Americans don't contradict.If they don't agree they are just quietor say something like: "That's interesting!"

Communication styles

German American

Small-talk

Objective:

Objective?Objective?

Building up relationship, finding commonalities

"Testing the waters"

Friendliness

Wavelength

Deep talkSerious discussion

Objective:

Kennenlernen"Tiefe"Sachlichkeit

Different opinions are also ok

e.g. "I have a grandmother in Germany!"

Stereotypes "Americans aresuperficial"

"Germans are too serious, demanding, arrogant!"