--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: You speak very good English for an…" description: "\"“You speak very good English for an American.”\" — Nico" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/663/nico-20456_american_you-speak-very-good-english-for-an-ameri_1964365.png" --- # You speak very good English for an American. ![“You speak very good English for an American.” quote by Nico](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/663/nico-20456_american_you-speak-very-good-english-for-an-ameri_1964365.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/663/nico-20456_american_you-speak-very-good-english-for-an-ameri_1964365.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/663/nico-20456_american_you-speak-very-good-english-for-an-ameri_1964365.png) > ““You speak very good English for an American.”” [Nico](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nico/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The comment reflects a stereotype that equates language proficiency with nationality, revealing implicit bias and cultural assumptions **In simple terms:** Assuming language skill indicates nationality is stereotypical Key Takeaway Challenge assumptions about language and identity Themes bias stereotype identity Mood reflective contemplative Type critical social When to use this quote - travel - immigration - language learning - cross‑cultural communication Key Concepts linguistics cultural perception nationalism Questions to Reflect On - Do you judge abilities by origin? - How can we avoid such biases? A Different Perspective Stereotypes can be harmful and inaccurate ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [American](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/american/) [English American](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/english-american-634340/) [Game-quotes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/game-quotes-70071/) [Good English](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-english-356833/) [Speak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/speak/) [Speak Good](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/speak-good-447683/) ## Related quotes > [“You can win a game before it begins.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matshona-dhliwayo/you-can-win-a-game-before-it-begins/) [Matshona Dhliwayo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matshona-dhliwayo/) > [When Jerry Lewis and I were big, we used to go to parties, and everybody thought I was big-headed and stuck up, and I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-martin/when-jerry-lewis-and-i-were-big-we-used-to-go-to-parties-and/) [Dean Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-martin/) > [our product will speak for itself if it's that good and your fan base will come and people will want it. Having the right…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ledisi/our-product-will-speak-for-itself-if-it-s-that-good-and-your-fan-base/) [Ledisi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ledisi/) > [Isaac Singer was born in Poland and doesn't write in English. Still, he's an American.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irwin-shaw/isaac-singer-was-born-in-poland-and-doesn-t-write-in-english-still-he/) [Irwin Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irwin-shaw/) > [The main differences between contemporary English and American literature is that the baleful pseudo-professionalism imparted by all those crap M.F.A. writing programs has yet…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-self/the-main-differences-between-contemporary-english-and-american/) [Will Self](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-self/) > [I was born in England - though both of my parents are American - and there's something about the 'Muppets' where they have this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-stoller/i-was-born-in-england-though-both-of-my-parents-are-american-and/) [Nicholas Stoller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-stoller/) > [I see myself as part English and part American, with a dash of Irish thrown in, and a pinch of Italian from my mother's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/allegra-huston/i-see-myself-as-part-english-and-part-american-with-a-dash-of-irish/) [Allegra Huston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/allegra-huston/) > [I learned English at school, or at least that's how it started. Also, in Holland - as opposed to some other European countries -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michiel-huisman/i-learned-english-at-school-or-at-least-that-s-how-it-started-also-in/) [Michiel Huisman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michiel-huisman/) > [Canada is the essence of not being. Not English, not American, it is the mathematic of not being. And a subtle flavour - we're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-myers/canada-is-the-essence-of-not-being-not-english-not-american-it-is-the/) [Mike Myers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-myers/) > [I was a supporting character in other people's lives, which seemed right and familiar to me. I was also an outsider: English in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/allegra-huston/i-was-a-supporting-character-in-other-people-s-lives-which-seemed/) [Allegra Huston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/allegra-huston/) > [I am sure that the two main forms of English, American English and British English, separated geographically from the beginning and severed politically since…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-burchfield/i-am-sure-that-the-two-main-forms-of-english-american-english-and/) [Robert Burchfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-burchfield/) > [ “\[T\]he hyphenation question is, and always has been and will be, different for English immigrants. One can be an Italian-American, a Greek-American, an Irish-American… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/t-he-hyphenation-question-is-and-always-has-been-and-will-be/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [Podcasts immersed me in colloquial English and put me back in the American zeitgeist.