@@louismart-To be clear, Dana seems to be a very intelligent young lady, she doesn't need to worry about her accent. Three German speakers who moved to the US seemed to get by with fairly heavy accents Dr Henry Kissinger, secretary of state; Marlene Dietrich, actress; and the governator Arnold Schwartzeneger. Let the trolls think what they want, she seems to be doing just fine the way she is.
Well, we're lucky that most languages don't have any tones which means we don't rlly have to focus on the intonation and proper pronunciation in order to spread our information correctly... If you want to study Mandarin, the tones and intonations are the most crucial part of their language... You would be pretty screwed if you can't manage the tones in Mandarin
@@danidan1902 not sure if i understand what you mean with "tone", if i doo, i would say "english" for example the word "bow" is differently pronounced but written the same way with different meanings.
@@danidan1902 No. My idea was something different. Stretching the definition of tones a bit. That we could say that we do have something like tones, not formally but informally. In probably all European languages. I just find that an interesting thought experiment, something to ponder.
As long as one is well understandable (like you), accent just makes individual and likeable. And even a hard accent should be no problem with some patience. I even would miss something if you had no accent. You are absolutely on the right way.
I really love what you do and you are doing a great job! I really enjoyed your video that you did about the book talk with your book you wrote. Most Americans don't speak perfect English. I also wonder how the people who criticized you speak English? Maybe they should say squirrel over and over and over. Or maybe other difficult English words. I agree accents are beautiful! People who are learning a language, already know they are struggling. Encouragement works way better than criticism. I know some Germans think that Americans are not always honest. We've been accused of being fake, especially when asking "How are you?" We aren't fake we just like to put a positive spin on things, because it's just nice to be posittive with life. We do want to know how you are. It's just that we want the quick version if we are just really passing by and not settling down for a long visit.
Firstly: I love that you're working so hard on your german and that you feel so confident in speaking it. I personally don't like the accent a lot of americans have. I think it sounds weird. I acknowledge that it a 'me 'problem. I've lived with people from Italy, France, Mexico and India and I never had a problem with any of their accents. I think in part it's an exposure thing. So maybe you want to help me out an make more videos where you speak German and make me like your accent :)
Dana, my German husband and I so enjoy watching your videos. I, like you, am American. Why do people want to be mean? They wouldn't talk that way to your face would they? It is not about you, they have miserable lives and want others to be unhappy also. They are cowards using the internet to spread hate. Of course you have an accent, my husband's English is also with an accent. Both of you are speaking a language you had to learn as an adult. Anyway, please remember this is a problem the haters have, you are just a target. Much love and support to you and Stefan.
I don’t know if you’re going to actually read this but, I’ve been watching this channel for about five years now, and you’ve given me a lot of insight into the German culture. Beyond that, you’ve given me something light insightful to watch. You are amazing with you’re determination and bravery in moving to another country and diving into the language and culture. The accent shouldn’t be a point of shame, but a reminder of your roots in America. You’ve been an inspiration to this blind American monoglot with aspirations to move abroad and learn a new language. Keep it up.
I totally agree with you. I learn languages because I love learning languages, because it's fun, because I love to talk to people, and one of the best feelings is when I say something in a foreign language, when I'm able to build a sentence and that sentence makes sense and the person understands me. Wow! That is what motivates me. Well, that and everything that comes with learning a foreing language: getting to know other cultures, people, habits, etc. And, like you, I never wanted to speak perfectly or as a native. Of course, it is nice to get closer and closer, but... no! I don't want stress. I want fun! hahaha A good example is my history with the Japanese language. I lived many years in Japan and, well, people could understand me, even though I have an accent. I know I have and will always have an accent no matter the foreign language I speak, because I started learning foreign languages after I was 15yo, but, really, I don't care. I'll always try my best to make me be understood. But that's it. Also, in the case of Japanese, it would take many years and a very deep contact with Japanese people (like being married to one or living in a house with Japanese people, talking everyday about every situation) in order to speak like a native (not talking about accent right now). But, another thing is, I felt that speaking a language like Japanese as a native (or trying to) would mean you would have to BEHAVE like a Japanese. Well, I could do that in some situations, but not all the time, just because... I'm not one. And I never wanted to be one. Brazil and Japan have really really different (sometimes - often times - lol - opposite) ways of seeing or feeling things and, well, I have my own culture and, ok, we live and learn and some things certainly changed in me thank to the contact I had with other people from other countries (not only Japan), but... I'm a Brazilian. I might be a Brazilian who knows a little bit of Japanese culture. But that's it. I never wanted to be seen as a Japanese (it would be impossible, actually, because of my looks lol) and I wanted people to understand that, yes, I speak the language, but I'm not a Japanese and wouldn't be able to act as one in 100% of the situations. God, I didn't plan to write all that! hahaha Anyway, thanks for the video. I think it's a very important message and let's not forget that the Internet is a place that makes it easier for coward people to write anything they want just because they can't get caught (maybe). People who do nasty comments obviously don't have much to do with their lives and need help, really. Thanks again and let's keep trying our best to learn more and more languages! hahaha (Ich lerne Deutsch auch, btw) :)
My husband is German and when he speaks English, everyone says he sounds like Arnold S. and they 'love' his accent (when we are in the US). When I, as an Ami, speak German -- when we in Germany -- I've had some negative comments about my American accent as well. It's kind of crazy. I just want to let you know that my husband and I recently spent a year back in Germany and your videos really helped me with the transition during that time. Thank you!!
