I think there is a general tendency among certain native speakers of any language to not quite grasp their familiar language is foreign to other people. I laughed outloud when a French tourist at Arches National Park thought that shouting French at me would somehow improve my ability to understand it. I suppose because the woman I was with spoke French fluently the tourist assumed I also spoke French. Oui, non, and faux pas are the best I can do. I do miss the Spanish part of the forum; the Spanish speakers were very kind about letting me participate and correcting my grammar.
|