Comment by tomhoward | Hacker News Reader

Comment by tomhoward | Hacker News Reader

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I'm an Australian who started spending extended periods of time in the US a few years ago.

I have this distinct memory of being picked up this one time by an Australian friend who was taking my cofounder and me to lunch after we'd been in the US for a few weeks.

As I sat in the car and we started chatting, I immediately had this sense of relaxation come over me, knowing that at least for the duration of that car trip, I'd be surrounded by only my native accent.

I'd never noticed it before, but it was a stark realisation that deciphering foreign accents is hard work and seems to put your brain into a much higher processing rate.

And as Australians, we've grown up being exposed to USA accents all the time through television etc. Yet even then it had been exhausting.

So yeah, I can empathise with the notion that deciphering foreign accents is something that takes extra effort for all of us, and whilst it may be a factor that promotes prejudice, it's not an indicator of poor character, but just one of those things that we have to accept is there and be more mindful about overcoming.

> I'd never noticed it before, but it was a stark realisation that deciphering foreign accents is hard work and seems to put your brain into a much higher processing rate.

Imagine how it feels not being a native speaker of the language. It is exhausting. Specially when you are having arguments over complex subjects. I feel like I loose 20 IQ points.

Yeah, the worst I've dealt with this is debating the implications of the doctrine of predestination...in Spanish...at past-midnight after waking up at 5 every morning.

It makes you waaaay less coherent.

Funny, my reaction to people who two or more languages fluently, or at least somewhat, is to give them extra IQ points. Bonus points if English is not the native language.

Spending the last few years learning French has been very illuminating from that point of view.

English is not my first language but I've developed an american accent over the years for working with american companies and eventually moving to the US almost two years ago.

I can dream and think in english now, so I believe I've incorporated it into my synapses in a way where it is no longer an effort to process it, as long as it is an american accent.

It fascinates me how it comes easy to my fellow native speakers to understand other accents sometimes. :)

I'd add that when you're with those who speak your native accent you relax immediately because you feel at home.

And this, as you state, is partly is fairly large reduction in communication error rate.

The character part comes into it with your reaction to the difficulty. A person with good character doesn't get embarrassed and lash out at unfamiliar things

And this should generally be good as those with good character won't lash out at those without, which in turn will make it easier for those without to build better character.

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