The American “Positive Attitude”

Although American people are perceived as a cultural community with a positive attitude, they are sometimes mocked or criticized in the media for their exaggeration, superficiality, hypocrisy, or being “aggressively friendly.” On the other hand, the French are perceived by American people as complai...

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Main Author: Eve Bernier-Rock
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: SAES 2025-04-01
Series:Angles
Subjects:
Online Access:https://journals.openedition.org/angles/8510
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author Eve Bernier-Rock
author_facet Eve Bernier-Rock
author_sort Eve Bernier-Rock
collection DOAJ
description Although American people are perceived as a cultural community with a positive attitude, they are sometimes mocked or criticized in the media for their exaggeration, superficiality, hypocrisy, or being “aggressively friendly.” On the other hand, the French are perceived by American people as complainers, pessimistic, cold, and arrogant. This study brings to light the differences in expressing positive emotions and opinions in French and American social contexts. Through an analysis of authentic conversations collected during “Speed-Friending” events, some language discrepancies will be revealed, so as to be later taught to future foreign language learners in order to reduce bad intercultural perceptions.
format Article
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series Angles
spelling doaj-art-dcd31d5bc9e447879469e91ee0d8e1432025-08-20T02:26:36ZengSAESAngles2274-20422025-04-011910.4000/13oftThe American “Positive Attitude”Eve Bernier-RockAlthough American people are perceived as a cultural community with a positive attitude, they are sometimes mocked or criticized in the media for their exaggeration, superficiality, hypocrisy, or being “aggressively friendly.” On the other hand, the French are perceived by American people as complainers, pessimistic, cold, and arrogant. This study brings to light the differences in expressing positive emotions and opinions in French and American social contexts. Through an analysis of authentic conversations collected during “Speed-Friending” events, some language discrepancies will be revealed, so as to be later taught to future foreign language learners in order to reduce bad intercultural perceptions.https://journals.openedition.org/angles/8510Attitudeemotionappreciationdidacticssociolinguistics
spellingShingle Eve Bernier-Rock
The American “Positive Attitude”
Angles
Attitude
emotion
appreciation
didactics
sociolinguistics
title The American “Positive Attitude”
title_full The American “Positive Attitude”
title_fullStr The American “Positive Attitude”
title_full_unstemmed The American “Positive Attitude”
title_short The American “Positive Attitude”
title_sort american positive attitude
topic Attitude
emotion
appreciation
didactics
sociolinguistics
url https://journals.openedition.org/angles/8510
work_keys_str_mv AT evebernierrock theamericanpositiveattitude
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