Dana, I am a fellow American and my accent and German language skills are egregious. HOWEVER, I find it easier to understand your German and the German of other language learners than native Germans which is really funny. I actually watch your German videos and the accent makes it SO MUCH EASIER to understand. I think your accent is a very positive thing. I even took a trip to Berlin to study German but ended up only speaking with fellow students because they were patient and easier to understand. I have been extremely frustrated with speaking because of my accent and my slow production of words and shitty grammar. I can conjugate every goddamn word in KII Vergangenheit but I cant remember basic German when speaking. Speaking is so hard. Just the ability to choose the right words never mind the accent is amazing. It was very brave of you to make this video. It really uplifted me knowing that I am not alone. German is a wonderful language but öäü are torture. You will improve eventually. Language is about communication not perfection. :) Tschüss.
Christopher Waltz doesn't exactly have a German accent. He does have some kind of accent, but to me it appears to be unique. Never heard anyone else, German or not, speak English like that. A mixture of several different accents perhaps, there seems to be at least as much British in it as there is German.
Ich liebe Akzente❣ Ich liebe es, wenn man hören kann wo jemand herkommt! Deswegen liebe ich auch Dialekte! Never forget about where you come from! Natürlich lacht man manchmal über Versprecher, ohne es böse zu meinen. Ich lache eher, weil es sich manchmal einfach süß und niedlich anhört. Bitte mach weiter so!
I would not care about an accent that much but rather about getting pronunciation and grammar right, which both are hard things to do in German but are very important over time nonetheless. I also kind of cringe when I hear German speaking natives having a horrible accent when speaking English, in the sense of not being able to pronounce "th" correctly or just not giving a crap in general. That being said, I kind of pride myself in having very good knowledge and pronunciation in English without much of an accent, but I talked to an American recently and he knew I was a German speaking native after my first five spoken words. That really bummed me out and I have to rethink my life right now 😄. In any case, I love that you made a video about it, real talk videos are always great and since you have been making a serious effort to learn the language and keep improving there is nothing anybody can hold against you. Well done Dana.
Great video. What's important is that you are satisfied with your progress and how well you can be understood when speaking auf Deutsch. As an American who studies German,I have an opposite problem from you, my pronunciation is generally "good" but I have trouble remembering vocabulary. When I was in Germany people commented how could I speak so clearly yet know so few words? If this is an area you and Mr. German Man would like to improve upon, I have a suggestion. Ask Stephan if he can keep a list of common German words you mispronounce and put them on flash cards. Then set a time to go through flash card drills and maybe even make a game out of that you can use as a video topic. Simple words (like "ich" und "rot") which include the sound you are trying to master are easiest, then you can apply that sound to more complex words later on. I would suggest you do the same for Stephan, but I think his German accent (in Englsih) sounds nice. Perhaps he only wants help with phrases and some vocabulary, or perhaps he's satisfied with his skill as is. I want to tell you that I enjoy your channel BECAUSE you are imperfect. I find those traits relatable and humble. I look more to Trixie's channel for pronunciation because, to my ear, the Hamburg "accent" sounds correct to my ear based on how I heard German in school. I look to your channel to get a feel for what it's like for an American to become immersed in Bavaria- the language is only one piece of that experience.
I have always liked your videos, but this is my favorite one ever! I speak Spanish as a first language, and my second and third languages are English and Italian. Besides, I work with ESL (English as a second language) students. You are absolutely right, very few people are able to learn to speak a language as adults without a foreign accent. You should aim to pronounce words well enough to be understood without aiming for perfection. Accents are beautiful and if some people don't understand it, then that's their problem!!!
A great video, Dana! I like your honesty. And I think your German is great, especially your grammar and your vocabulary. Yes, you have an accent, but most Germans have a strong accent when they speak English, too. Don't worry and just keep practising! And you're right: You don't have to be perfect. Nevertheless, I think the reason for these negative comments you got may also be "the internet". You said you were shocked because people you met in person always were so encouraging, and then you read all those negative comments. I can understand that, but I think you should keep in mind three things: First, people are often quite positive in a personal conversation (yes, even Germans!) and tend to keep criticism low. It's much easier for people to criticize you in a RU-vid comment where they don't see your reaction. And second, when you meet people in person, there's more time to express everything you want to say. So people might tell you among many other things that you have an accent, but you won't be shocked by it because there's a whole conversation around it. In a RU-vid comment, people just say what they want to say without all the "social components" around it. So maybe it would help to look at all those comments through an "internet filter". And third, there's also the cultural gap, of course. The people who criticized you were all Germans, I guess. As you certainly will know by now, Germans are direct and rather problem-centered. This may be quite difficult to handle when you are used to the American culture where you pay a lot of compliments and people are really encouraging. So maybe you should also see them through a "cultural filter". Maybe that will help with future comments. Don't let them intimidate you! You are doing great!
Just don't worry. You know we had entertainers here in Germany like Chris Howland, Rudi Carrell or Alan Bangs - we Germans LOVED these people for their accents. And when you learn a language after the age of 25, you can be sure that you will never really lose your original accent. I think it's a bonus, a little something extra that shows where you originally came from. For example, if you listen closely, you still hear Hazel Brugger's US and Swiss origins. This is exactly what makes her so charming. Diversity rules!
Don't listen to the haters. I'm from Austria and we learned british english, received pronounciation, at school. But i always watched alot of American LateNight Shows, so my vocabulary had many American words in them. I try my best to stick with British english, but sometimes i use "movies" instead of "film" or "candy" instead of "sweets". Noones perfect and i will try to keep improving my english skills and aim for a british RP pronounciation, even though i know that i will never get close.
