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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]He’s actually correct.  An American high school diploma won’t even get you admitted into a German university.  I know this because I am German.  In fact I’m currently in Germany—OT though.

Anyway, he shouldn’t be an a$$ about it though.  It’s possible that he doesn’t know he’s annoying you and is just making conversation.  So tell him.  Germans are also very direct and frank, and it’s really not considered insulting if it’s true.  So maybe help him out and let him know that Americans take a much softer approach to everything in person.

You’re the adult, lead and/or parent.  Or call his parents and ask them to talk to him.[/quote]

Yeah, but German schools track kids from early elementary school.  And the tracking it rigid, no moving between levels once your kid is put on the "dumb" or "average" track.

If he was only in classes with the American kids who were our equivalent of the German  "gymnasium" Or If he were taking our math and science classes he would be having a much more challenging experience.

In the note of geography, the American kids might not know his European geography, but I bet he is equally as ignorant of US Geography.

We hosted German exchange students a few years back when a group came to our school.

The German students all thought they would be able to take a quick weekend train trip to California and drive up to NYC for a day trip and back in a few hours.

They were shocked to hear that LA was almost as long of a flight as their flight from Europe, that a train there would take days, and that NYC is not just a quick jaunt you can do in an afternoon.   They had no clue about US geography, and how expansive the US is.  They were shocked to hear that Texas alone is almost double the size of Germany and that Germany is close in size to many of our smaller large states.[/quote]

Australian here (former DC resident), popping a toe in the water and hoping the sharks are elsewhere.

Geography is not map memorization. It is an integrated subject that explores the development of land over the millennia, land and water systems, nations and migration, environmental development/destruction.

Yes, know your map. The US needs to do that, as a minimum. You can also go deeper. Highly recommended.

No idea about the German kid. But please stop smearing geography as the study of a map in 1945. Lest you sound…

…what did the German kid say?[/quote]

Dear Australian friend -  most of what you identify above as geography is covered in the elementary science and history curriculum.  Particularly geology, history of colonialism and slavery, biome study, and environmental science.

The definition of geography being battled about in American discourse is usually about Victorian-style memorized map knowledge of geographic facts (not map reading or making skills).  Knowing where Iguazu Falls is vs. Victoria Falls, although you likely will never visit them.  The loss of this memorized knowledge is upsetting to some.  It is similar to the de-emphasis on drilled spelling and "spelling bee" culture.

Controversially, spelling is seen as less necessary in the Internet/spellcheck age.  One could look at geographic facts this way as well. I no longer automatically remember the capital of South Dakota, but I can look it up in a flash.  Similarly, at one point for a college class, we were required to be able to label a map of all African countries and were tested on this 2 times. I used to be able to free-hand draw a map of Africa with 100% location accuracy, but no longer have that skill.

I agree with the PP who says Europeans (also Asians) often have a foggy understanding of the geography inside the U.S. Likewise, I do not know the breakdown of the states within Germany.  Although I recognize some of them as former independent principalities.  And this is really okay!

The issue here is truly one of cultural understanding and manners (as many PPs have stated).  It doesn't matter whether this young man is being typically German or whether his classmates are in fact stupid.  He has come to learn how to exist in a different culture and to develop appropriate manners for a world traveler.  It may help him to understand that American schools do track less.  He should definitely sample more extracurriculars.  I was in swing choir with my high school's German exchange student (who was ahead of us in every subject except AP English).  And maybe he could use a few more trips to the Smithsonian or other proof points for American culture.[/quote]

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