The Effects of German Language Experience and Cultural Exposure on Perception of the German Culture

The purpose of this thesis is to analyze how the cultural conceptions that American Arizona State University (ASU) students have of Germany change with experience. More specifically, this thesis answers how these cultural conceptions change after students learn the German language or visit the country. In order to accomplish this, three representative groups of people with varying levels of experience were interviewed. Structurally speaking, the thesis first provides background information why the topic was chosen and how a survey was designed to conduct a study on the topic. Next, the data from the study is presented in its raw form as well as in organized charts and graphs. A set of observations that were taken from the data will be explained, supported, and then analyzed. The thesis then concludes with a discussion of how the study could be improved or changed to further analyze the topic.