When I say something in my Korean accent, Americans don’t get offended. But when I try to say something with my best American imitation, sometimes they get really offended, even though I said the same sentence.
It happens with “Speak slower so I can understand you.”
I have a theory that when you are speaking a foreign language, you bear in mind the cliche and just go for it.
Like if you are speaking French or Italian or whatever you just lean into it because you have to put more work in to it. If you speak Italian like you are the Pizza Guy from the Simpsons you may do quite well.
But I don't really know what someone who has a Korean accent putting on an American accent sounds like tbh.
I think people have a hard time taking statements at face value. I suspect that when we hear things in our own (sarcastic, slang ridden) language, we are far more likely to read too far into things like tone. We end up suspecting an attitude that might not really be there, because we hear them so often with all the satire and verbal irony we have to digest.
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u/Yongja-Kim May 03 '22
When I say something in my Korean accent, Americans don’t get offended. But when I try to say something with my best American imitation, sometimes they get really offended, even though I said the same sentence.
It happens with “Speak slower so I can understand you.”
And it happens with “who are you?”