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One time I tried talking to a Mexican girl and she told me she refuses to talk to white people in Spanish.
I told her I don't talk to people like her and walked away.
I've never been criticized for my Spanish, maybe once when I was still learning in Miami. I referred to an old cuban lady as "tu" and she said "where are you from?"
My Portuguese is high-intermediate but I do notice that sometimes if I'm speaking Portuguese with a Brasilian they will start speaking in English.
I've only had Americans comment on all those extra vowels I add, in a friendly, teasing way. Otherwise, I only know how to ask how to go to the washroom in french, because that's all I cared to learn in school.
but for some reason Italians are much more patient with me than Germans.
I've had a similar experience. I've even had several Italians apologize to me for not knowing English and so having to conduct a conversation in (my) broken Italian.
Yep. My second year living in Finland and I had to go to the emergency room. I couldn't find the words to explain what was wrong so I said it in English to the nurse at the reception and she demanded to know why I didn't speak good enough Finnish.
Strange, nobody ever commented on my poor German while there. People often switched to English, but those who didn't were always patient.
Never had such an experience with native English speakers either, but I guess they're used to foreigners butchering their language.
It's one thing to compliment a person's proficiency in a foreign language, it's another thing to say that they suck at speaking the language.
I can think of a few occasions where my accent was insulted, but only one in which my proficiency was really insulted. An Ecuadorian or Peruvian vendor in Monteverde, Costa Rica told me, in English, I believe, "your Spanish needs practice".
Strange, nobody ever commented on my poor German while there. People often switched to English, but those who didn't were always patient.
Never had such an experience with native English speakers either, but I guess they're used to foreigners butchering their language.
I found that in Germany those people who could speak English would switch to English almost immediately regardless of what I said, even if it was as simple as Chuss or Guten Morgen. Those who spoke only German would correct me (nicely), for example if I said "ist alle" (that's all) they'd smile and tell me that I should say "ist alles"...
Italians and Spaniards don't generally do this to me, and usually let me plod along.
Also, my lifelong experience has been that some English-speaking Canadians will correct the English of French-speaking Canadians who are using their second language. (And even though they themselves might not even be able to read a menu in French.)
Strange, nobody ever commented on my poor German while there. People often switched to English, but those who didn't were always patient.
Never had such an experience with native English speakers either, but I guess they're used to foreigners butchering their language.
About a year ago we were road-tripping in Brazil , and we stopped at one of those big gas-station/restaurant places. I went up to the counter and ordered my sandwich and side. The cook/order-taker turned to get the stuff for my food ready and complained kind of under her breathe how bad my Portuguese was. So, she didn't complain to my face, but said it so I could here it. I found it very odd.
But, I do know I butcher Portuguese and I am used to people smiling or laughing at my terrible choice of words...but, I plod on.
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