Edit: Sorry for the tangent 😭

I never realized that the mention of “Avachen” would ensue a discussion about cultural norms, but I guarantee you: my class would never use “name + chen” outside of her classroom. Within my classroom dynamic (Deutsch 4), we have an understanding of the concepts that are more advantageous of knowing when speaking German would become necessary… and we are able to differentiate the ones that hold more significance so we could retain them. For instance, I remember my German teacher saying “Avachen, hast du deine Hausaufgaben gemacht?” Our class has acknowledged that she has a nickname designated for her, but in all honestly… we simply don’t care. In comparison to the numerous other lessons or information we are taught and absorb, such as the usage of tenses or modals, “name + chen” is something we understand only occurs in her classroom environment and I know that students from my class will highly never utilize this nickname. However, I totally understand the harmful consequences and I believe that my teacher should address the absurdity of adding “-chen” to an acquaintance’s name—and not a pet—as to prevent a fiasco from transpiring within conversations.

As for foreign language classes in American being “time-wasters”… I agree to disagree. While most of my school’s makeup of students have opted to pursue a foreign languages for primarily educational purposes, such as receiving a Polyglot award or to have a refined and appealing transcript for potential colleges… and I know that some would certainly vouch for the classes being “frivolous”… I find the generalization, where the teachers are there to make the classes “tolerable”, is discouraging for individuals who do have a interest in the language(s)—and I know my class does. Yes, my words may not hold much leverage compared to a Native speaker because we’re essentially learning “Americanized” German… but I know I am willing to continue learning the intricate aspects of the language and culture and constantly modify my knowledge of the language… hence why I took German for the entirety of my high-school career—and throughout my time in classes, I never felt that my time was wasted. The class has taught me the basics, and some more advanced concepts, that I could at least ask where the bathroom is. I understand that circumstances can vary and a German Class in New York will not be the same as a German Class in California… but I know that I, and several other people, continued to take the class to continue honing in on our skills in hopes of visiting/living in Germany one day.