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Do you need to be "tough" to live in America? (self.AskUSA)

submitted 3 days ago by Badge to c/[email protected]

53 comments fedilink hide all child comments

Hi European here.

I always heard America is pretty competitive and that the people are very direct/speak their mind.

I'm quite the sensitive person, so I was wondering if it could be hard for me if I would ever go to America and if I needed to become more "tough".

And would someone like me even be welcomed or would I be rejected?

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[–] [email protected] 10 points 3 days ago (1 children)

I feel like it also depends on where you go. It's a big country and the culture can be drastically different in different areas, even within the same state.

[–] Badge 6 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago) (1 children)

True. I just don't get why so many Americans can be so confident. I hope I can keep up with that. Cause my parents ruined my confidence with all the trauma they introduced to me. But maybe it would help just going out of the country of my parents

[–] [email protected] 3 points 3 days ago (1 children)

Literally just lean into your accent and it'll carry you 100% of the way through conversation 😜 Don't even worry about feeling like you're hamming it up. We can't tell the difference!

[–] Badge 2 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago) (1 children)

What do you mean by accent? I can only do an American accent (maybe a little British if I try hard)

[–] [email protected] 2 points 3 days ago (1 children)

No I mean your native accent. I see you're from germany, and while you might not think you have one, I'd dare to assure you that you do! Even baseline "American" is technically transatlantic IIRC

[–] Badge 2 points 3 days ago (1 children)

I think I watched too much American TV it's kinda hard for me to do the German accent now and it feels weird to do tbh

[–] Entropywins 3 points 3 days ago (1 children)

Unless it's absolutely perfect, a native speaker will pick up your accent...how's your "th" that's usually a dead give away for native German speakers.

[–] Badge 1 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago) (1 children)

Yea it definitely doesn't sound as bad as many other Germans but I don't have the American sound down to the nuances so you could definitely tell. Idk why but I think it's quite hard to get the nuance if you haven't been raised with the language, it sucks if you don't sound 100% authentic, I hope it will come with time.

But you really have to study each tone down to its core including its cultural context to get it perfectly. Imma try to do that though for sure

[–] [email protected] 3 points 2 days ago (1 children)

Seriously, no need to change. There are so many accents across the US, and if you're anywhere vaguely urban you're going to hear English speakers from all over the world.

And the correct response to any Americans who give you a hard time for having a foreign accent is "How many languages do you speak?"

[–] Entropywins 2 points 2 days ago

I barely speak my native language...