My almost-father-in-law (who happens to be English) keeps interrupting all the bl**dy time. Then again, my dad (who is German) sometimes does it too, just not to that extent. So I am not sure it's an English / German thing.

in German TV discussions (Sabine Christiansen, Maybritt Illner) the participants interrupt each other all the time. There is no "Gesprächskultur" anymore.

Diese Erfahrung kann ich nicht teilen. Drei (deutschen) Kollegen bei mir in der Abteilung haben es sich zur persönlichen Aufgabe gemacht, jedem so oft es geht ins Wort zu fallen. Eine (deutsche) Dame, mit der ich regelmäßig telefoniere(n muss), hat die leidige Angewohnheit 'aha aha aha aha aha....' zu sagen - während ich spreche. Die Erfahrung, dass man ab und an mitten im Satz *abgewürgt* wird, zieht sich für mich hierzulande durch sämtliche Situationen - beim Arzt, Friseur, Einkaufen....
Die ganz große Mehrheit der Briten, Amerikaner, aber auch der Österreicher, Schweizer und Spanier, mit denen ich zu tun habe (privat wie beruflich) sind sehr höfliche/geduldige Gesprächspartner, die ihr Gegenüber einen Satz zu Ende reden lassen. Das behaupte ich einfach mal behaupten zu können, nachdem ich täglich einige Male ins Ausland telefoniere/von dort angerufen werde und privat mich auch gerne dort aufhalte und mit den Leuten spreche.

I would tentatively agree with your friend. I think it is more common in English to have a lively discussion where people jump in, interrupt, make jokes, etc., than it is in German. I think I often interrupt people to make jokes in German conversations, and it doesn't always go over so smoothly, but in English, interrupting to laugh seems to me more common.

Another thing I have noticed is the amount of time that one person can talk in German seems to be longer. I feel as though in English, your "allotted time" is somewhat shorter, so you have to make your point quickly, whereas in German you can talk longer without worrying that it is inappropriate or you are dominating the conversation.

This is interesting. I wonder if this so-called 'culture of interrupting' refers to business life - negotiations and so on. Or maybe it used to be more polite here - in Germany - but the Germans have now been so influenced by American and British "culture" (soaps) that they but in too.


@ Electric barbarella - did you check out the comedy night at The Fiddlers? It's on Tuesday 24th April (they're always in the middle of the stupid week) and I'll be going there with my Stammtisch people. Feel free to join us.

I often find my hubbie takes ages to make his point, giving me a long speech when all I want is yes or no, but I kind of presumed this was because we speak English together, and even though his English is excellent it can be harder to spot if you are waffling in a foreign language.

@ Mini Cooper, thanks for the hint! But I work in Friesdorf and don't finsih until 7pm, so I doubt I'll make it. With no car it'll take me a good hour to get there. But I'll make a note of it. Do you know who's appearing?
The ex-landlady from The Green Hill told me that the guy who runs Fiddler's set up hidden cameras everywhere to spy on his staff. (Not sure I want to support someone like that...)

... giving me a long speech when all I want is yes or no, ...

@ CM2DD: don't worry. It's a man thing.

@EB: That and answering even if you don't know the answer, so your wife has to wait ten minutes before snapping "Do you mean you don't know?"

Still, I think this can be exaggerated when you're speaking a foreign language - I know I often take longer to make my point in German, too.

That and answering even if you don't know the answer,...

*gröööhl* soooo true!! SUCH a man thing as well.

I know what you mean though. I'll say something in English only to think about 20 seconds later, 'there would have been an easier way to say that', and feel really stupid.

mini - i think this is cultural only inasmuch as manners may be considered cultural - rather than a national characteristic - i think it is generally considered rude... (unlike the proverbial latin arm-waving which might be considered cultural...)