Study: Germany's image among Americans highest ever

[Redalgo]

I'm sure it has its fair share of problems. Nonetheless, my impression of Germany is excellent.

[Franzl]

Why are Americans so loud when talking compared with Austrians ?

If you speak with a non-US accent people will speak especially loudly.  Happens to my wife all the time.  She has to bite her tongue to keep from saying, "I'm a foreigner, not deaf!"
 
Maybe that's a general anglophone phenomenon, or maybe it's specifically American.  I'm not sure.

That probably plays a role, having an accent, probably well intentioned, thinking they're helping someone who doesn't speak English very well. (Although I'm not sure how talking louder makes you understand something you couldn't otherwise understand.)

Americans have a reputation for speaking very loud over here. I've not had that experience myself with all Americans....my American part of the family doesn't speak any different (volume wise) than my German one.

That said, blacks tend to be extremely annoyingly loud.

[Boris]

Great country with great people and culture, but I think Austria is overall better off and ever so slightly nicer.

[angus]

That said, blacks tend to be extremely annoyingly loud.

And New Yorkers.  So if Karena was black and a New Yorker, and Tender came in speaking Austrian style English, I can imagine that she was pretty much screaming at him.

Do the Amis speak loudly in German to you?  I would suppose not.  I find that when I address a German in his native language, I do not speak any more loudly than when I am speaking English to a native speaker of English.  It's only when I hear a person speaking a language that the accent doesn't match (Ecuadorians speaking Flemish in an Ecuadorian accent, for example) than I start to get loud.

Ecuadorian to angus in Amsterdam:  "Waar is de Metro?"   

angus:  "AHH, HET METROSTATION IS OM DE HOEK, IN DE BUURT VAN EEN ROOD BIER TEKEN."

Ecuadorian:  "Dank je wel."

angus:  "GRAAG GEDAHN."

This actually happened, and my friend Brad, who does not speak Nederlands but who knows loud talking when he hears it, commented on my loudness.  I realized then that I do what all Americans are reputed to do, even when I'm speaking a language that is not my native one!  But, I'm sure if I met the same Ecuadorian in Ecuador, and addressed him in Spanish and he addressed me in Spanish (with an Ecuadorian Spanish accent) it would be normal.

angus:  Donde esta el metro?

Ecudarian:  Aqui no tenemos.

angus:  pues, hay un autobus a miraflores?

Ecuadorian:  sisisi, en la esquina alla.  busca el numero quatorce.

angus:  bueno, muchas gracias

Ecuadorian:  de nada.

[Tender Branson]

That said, blacks tend to be extremely annoyingly loud.

And New Yorkers.  So if Karena was black and a New Yorker, and Tender came in speaking Austrian style English, I can imagine that she was pretty much screaming at him.

I think that Karina in the Empire AT&T store was Hispanic. And my Austrian English is pretty good, not what you might think (Schwarzenegger's English ... LOL). It's just in general that the speaking volume of Americans seems to be a tad louder than the one I'm used to.

[Tender Branson]

Great country with great people and culture, but I think Austria is overall better off and ever so slightly nicer.

Maybe that's because Austrian people are more easygoing than German people. While Austrians have a chilly "paaaasssst" or "des is mir wurscht" relaxed attitude, many Germans come over as correct and annoying and snobby (except Viennese people, they are as annoying as many Germans are). Besides, you are right, the country is nicer too ...

[angus]

(Schwarzenegger's English ... LOL).

Ha.  Don't forget Rainier Wolfcastle. 

[The Mikado]

Germany's just sick of having to carry the rest of Europe on its shoulders. 

Seriously, though, the US and Germany are increasingly kindred spirit countries.

[memphis]

Doesn't hurt that the Greatest Generation has now moved mostly underground. Many of them never had a good opinion of the Inglorious Basterds.

[The Mikado]

Doesn't hurt that the Greatest Generation has now moved mostly underground. Many of them never had a good opinion of the Inglorious Basterds.

I don't think they call that age group the Greatest Generation in Germany. 

[angus]

Doesn't hurt that the Greatest Generation has now moved mostly underground. Many of them never had a good opinion of the Inglorious Basterds.

I don't think they call that age group the Greatest Generation in Germany. 

Not in public, anyway.  That would be illegal. 

[Dr. Cynic]

Germany has the largest model train display in the world, so that automatically makes them ok in my book.

Also, the Fugler side of my family came to England from Germany.

[Simfan34]

I'm very quiet, even towards my natural tone being a mutter.

[You kip if you want to...]

Opinion of the country - Good
Opinion of the government - Vile.