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pamela-druckerman/podcasts-immersed-me-in-colloquial-english-and-put-me-back-in-the/) [Pamela Druckerman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pamela-druckerman/) > [I learned English from American pros. That's why I speak so bad. I call it PGA English.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roberto-de-vicenzo/i-learned-english-from-american-pros-that-s-why-i-speak-so-bad-i-call/) [Roberto De Vicenzo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roberto-de-vicenzo/) > [You can be a Polish American, or an Arab American, or a Greek American but you can't be English American. Why not?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/you-can-be-a-polish-american-or-an-arab-american-or-a-greek-american/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) ## More by Nico > [Too many people in this world to be worried over one nobody.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nico/too-many-people-in-this-world-to-be-worried-over-one-nobody/) [Nico](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nico/) > [When I hold my dogs and stare at them, I realize it takes a special type of evil to abuse them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nico/when-i-hold-my-dogs-and-stare-at-them-i-realize-it-takes-a-special/) [Nico](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nico/) > [In New York all the young people know me... I have a lot of friends... but I hate New York.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nico/in-new-york-all-the-young-people-know-me-i-have-a-lot-of-friends-but/) [Nico](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nico/) > [So what, Im a little sensitive! Would rather me be a complete bitch to you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nico/so-what-im-a-little-sensitive-would-rather-me-be-a-complete-bitch-to/) [Nico](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nico/) > [After dating you I realized what a real man was and you were it... its just too bad everyone after you are great actors.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nico/after-dating-you-i-realized-what-a-real-man-was-and-you-were-it-its/) [Nico](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nico/) > [He will never have any clue just how hard it was to fight the urge to text or call him. He will never know…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nico/he-will-never-have-any-clue-just-how-hard-it-was-to-fight-the-urge-to/) [Nico](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nico/) > [I don't have a sense of time. Time is timeless to me, and I'm not in a hurry to get older. I mean, if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nico/i-don-t-have-a-sense-of-time-time-is-timeless-to-me-and-i-m-not-in-a/) [Nico](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nico/) > [“I was not jealous of his intelligence — he is entirely superficial, which is why he never knows what to look like. Or what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nico/i-was-not-jealous-of-his-intelligence-he-is-entirely-superficial/) [Nico](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nico/) > [I wonder sometimes if I ever cross your mind even just for one minute. I wonder sometimes do you miss my touch like I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nico/i-wonder-sometimes-if-i-ever-cross-your-mind-even-just-for-one-minute/) [Nico](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nico/) > [I haven't that much of a sense of humour.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nico/i-haven-t-that-much-of-a-sense-of-humour/) [Nico](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nico/) > [The darkness is my birthright.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nico/the-darkness-is-my-birthright/) [Nico](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nico/) > [I have a reputation for not turning up to sing. It's something I want very badly to get rid of.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nico/i-have-a-reputation-for-not-turning-up-to-sing-it-s-something-i-want/) [Nico](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nico/) > [Sometimes I'm sad and mostly I like sad songs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nico/sometimes-i-m-sad-and-mostly-i-like-sad-songs/) [Nico](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nico/) > [When I started with the Velvets, I wanted to sing Lou's song 'I'm Waiting for the Man,' but he wouldn't let me. I guess…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nico/when-i-started-with-the-velvets-i-wanted-to-sing-lou-s-song-i-m/) [Nico](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nico/) > [I used to be one of those girls that if something happened between me and my boyfriend it would ruin my entire day.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nico/i-used-to-be-one-of-those-girls-that-if-something-happened-between-me/) [Nico](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nico/) [Explore all 31 Nico quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nico/) ## More American quotes > [I wasn't attracted to American cinema, but I fell in love with Los Angeles the minute I arrived.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agnes-varda/i-wasn-t-attracted-to-american-cinema-but-i-fell-in-love-with-los/) [Agnes Varda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agnes-varda/) > [William Maxwell's my favorite North American writer, I think. And an Irish writer who used to write for 'The New Yorker' called Maeve Brennan,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-munro/william-maxwell-s-my-favorite-north-american-writer-i-think-and-an/) [Alice Munro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-munro/) > [I have fallen in love with American names, the sharp names that never get fat.