I realized today that most people don't really think of having an american professor as a luxury. Most people sort of expect it, especially considering USC is an american college. I however take A LOT of mathy, sciency type classes. Mathy sciency classes tend to, but are not limited to, be taught by people from a foreign country. This often comes with a ridiculously confusing accent. So here's my handy-dandy Richter Scale of Accents:
0- No accent at all! Maybe a slight hint of southern under there but really the only thing that could confuse you is the material he's teaching.
1- Accent is so slight that you may not notice at first that they're not american. Maybe a random word here or there could throw you off.
2- Accent is definitely foreign but he/she has obviously been either taking a lot of english classes or has been here FOREVER. Shouldn't give you too much trouble but keep an eye on their grammar.
3- Accent is thick enough for you to easily identify their homeland. This one may require you to pay much closer attention to what they're saying but you should be ok.
4- Accent is thick enough to make understanding difficult. You aren't going to get every word but if you can get the gist of things you'll at least know what to study.
5- They're straight up speaking a foreign language. Good luck.
This also applies to the drive up window at most McDonalds.
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