"Accents are beautiful!" I agree (to a point). That is what I was going to say. I am an American and speak German as well. I know for sure that all the American guys sure loved my German sister's accent!! I do not think the German people were that appreciative of my accent! I actually did work really hard NOT to have a typical Ameircan accent because it sounded terrible to me, too! My German family and friends helped me a bunch when I asked them questions on pronounciation. Towards the end of my year there, I was at a friend's party and I had two people ask me where I was from. One thought France, the other thought Holland. I was lucky that I was in northern Germany, near Hamburg, and that is the dialect I learned at school in the States and my friends and German family all spoke. Except, I ran into Platt-Deutsch at extended family gatherings and could only understand the uncle's every other word as he was the Harbormeister! Lol! As for hearing a language, I didn't like hearing females speaking German in middle school when I first started learning German. (I am sorry! I don't know why!!) I assume it is because the female voices sounded tinny to me. I think I have outgrown that! I also don't like it when people pretend to speak in a German accent (auf Englisch) and say things harshly. It just isn't that way. It is a sterotype! So, I prefer hearing things auf Deutsch und in a kind, normal voice!
Also, I can't exactly comment on your accent because I really haven't heard you speak German! You should be proud of yourself for trying. Not many Americans do. You belong to a group of a select few!!
omg, my pet peeve ! i often get the suggestion to take a german course (ich bin deutschmuttersprachler .. but grew up in Sweden) because i don't usually understand allemannisch and badisch . some ppl are so engstirnig, thinking only they speak 'real german' ...
I guess you've already tried speech recognition software. It's not a substitute for real conversations but it's pretty useful for hours of practicing and you usually get instant feedback about your pronunciation.
Germans worry way to much about accents. People should be able to understand you without problems and that is something you have already achieved. Everything else (perfect accent) is just a bonus... I live in France and my accent is far from perfect but I get around and nobody ever told me that it was a problem.
It’s funny, by getting hung up on things like accents, and perfect pronunciation, actually hinders people from actually trying to learn another language. Yes you have an American accent, you are an American!, but people who focus on the accent tend to be more elitist in their attitude and often seem to forget that they too have an accent in foreign languages. Some people have a knack for accents, others don’t. Question is why do people care so much? Sounds like they’re frustrated or embarrassed by their own accents in other languages.
@@davidgo2019 Ein Problem dabei ist, dass man es bei sich selbst nicht so bemerkt, wie bei anderen. So ähnlich wie man seine eigenen Körpergerüche nicht wirklich wahrnimmt, usw. Ein weiterer Aspekt könnte sein, wenn man den Eindruck hat, der andere würde sich nicht bemühen, das kann so eine Art emotionale Abwehrreaktion auslösen. Nach dem Motto "Wozu strenge ich mich eigentlich so an, wenn es anderen scheiß egal ist". Wobei auch da wieder das Problem dazu kommt, dass Unterschiede zwischen Selbsteinschätzung und Einschätzung anderer bestehen (s.o.), und man den Leuten ja auch nicht in den Kopf schauen kann, ob die sich jetzt anstrengen oder nicht, und man das dann einfach unterstellt (was ganz unbewusst passieren kann, sprich keine böse Absicht ist dabei.) Außerdem scheint es mir so zu sein, dass es ein vorwiegend deutsches Phänomen ist, so sehr zu versuchen, seinen Akzent loszuwerden, bzw. es bei anderen zu kritisieren. Vielleicht kommt es mir nur so vor, aber die meisten Menschen anderer Nationalitäten scheinen das viel lockerer zu sehen. Ein Akzent ist ja letztlich auch nichts schlimmes, solange alles verständlich ist. Soweit einige meine Überlegungen und Meinungen zu dem Thema, ist etwas länger geworden :D
@@silkwesir1444 Dass wir die einzigen Sprecher sind, die versuchen, ihren Akzent loszuwerden, habe ich mir auch schon mal gedacht. Dass wir Deutschen uns zu sehr auf den Akzent konzentrieren, hat mir mal eine Linguistik Dozentin erklärt und diese meinte auch, dass von allen Studenten, die sie unterrichtet, die Deutschen diejenigen sind, die echt krass darauf achten und sich auch lustig machen. Sie erzählte mir eine Geschichte, bei der sie und ihre Kollegen (alle Deutsche) sich eine Rede eines BMW CEOs oder so angehört haben und der Akzent war deutscher als jedes Mettbrot, daraufhin haben sie es ihren amerikanischen Kollegen gezeigt und die haben gefragt, was daran so besonders sei...schlussendlich kann man sagen, dass es ihnen gar nicht auffiel, wie hart der Akzent war, man konnte ihn verstehen und somit war alles in Ordnung... Das ist auch meine Einstellung zu dem Thema, ja man sollte versuchen, seinen Akzent zu perfektionieren, und ich kann es mir auch nicht verkneifen, über diverse starke Akzente zu schmunzeln, aber so lang man verstanden werden kann, gibt es keinen Grund zu meckern :)
Die Leute, die sich tatsächlich an deinem Akzent stören, würden im Englischen vermutlich grauenvoll klingen oder könnten nicht einmal Hallo sagen! Ich kenne Leute, die sind hier geboren und aufgewachsen und deren Deutsch ist zum Weglaufen. Du sprichst zwar nicht akzentfrei, aber dafür anständig und mit guter Grammatik. Darauf kannst du so stolz sein! Ich kann so kein Englisch sprechen...
