So, you're learning to speak American English clearly and confidently? It's not easy, is it? It's challenging. That's how you know you are growing.
Personal growth stretches you and gives you the feeling that you don't fit in your own skin. For me, moving to a new state, North Carolina, has been a big time of change. Even though I'm still living in the United States, the culture is different. The accent is different. Lots of things are different.
For example, yesterday at the grocery store, I was looking for breadcrumbs. I went down the aisle where the past and sauce was kept. I couldn't find breadcrumbs! I walked up and down the aisle 3 or 4 times. My daughter, Adrianna, was getting impatient. So I finally asked a store clerk. He told me that I could find the breadcrumbs in the aisle with all the baking supplies. He said it's different in North Carolina. That's where they put breadcrumbs, next to flour and baking mixes. Interesting....
Driving at night in the countryside is also a big change....no streetlights to guide the way. I never thought it could look so dark outside!
Another difference is the accent - it is in the category of Southern accents. The part I notice the most is the 'long i" sound. It's supposed to sound like /ai/ but it just sounds like /a/. When someone says, "It's right over there," it sounds like "rot over there". "Get" sounds like "git" and "on" sounds like "own". I like the accent. Who knows, maybe after several years living here, I'll pick it up.
Here's another thing - changing your accent happens. You pick it up when you around certain people a lot, like all day long. Coworkers, relatives, classmates all have an influence. But if you choose to be negative about the change that's happening in you, you will not change your accent. You will make a conscious decision. Therefore, when people say, "Go with the flow," they want you to take it easy and be positive. This mental state of relaxation promotes positive growth.
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