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-vincent-benet/i-have-fallen-in-love-with-american-names-the-sharp-names-that-never/) [Stephen Vincent Benet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-vincent-benet/) > [I really like a lot of American country stuff, so my music has that influence, but I don't like to be set within a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jade-bird/i-really-like-a-lot-of-american-country-stuff-so-my-music-has-that/) [Jade Bird](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jade-bird/) > [I certainly don't think that the heirs of the American Revolution were a particularly noble class.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-w-brands/i-certainly-don-t-think-that-the-heirs-of-the-american-revolution/) [H. W. Brands](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-w-brands/) > [Congress passed the American Rescue Plan Act in a tremendous investment to support millions of workers without a paycheck and behind on bills.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jake-auchincloss/congress-passed-the-american-rescue-plan-act-in-a-tremendous/) [Jake Auchincloss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jake-auchincloss/) > [Small businesses are the backbone of the American economy and employ almost half of the working population. Yet because of their size, they rarely…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-lipinski/small-businesses-are-the-backbone-of-the-american-economy-and-employ/) [Dan Lipinski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-lipinski/) > [Although I write in English, and despite the fact that I'm from America, I consider myself an Armenian writer. The words I use are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-saroyan/although-i-write-in-english-and-despite-the-fact-that-i-m-from/) [William Saroyan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-saroyan/) > [When we first sold the Wallace and Gromit shorts to America, people suggested we get rid of the strange British accents and put clear…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-park/when-we-first-sold-the-wallace-and-gromit-shorts-to-america-people/) [Nick Park](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-park/) > [Firefighters and rescue workers are American superheroes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kerry-kennedy/firefighters-and-rescue-workers-are-american-superheroes/) [Kerry Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kerry-kennedy/) > [France has not only built a bureaucratic barrier against American culture, it has constructed a notorious intellectual case against it as well. The French…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tyler-cowen/france-has-not-only-built-a-bureaucratic-barrier-against-american/) [Tyler Cowen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tyler-cowen/) > [New York and San Francisco are distinctly different. San Francisco is driving the American media, not New York. You have young, microwaved millionaires and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-whitlock/new-york-and-san-francisco-are-distinctly-different-san-francisco-is/) [Jason Whitlock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-whitlock/) > [Well look, CIA is an agency that has to collect intelligence, do operations. We have to take risks and it's important that we take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leon-panetta/well-look-cia-is-an-agency-that-has-to-collect-intelligence-do/) [Leon Panetta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leon-panetta/) > [Food as a hobby used to be an elite pastime, and it has become something that is totally ordinary for people of every background.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dana-goodyear/food-as-a-hobby-used-to-be-an-elite-pastime-and-it-has-become/) [Dana Goodyear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dana-goodyear/) > [It's important for American soldiers to be culturally sensitive when deployed in foreign countries. But it's just as important for the U.S. never to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-bauer/it-s-important-for-american-soldiers-to-be-culturally-sensitive-when/) [Gary Bauer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-bauer/) [Browse all 7,717 American quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/american/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“You speak very good English for an American.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Nico" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nico/you-speak-very-good-english-for-an-american/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "American" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nico/you-speak-very-good-english-for-an-american/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/663/nico-20456_american_you-speak-very-good-english-for-an-ameri_1964365.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/663/nico-20456_american_you-speak-very-good-english-for-an-ameri_1964365.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/663/nico-20456_american_you-speak-very-good-english-for-an-ameri_1964365.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“You speak very good English for an American.” — Nico", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Nico", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nico/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“You speak very good English for...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nico/you-speak-very-good-english-for-an-american/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nico/you-speak-very-good-english-for-an-american/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```