What has an American keyboard got to do with the (easy) ability to type accents on letters?
In the Netherlands we use a US (International) keyboard, you're normal QWERTY keyboad. But the language setting is "Dutch". Which means that if you press down the ' key (just left of the enter key ad right of the ; key) and then a vowel key like a/e/o/u/i you will get á/é/ó/ú/í. Same with the ` (just left of the 1 key) which results in à/è/ù etc. The ^ key (shift+6) with â/û etc.
Other options are the double quote key (shift + ' , they key which is left oft he enter key and right of the ; key) and a vowel: ä/ö/ü etc.
Or ctrl-alt key combinations:
ctrl-alt-` = nothing
ctrl-alt-1 = ¡ (upside down exlimation mark)
ctrl-alt-2 = ²
ctrl-alt-3 = ³
ctrl-alt-4 = ¤
ctrl-alt-5 = €
ctrl-alt-6 = ¼
ctrl-alt-7 = ½
ctrl-alt-8 = ¾
ctrl-alt-9 = ‘
ctrl-alt-10 = ’¥
ctrl-alt-- = ¥
ctrl-alt-= = ×
ctrl-alt-q = ä
ctrl-alt-w = å
ctrl-alt-e = é
ctrl-alt-r = ®
ctrl-alt-t = þ
ctrl-alt-u = ú
ctrl-alt-i = í
ctrl-alt-o = ó
ctrl-alt-p = ö
ctrl-alt-[ = «
ctrl-alt-] = »
ctrl-alt-\ = ¬
ctrl-alt-a = á
ctrl-alt-s = ß
ctrl-alt-d = ð
ctrl-alt-f = nothing
ctrl-alt-g = nothing
ctrl-alt-h = nothing
ctrl-alt-j = nothing
ctrl-alt-k = nothing
ctrl-alt-l = ø
ctrl-alt-; = ¶
ctrl-alt-' = ´
ctrl-alt-z = æ
ctrl-alt-x = nothing
ctrl-alt-c = ©
ctrl-alt-v = nothing
ctrl-alt-b = nothing
ctrl-alt-n = ñ
ctrl-alt-m = µ
ctrl-alt-, = ç
ctrl-alt-. = nothing
ctrl-alt-/ = ¿ (the same key which gets you a question mark so that's why)
ctrl-alt-shift-1 = ¹
ctrl-alt-shift-4 = £
ctrl-alt-shift-= = ÷
ctrl-alt-shift-A = Ä
ctrl-alt-shift-s = §
ctrl-alt-shift-d = Ð
ctrl-alt-shift-l = Ø
ctrl-alt-shift-; = °
ctrl-alt-shift-' = ¨
ctrl-alt-shift-z = Æ
ctrl-alt-shift-c = ¢
ctrl-alt-shift-n = Ñ
ctrl-alt-shift-, = Ç
You can change the keyboard (ea tell our computer the type of keyboard connected to your computer, if it's a US one, French one, Dutch one [very rare to see a Dutch kayout keyboard!] etc.) and language settings for your keyboard (which language it should apply to the keyboar input: English, Dutch, French etc. Playing around with this cna result in very funny outcomes on what happens if you press a certain key. It can be found under windows XP in :control panel > Countrysettings (image of a globe) or in Dutch windows XP "Configuratie scherm > Landinstellingen". Ofcourse not all language versiosn of windows may have this feature.
Picture of the control panel option for language input:
^ As you may guess, I care very little about BF3. Perhaps if it is a cold war based settin but of ti's a modern war game again I'll go meh.