Auch ich stimme zu 100% zu. Ich ziehe meinen Hut vor Dana und habe absolut Respekt vor ihr was sie geleistet hat da kann so manch anderer bloß davon Träumen. Ich wäre froh wenn ich so gut Englisch sprechen könnte wie sie Deutsch spricht. Sich über einen Akzent aufzuregen und Menschen blöd runtermachen ist einfach bloß Niveaulos und dumm. Dana, dein Akzent ist wunderschön
@frazi_stories: Vermutlich lebst Du auch nicht seit 9 Jahren in den USA. Wenn dann Dein Englich noch so übel klingen würde, wie Danas Deutsch, dann hätte es vermutlich etwas mit Intelligenz zu tun.
I don’t get it at all. When these people speak in a foreign language the would have an accent as well. And they are commenting like you have to Sound German while speaking German. It’s just nonsense
Your right, people should be happy that someone spent countless hours learning their language. Also accent is overrated, your ability to use the language and understand the language is more important.
german is pretty hard. noone gets the accent. the other way is rather easy. ever seen a decent german english speaker? they dont exist. germans talking english sounds either a) like germans nightlate shows making fun of german politicians accent, or b) what ever they want you to think thier origin is. english isnt hard.
You’re brave for recording this video! Dana, people are going to judge for whatever reason. I’m sure the majority of the people who write these comments aren’t even proficient in their own language than again second one... I also speak German as a Fremdsprache and I have an accent. It doesn’t stop me from speaking as I’m sure it doesn’t stop you either. Thank you for being a source of inspiration to me. You truly are a gift to this world 😊
I'm a Modern Languages student and my mother tongue is Spanish. I have a strong accent whenever I speak English, French or German. I think this video touches an important topic and I have some things to say: -Daring to learn a foreign language (and one as difficult as German) is already a courageous thing, but putting yourself out there, on RU-vid, and using the language to speak about fascinating, useful and relevant subjects, is admirable. So props to you, Dana. -Having an accent is BEAUTIFUL! It shows that you have taken the time to learn a new language, that you are brave enough to speak it, that you are human (being perfect is not possible, nor interesting)... It tells people about your origins, your identity. You should never be ashamed about your accent because it is part of you and your learning process. I think accents denote personality and I find them intriguing! If I hear someone speak Spanish with an accent, I immediately want to know where they come from and what they think about my beloved natal tongue. -It's easy to be cruel and judge others when you are behind a screen. Languages bring us together, so let's stop being nasty to each other! Mean commenters, use your time and energy on more important stuff!!
Fernanda P I absolutely agree with you and I would like to thank you for taking the time to write this OUTSTANDING comment because it really means something to me.I am currently learning Spanish and my goal is to be understood by people.I'm not going to reach a higl level because first and foremost I am not willing to spend the time and my dream is to visit Spain once and communicate in Spanish.Another think which should be taken into account is that I am a teen( 13 year old) and I have already reached an advanced level in English and my current level in German is B2.So what I meant is that I've got the courage to teach myself another beautiful language without having any barriers in my life. Ps: I'm learning Spanish alone and my first language is Greek.
That was the most English I’ve ever seen. It seems like you’re a native English speaker. Probs on you, but slow down a bit. We wouldn’t mind you saying words the easy way.
Spanish is similarly hard to learn. However, she said she‘s started 10 years ago. Normally, you would speak German fluently after two or three years living and working here. But she can‘t speak even speak fluently after 10 years!
Jawohl!! Genau! I learned German as a second language and have attempted to learn Spanish as well. I lived in South Texas and thought I could learn Spanish easier there because 1. I alreasy had learned a foreign language (and learning a third is supposed to be easier) and 2. I was surrounded by TexMex and that is gow I learned German, by being submerged in the culture. Well, I quickly found out that using a gutteral "R" makes Spanish not understandable by others! I think I would do better now, but back then with my accent, I could not articulate in Spanish well enough to be understood.
Do not care about these Internet Trolls. Your accent makes you interesting. I have a German accent in English also and I don't made it to speak correctly the "th" if I speak Englisch for a longer time.
Dana macht dir kein Kopf , dein Deutsch ist super und dein Akzent gehört zu dir und super sympatisch . Mach weiter so , alles ok ! Gruß aus dem Nordwesten Deutschlands
In Deutschland sagt man: Was stört es die deutsche Eiche wenn sich eine Wildsau dran scheuert. In dem Sinne. Es ist eine Leistung eine fremde Sprache so zu lernen. Der Akzent ist egal. Hauptsache man wird verstanden.
Being understood (and respectful) are the important points. If you have an accent, it is only a reminder of where you started... and of your unique identity and personality! People should be more focused on how wonderful it is that you took it upon yourself to help others across the bridge - mid journey - as you have uncovered the places, culture, people and land you love! Thank you!
Yes, you do have an American accent when speaking German, but so what? People still can understand you well. And your German is so good, I wish I could speak German as fluent as you are one day. Why do you have to be "perfect" speaking German?? I speak English with a Chinese accent, because English isn't my native language. You should be proud of your German :)
I'm SO self conscious about my German accent (when speaking English). If I ever did a video in english, comments about my accent would freak me out the most. I admire the way you handle that. The way you've been really open about it and acknowledge it.
That's good. Here on RU-vid is a guy from Switzerland. He makes videos about electronics in english and he always starts his videos with the words "Here is the guy with the swiss accent". So, if you can't fix it, feature it, is the best thing you can do ;-)
I have never received bad comments about my German accent in English, sometimes they said "your English is so good / so adorable" but that also stopped in adulthood- but I am really curious to know what accent I have in English, if it's thick or not, strong or not so strong ... when I had just started learning English I was speaking like the people on the school cassettes but got conscious when a bully girl made a comment about it ... so I think my English pronunciation is kind of worn down ... I will never find out ...
