Even Greener Pastures

Or did you use to? Do you speak that language? And if so, has your perception of that language changed over the course of learning to speak it (to whichever degree of fluency)?

I'm sure you're well aware that German has a reputation for sounding aggressive, but in my opinion its aggressiveness has been overstated: probably many people's experiences of spoken German largely come from films about the war (and I imagine that any language heard solely in a military context from the mouths of one's enemies is bound to sound aggressive).

Not only this. Some time ago I realized that I already have some German vocabulary, only it mainly consists of phrases like: Gott mit uns; Arbeit macht frei; Lagerfürher; Kinder, Küche, Kirche; Juden, raus; Nur für Deutsche etc. I can go on. Actually, this is not funny, but that's how it is.

I also remember thinking it sounds harsh and not very nice - but I suppose that was our schoolteacher's fault. She was always speaking as if she wanted to kill everyone around. Now when I listen to German radio, I find German pronunciation actually very nice with all those schwa sounds.

So it depends on our perception of the country, based on stereotypes and often painful history. I've heard some Russians say that Polish sounds unpleasant (like the snake language from Harry Potter series). But whoever I ask, they say 'Oh no! It sounds nice (or at least normal)!'
P.C. again?

  For me, Russians sound as if they were drunk. I don't think it's a prejudice, because I had the same thing with Spanish from Spain - I guess the reason was "ceceo" (or the pronunciation of ce/ci/z in general). When I learned enough to understand and speak it, however, this feeling disappeared. If I ever get to learn some Russian, as I intend to, I suspect the same thing will happen.

The language which sounds a particular aggressive?
North Korean speaking sounds always aggressive. They are always angry. I wonder how ordinary people speak.
For me, German does not sound so aggressive. I watched TV show that a foreign woman showing her cook and explaining in her language. I didn't notice where she is from. She talked about cooking, smiling beautifully. She sounded intelligent too. Then the Japanese narrations told it was cooked in someone's house in Germany. She was a German. It didn't sound aggressive at all.
Another TV shows the beer festival in Munchi. People speaks happily,of course it's a party! How can I describe about the German team work? They really enjoy together, singing, drinking. It made me smile.

I can't understand any languages other than Japanese and English. so other languages are always music to me. When I talked with someone who is Muslim in English, he sounds like reading Quran. If Italian speaks English or Italian, it always sound like a opera.
So, personally, the language that sounds aggressive is only North Korean. Because they are truly angry and aggressive.

I watched this video a few years ago. Is this German song? The all audience suddenly sang it. Good team work!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QUqhPoA5bIY&lc=UggAV8JEUJJon3gCoAEC

They say Russian, German and Arabic sound aggressive. Surely it has nothing to do with the history behind these languages.

For German, like others said, it is the films about WWII, dubbed in a caricatural way, that give this impression. I do not like the Spanish spoken in Madrid (seseo plus the syllabes that have all the same lenght).
Italians also can seem agressive, since they may speak loudly.

I used to think that German sounded like killer dogs barking and growling. My only exposure to it had been on the TV show Hogan's Heroes. When I heard Miriam speak it I found out I was wrong. And you wonder why I don't trust Hollywood.