<p>Anyone who has studied mathematics, engineering, computer science, or economics at an American university in the past decade has probably had an instructor whose accented English made lectures a challenge to comprehend. Who is to blame when such communication breakdowns occur? Are universities not doing enough to initiate foreign teaching assistants into the ways of the American classroom? Or are American students simply too lazy to tackle the added challenge of deciphering English that is different from theirs?</p>
<p>I've had professors from other countries (Iran, India, etc) and at first their accent is a bit much, but it's the same thing as understanding a southern accent or whatever. You get used to it. well, at least I did :)</p>
<p>You may have no idea what they are saying at first but (at U of I at least) they have to pass a english speaking test. Believe me, it might not be the best but they are able to speak it. You will become used to the broken rhythms and different use of language and ideas and sometimes it's even a better way to learn because you must concentrate harder than you would have. If you need clarification there is often a way to get it (office hours, tutuoring). I am glad I had a horribly accented prof in junior college b/c it made me prepared for anything that U of I can dish out.</p>
<p>Every class that I had with a TA in it through out my entire college career has been foreign. We had this French kid who TAed for my Business Law class and when we did the mock trial he said "Do you promise to tell the truth.." everyone in the back of the room had to choke their laughter in. It was just the funniest French accent.</p>
<p>Yeah same here but sometimes it can come right out of the blue when you are actually trying to learn sometime from them. And no before my JJC physics teacher I had never heard Engrish before. Now I'm quite used to it.</p>
<p>The accented English was one of my favorite parts of my Hon. Calculus II class I took last semester. My teacher claimed to have lived in the US for 15+ years but his Chinese accent shone through. Some of his best sayings were:
"Dossathis make any sense?"
"Issa very easy?"
"Issa very easy!"
"Issa impossible! like pi!"
"Do you know howsatodo this?"</p>
<p>haha, the alternate teacher for calc II here says "Teeta" instead of "Theta".</p>
<p>The only time it's a problem is like with my TA in chemistry lab, who has trouble understanding my questions and answering them. French accents aren't a problem for me because i hear them day in and day out, so the french profs and TAs are fine. The oriental ones are a challenge for me, but you get used to it.</p>