?" she asked.
"I will wear a necklace," I answered flatly.
The teacher paused and said, "Lia, maybe you should take a more advanced class. Your English seems very good."
Almost in tears, I blurted out, "I am English! I thought this was a beginner’s German class!"
The entire room burst into laughter.
"Oh no," the teacher chuckled. "The German class is across the hall in Room 9."
Ultimately, I experienced a double dose of embarrassment—first, having to leave the English class with everyone wondering why I hadn't spoken up sooner, and second, the horror of entering the correct classroom 20 minutes late, full of strangers.
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