I love your german/american accent.. you're awsome, keep up making videos in german too, you're beutiful, and anyone should be proud of all your accomplishments.. keep it up
Dana my parents have a friend who is originally from Hungary, he lived here fopr 40+ years, he was a succesful buisness man untill he retired a few years ago, he still has a very heavy Hungarian accent. But way more importantly he is a lovely man and that is what really matters.
I love how you approached this subject, Dana! The only thing I wish you'd done differently is to do the outtro in German, just to drive the point home. You don't need to hide your accent any more than Mr German Man should try to change his accent - I think it's beautiful!
When I was in my teens, during school holidays in summer, suddenly a couple of twins appeared to spend their holidays with their father, as they were living with the other parent the other time. They were from a region in the north around Oldenburg. When I first heard them talking, I tried to figure out which LANGUAGE they were speaking - it appeared to me they must be from Mars or elsewhere. It sounded anything but German. I didn't get a word. Not one. Somehow I adapted, and they did too to help me understand them. After a few days I didn't think about it anymore. And after three weeks when their holidays were over and they went back, not only was I left without playmates - I was left with a father who couldn't understand me anymore. He thought I was pranking him, and I thought he must have hearing problems.
David Crystal, an English linguist, said: "There is no such thing as an ugly accent, like there's no such thing as an ugly flower..." There's nothing to add. Keep up your good work and thank you so much for your videos...
I’ve been trying to learn German, on and off, for 5 years and I am a walking disaster. I am terrible at everything from vocabulary to grammar and couldn’t get past an A2/B1 level if my life depended on it. Your videos have inspired me ever since I came across that Easy German video and I’m no less in awe of your German than I was that first day. Ignore the haters because your German is so good and the accent is the least important thing when learning/speaking a language. The accent is the easiest thing for me to learn but, as German has taught me, it’s not worth a thing if you can’t master anything else. It can also get you in trouble if it’s too convincing because people think you’re just playing at not understanding them or purposely making mistakes when speaking.
Your accent is charming..you are honoring the foreign language by taking it serious, speaking fluently,effortless.I'm German living in England,coming from the same area,Stefan does.You are totally right,our English pronounciation a n d the German depend on the area, we are originally coming from..and Germans are used to have a lot of consonants,our English sounds way harder because of this.So what,I'm not pretending to be a Briton.Your German is great,nothing sucks..Just stay you :-)
Don't give up... you should seek out German people / visit Germany to get a more personal connection to it. Listen to the music, try to translate the lyrics, look up RU-vid videos with English subtitles etc... it really helped me with English.
Of course you have an American accent, you're an American in Germany. I'm German and have an accent and people comment on my accent here in America. So long as you can get your thoughts across and others love your pronouncation of their language I wouldn't worry about it.
Exactly! How in the world is every foreign language speaker supposed to match the native accent perfectly?? People just want a reason to knock someone down
The hard 'r' and the 'ch' will be really hard if your mouth, throat and tongue have never learned how to do them properly. In reverse Germans only need to learn 'th'-sound which is rather doable. I for example have never managed to do the rolled Spanish 'r'.
I can't even understand the expectation of speaking a foreign language without an accent... It's just not possible, unless you learned that language before the age of 14 (roughly) from native speakers. So this "hype" about having or not having accents is just dumb and useless.
As a sometime accent coach, I would love to hear your critics' accents when speaking English. The range probably goes from trying to sound like Tupac to adopting a faux-Cockney accent, with the odd scalpel-sharp German vowel slipping in from time to time. Bottom line: It doesn't matter. Have fun. Communicate. Conversate.
This is the reason I made videos about the German language for almost 8 years before I made a video about pronunciation. I knew the kinds of comments I would get. Pronunciation is important for learning a language, but it doesn't have to be perfect (or even close a lot of the time) for people to understand you. That is the ultimate goal of learning a language, TO BE UNDERSTOOD. If you are understood, the accent is irrelevant. If your accent is bad enough that it hinders the conversation, then it is an issue. Never make fun of someone's "foreign" accent. They speak another language. Most Americans can't say that.
I have a Polish friend who is really good in learning languages and she speaks German (from grammar point and her choose of vocabulary) like her mother tongue but her Polish accent always is present and will be forever I guess. Nevertheless I often forget that she had to learn all that as a grown-up because of her fluency I forget that she isn't German. It's like she is speaking one of the many German dialects (like the "Spätaussiedler" for example who are definitely Germans although they sound foreign to some Germans). Language is for communication. If you have learned a foreign language that well that you can communicate with it without problems you have reached the main target. The rest is passion but not necessary. Nevertheless I'm also obsessed by getting rid of my German accent when learning a foreign language because I have the feeling it's easier for me then to learn the language.
Your audio is by far the best of all the expat channels! But about the accent, i don't know why and i don't want to insult anyone but i have to cringe a lot when i watch those expats speak german videos. I really don't want to, but i do and to some extend it sucks as i can't watch those videos. I grew up here in munich with lots of turkish immigrant children around me and i heard a lot of broken german and i am so used to it. But when it comes to english, maybe because i do know english so well, i can see where someone made the mistake, like SVO word order and that makes me cringe :/ . I never say anything unless someone brags about their german language skills and fails miserably (and not as a joke) but maybe i just have more discipline than others and they need to let it out... or its just THE INTERNET.
Having a (mild) accent subtly makes anyone else aware that you're not 100% proficient in the language or possibly not a local. That's perfectly fine and sometimes even desirable! Why: it gives others a subtle chance to adjust their own language to be understood (use "standard" language instead of some possibly harder regional dialect, reduce idioms and slang language, speak slower or slightly more careful, repeat or rephrase a phrase with more simple language if the other one doesn't quickly respond, possibly even throwing in some known word from their native language…). At a slightly different level, this also happens to native speakers in areas where strong accents or dialects are known. For example, when a German is talking to a "native Bavarian" in standard German, the usual response won't be in the Bavarian language. The same thing occurs when people from England and Scotland do meet: by noticing each other accents, they automatically agree to a more common mode of communication. I do work with colleagues from the UK, the US, France, Spain, Romania - usually in English, and their specific accent is usually a nice reminder on to take some extra care about one's pronunciation. And as most of us aren't native speakers, that's also perfectly fine. During a vacation in Australia, a tour guide started suddenly throwing some German sentences at myself and the friend I've been traveling with - he noticed the accent and her asking me to translate some words. As we found out, the tour guide had been living in Germany for some years a while ago, but once in awhile wanted to use a little bit of the few German he still remembered :-) So having an accent can certainly be a bonus and put you in (not uncomfy) situations you would've never expected.
That video meant a lot to me. Seriously. You actually made me cry. I don't think that native speakers can really understand how humiliating it can be to be an intelligent, articulate, hard-working person who has found their home in a place where they will NEVER speak quite as easily as most other people. As an American who grew up mostly in Sicily and has been living in Switzerland for the last 24 years (since I was 23), I've spent huge parts of my life longing to just ... Not. Sound. Weird - or failing that, at least not to feel like a a second class citizen because I do. BTW, I say that as someone who speaks High German and Swiss German "Mundart" about as well as anyone possibly can who didn't grow up here. (There are lots of reasons why.) In fact, when I speak Swiss German, people quite often don't realize that I'm not a native speaker. And A LOT of people who THINK they can hear my "obviously American accent" would never have heard it if they hadn't already known I'm American. But I think you've learned the more important life lesson that I'm still struggling with! There is really NO reason for me to feel secretly hurt by these comments, because guess what? "Accents are beautiful!" It's OK to be who you are! And if (a very few) people are so small minded that they won't take anyone seriously who doesn't pronounce stuff the same exact way they do, that's THEIR problem! We aren't defective in any way - we're adding something to their world that they wouldn't otherwise have!
I agree. Sadly, for some, they will laugh when they hear an accent. For me, when I try to speak Tagalog (Filipino), I get laughed at and people keep telling me to repeat a phrase so they can laugh even more. It happened so much that I didn't want to speak it anymore. Thankfully, when I started French, I never got laughed at, which is why I continued it and even visited France!
Wenn man als Deutscher, im englischsprachigen Raum, englisch spricht, bekommen diese Muttersprachler auch das kotzen. Es gibt leider auf youtube viele Idioten, die sich über jeden Mist aufregen und nicht objektiv sind.
Only very few people can speak several languages without their native accent shining through. It is either pure luck/talent, or a LOT of hard work/practice.
I Love it when somebody has a accent 😍 it’s part of the person’s personality! But I absolutely understand what you’re saying. I am German. And I am very afraid of speaking English because of all the comments like “your German accent is soo bad”. Fun fact: I’ve never heard a comnent like this from a native English speaker. But many many times from other Germans.
Of course, as Americans, we have American accents when we learn a new language and speak it. I understand wanting not to have that instant identification.
Your videos help me to start want to start again on learning more German, and continue working on my Italian. Honestly, you ARE truly adventurous, and inspiring to me! Keep up the good work!
I am so happy you shared. I am studying four languages(Spanish, Romanian, German, Japanese) and I find the sounds in German to be incredibly challenging to make. I can handle almost anything that has similarities to Spanish, but there are some things in German that I have difficulty with, because they are not sounds my mouth knows how to make. I keep trying, though. You're awesome! Vielen dank!
@@xNujeL Kein Problem. I find the "ch" sound is difficult, because in most all of my other languages the sounds are created more forward in the mouth. Also moving the roll in the "r" of the tip of my tongue. I can hear the difference, but it's a challenge to roll from the middle of my tongue. And, of course, the "ü" and "ö". I'm still trying to figure out how to create the sounds. I do best when trying to use them inside a word, I have a darn time trying to isolate them. Any tips would be most welcome. Danke schön!
@@TiffanyHallmark ooof I get your struggle bc i only just learned last year how to pronounce the english "r", it drove me damn crazy! Luckily, I found some youtube videos that precisely described the tongue placement and that helped immensely. So look for these kinds of videos. Videos where you only have to mimic are almost pointless if it's a sound that doesn't exist in your language. For "ch", I can recommend this video ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-HUKB4LxaRxw.html (don't be put off by the linguistic terms, try to figure out the tongue placement). So for "ch", in "ich", you basically have to put the back of your tongue to the middle of the roof of your mouth, most try to do it in the very back of the palate, almost in the throat but that's wrong. But watch the video, I think it does a good job in showing that. I don't really use my tongue for the "r", that's only common in Bavaria lol (like rolling it). But it's produced more in the throat. Try gargling with water and then try to do the same without water and that's pretty much the sound. Okay, regarding "ü" and "ö". So what I'm noticing is when I change from o to ö or from u to ü is that my tongue touches my upper teeth when I produce ö and ü sounds. So do the o/u (it's the same for both) and then put your tongue up to your teeth and leave only little room between the roof of your mouth and your tongue. I don't know if this is helpful at all, but these are the only tips I have. As I said, looking up videos where they talk about tongue placement should be the most helpful. :) And as with most, once you got it, practice! I must have looked like a crazy person because when I got the english "r" right, I just went around saying r r r r r 😂
@@TiffanyHallmark Ich werde dir empfehlen der RU-vid Kanal fröhlich Deutsch anzuschauen und möglicherweise zu abonnieren.Michaela macht wirklich ausgezeichnete Aussprachevideos und ich bin vollkommen überzeugt, dass sie dir helfen kann.Das kann ich aus meiner Erfahrung mitteilen.Letztens hat sie ein Video über Ich und Ach Laut gemacht.
I discovered after living in Germany for 30 years that I still have retained my American accent while speaking my grammatically and syntactically almost perfect German. It sometimes irritated me that people immediately asked me „where are you from“? When grumpy, I tell them defiantly that I am from Bielefeld, which freaks them out, cuz they want to hear something more exotic. Anyway, I love your positive attitude, which I will try to emulate. Keep on, keeping on. I am learning Spanish and can speak French superficially. I love speaking the appropriate language when traveling.
You're an American, you have an American accent. No kidding. Be proud of it. How many Germans speak English without a German accent? Exactly. Hell, I'm an American southerner and, as I'm sure you know, many of my own countrymen make fun, or are derisive, of my accent. I don't care, and neither should you.
You've Got Such A Positive Attitude Sweetheart!!!! 😁😁😁😁😁 Keep That Up!!! Yes Don't Let What 0ther People Say 0r Think Make You Feel Bad, Hunny!!! THEY'RE The 0nes With The Problem, N0T You!!!! Haters Gonna Hate. F*#@% Em!!! Don't Pay Any Attention To People Like That!!! Keep Speaking German, And If People Don't Like It, Then Tell Em To Go Piss Up A Rope!!! I Love You Hunny!!! 😁😁😁😁😁
Yes, you do have an accent, but you are not a native speaker, so there's not really anything to worry about. Everybody takes their own time, and I think your German is good enough, and as you say yourself, it will evolve and develop. Don't worry about it too much. People who make rude comments abou this are just incapable of putting themselves in your shoes. As for u/ü/ö, it's not that difficult, it's just that many non-native speakers approach it the wrong way. u is pretty much like English oooh as in boot. to pronounce ü, just say "eeeeee" as in "meek", and then round your lips -> that is ü to pronounce ö, just say "ehhhhh" as in "bed" and then round your lips -> that is ö
So, you have a noticeable accent. Today it's also quite cool outside and I'm eating a pizza right now. And what's happening because of it? Nothing! I don't understand people that are bullying you because of your accent - you can hurt no one with it. Please continue growing and not focusing on people that seem to have other issues in their lives. ;)
I‘m a German living in Belgium now for 2 years already. Because my boyfriend lives here. :) Because of him I started speaking English about 3 years ago. I was able to understand English very well before that, but since I never talked myself I could hardly say anything to him back then on Skype. Haha Now that I live here I obviously learn Dutch and French (we live in that part of Belgium where they speak both languages) but my dutch is a bit more advanced. I understand it already very well and I am really surprised. I remember in the beginning I couldn’t follow at all. Well but what I wanted to say is: I am scared to speak. My boyfriend and I still speak 90% English to each other. And i know that way I am never gonna improve. With English back then I had no other choice but speak it when I met him. But now it’s always so easy when I try to say something but then I am unsure about the grammar - I just switch back to English. Your video encouraged me to speak more. I should really try harder, especially since I understand already almost everything. Even business-dutch ^^
That was the sweetest, most positive response to mean trolls ever. Kudos for taking the high road and not letting the naysayers get you down. Speaking an acquired language without accent is not a universal skill, but as long as people can understand you, and you them, that's all that counts. To answer your questions for us viewers: Hardest part of learning German: Memorizing the genders of nouns. Accent: I'm told I have a good ear / good German accent. But it sometimes makes people think I'm more fluent than I am, and they start yakking away and I'm lost... So unless you're really fluent, a good accent can be somewhat of a curse too. Favorite sounding language: French. Thought it sounded beautiful and pleasant even when I was a little kid.
An Older Teacher in America says all the time " doesn't matter where you come from you will have an Accent " NY ,Alabama (this is a funy one ) Tx and all other country's in the world so don't be shy .
You are so right! But for me as a german the accent in Alabama was so hard to understand. For americans I have a very strong german accent. I think an accent could be very interesting thing...
Accents can also help finding out the speaker's background and where they're from, which can then lead to an extended conversation - we might not like small talk here in Germany, but chats with someone from another culture are like a mini-holiday in that culture.
You nail the point, it is not about perfection and I pretty sure that the most hatered commentariats are speaking with a thick dialect. However even Mrs. English miracle girl makes mistakes from time to time but she was able to resist us "perfect" Germans by doing that video: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-FJ7BTewX0Us.html or better that one from her: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-tqbmqUzy15A.html and for the next mean comment, remind that one: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-Th0G8rkhBqg.html or that one: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-yR0lWICH3rY.html
You got a point there. If your "hearing ability" does not allow to distinguish between certain sounds that will be difficult. Like, forgive me the comparison, an Asberger set up person to read emotions on faces. For me, as German, there is definitely a difference between the vocals and their Umlauts. It is hard to accept that somebody is not able to hear it. But that is the case with many things one can do and others can't. Such is life or better are humans. My guess at why people can be angry about someone not speaking German (to a level) well, is that many foreigners (I think mostly of Turkish who are the largest number) have lived here for decades and are barely if at all able to speak German. And that is related to their idea of staying here for a limited time only but now are here for good. And with that comes the idea, whether true or perceived, that they are not accepting German culture. And that is underlying the disgust of someone with a long time in Germany not speaking the language. In my view there are certain factors which are a hindrance to really dig into the language. A major one is the environment where you live. If there were no people speaking English that would force you, and at the same time teach you, to speak as well as your brains allows. It is because you then would have all the time the sounds around you. A situation we have in early life when we would not have any abilities but learn from the examples given when people speak to us. Looking at other RU-vidrs there are examples from living here with an English speaking spouse (very bad) to having nobody and being forced to speak (and write) German in a university/learning situation. In the end, don't worry. You have to be comfortable with your language(s).
Haters gonna hate. Always. Your new approach is spot-on: you are always going to have an accent, no matter how hard you try to lose it, and that's totally fine, so don't waste your energy trying. I used to get annoyed when people guessed from my accent when speaking English that I am German. Not any longer. Because after all, that is what I am. Your German is perfectly serviceable, and that's what counts. As you have experienced in meat-space, people are generally very supportive of people making the effort to learn to speak their language. Don't let some mean people on-line (or even the occasional grumpy person in real life) get you down. IMHO if you want to improve your German even further, concentrating on your few remaining grammar mistakes is going to give you better returns -- because someone speaking German with a discernible accent but (almost) perfect grammar is going to freak people out, in a good way. Plus, grammar mistakes can hinder understanding, while an accent (certainly yours) generally doesn't. German grammar is really hard. I am so happy I learned it from my parents when I was a kid! Your accent is totally fine and doesn't really need work. And as a final thought -- I speak three languages, and none of them perfectly. My German is pretty good of course, it being my native language, and me being a relatively eloquent person. But far from perfect.
Fascinating what you said about your musical abilities. I think if you can mimic a singer's style (and carry the tune) you have a better shot at learning other languages as an adult. I sing a lot of German songs and also mimic phrases that I hear like children do. It's super discouraging to meet someone, say one word, "Hallo" and they reply, "Oh, you're American." (Did you know Germans have only one L sound, and in English we have two?) My German husband does his best to teach me the umlauts but agrees with me that if we cannot hear them, we won't be able to say them. He insists our problem is we always have our mouth in a smile shape, which keeps us from speaking German properly. I asked him to say the word squirrel yesterday and he said, "OK first let me smile really big...." *lol* I've always been amazed at your grammar skills, and I would never speak German on RU-vid, way too intimidating.
Hello Dana I'm from Austria and new here on your channel. I became aware of your channel because a few years ago I also had a Girlfriend from America (San Francisco) and so I know exactly how people can sometimes react to the language. Either they make some hateful comments or often become personally offensive. It's just awful how the world has changed in these things and even if it was already so in the past, I think the modern communication options have made it a lot worse which is why I don't use Instagram, Twitter and more. I know it's often easy to talk but do not let that discourage you. I just wanted to tell you that I really like your channel and videos, whether you're talking about your experiences or just talking about certain things. You're such a nice woman and even though I'm not with my girlfriend (Ashley) I still enjoy watching your videos. In any case keep it up, stay the kind person you are and enjoy the time. Ich wünsche Dir noch eine schöne restliche Woche und ganz liebe Grüße aus der Steiermark. 8-D
Ich finde deinen Akzent nicht schrecklich. Natürlich ist er ausgeprägt und die Kombination von amerikanischem Akzent mit stark rollendem bayerischen R finde ich (aus Norddeutschland) eher witzig. Aber du sprichst klar und deutlich bzw. verständlich, das ist die Hauptsache. Ich finde übrigens einen übertrieben starken deutschen Akzent im Englischen absolut scheußlich.
Akzente (egal welcher) sind was individuelles, etwas was den Zuhörer manchmal neugierig macht: "Ey, wo kommst du denn her...?" Daraus ergeben sich oft angenehme Samlltalks, die so sonst nie entstanden wären. Ich selber lebe seit einer halben Ewigkeit im hohen Norden und habe meinen bayrischen Akzent nie ganz abgelegt. Jo mei, des passt scho...
First off, most people who criticise you for your accent probably can't speak English without any. Not to mention their grammar or orthography. That said: In my very intuitive opinion, German language consists of very basic "clean" sounds with only few exceptions. Similar thing with French, which also has lots of specific pronounciation. So I guess, it's easier for a German to adapt English (or another language's) pronounciation than the other way 'round. Of course there's lots of Germans struggling with basic stuff like "TH", producing language which must sound terrible to you. Just a few thoughts here - always enjoying your videos. Grüße aus München - Nach München ;-)
I guess you meant your American accent, not German? (see the title of this video). Your American accent when speaking German actually sounds sooo cute. So don't get worried about that. :)
A good question to ask is: who defines perfect? You commented that one native German speaker think you nail the accent, another doesn't. Who's right? My feeling is that the goal should be "understandable". I once took a trip to Germany with 3 semesters of college German, by no means a perfect accent, and I had one person complain because I didn't speak English to her in the 5 minute interchange we had just finished. She understood me with my imperfect German accent, and that all I expected.
Please, dont let anyone discourage you! I have much respect for everyone who tries to learn german, because it is not the easiest language in the world and there are some things that are sometimes very hard to master, even if you were born in germany ;) And i really like your journey and all the experiences you make learning german, so just add me to the list of positive people supporting you! :)
I can tell accents from 200 miles north, west, and south of my location immediately. I live near Boston MA. The country (mainland) is about 1500 by 3000 miles you do the math. There is no American accent. The mainland probably has 100 accents. There are people in N. Carolina who joke about S. Carolina Accents.
That's dialect though. Accent is what you have when you don't speak your native tongue (Dana has an American accent when speaking German. VS. English has a variety of dialects like American English, British English etc.)
