Emanuela, during my time in Europe I noticed that different nationalities tend to have different reactions to strangers speaking their language. The Germans get all stuffy if you make any error and will actually correct you. The French take an error as a personal insult. But the Italians, God bless them, are delighted that anyone would try to speak their language and are completely tolerant of any errors, which they will help you with, but only if you seem to be looking for help, not like the French and Germans who see it as their mission in life to make sure anyone speaking their language does not defile it. Alas, I'm afraid that most English speakers in the U.S. (I don't know from personal experience about English speakers elsewhere) are as intolerant as the frogs and krauts. It has to do, I'm sure, with our well-known provincialism and isolationism. I have often heard low-class US'ns say something like, "Well, if these people can't talk English, and do it right, why don't they go back where they came from?" There's also the fact that, being ignoramuses (ignorami ?), they are not aware that English is an easy language to communicate in at a very basic level if you don't mind its not being elegant, but one of the world's most difficult to master. I don't think there is anyone on AWAD who would think this way, so maybe we all need to form the vanguard in an army to conquer this attitude and pursuade our country[wo]men to embrace all the odd, colorful, fresh and otherwise delightful ways in which non-native English speakers enrich our beloved tongue. And to any who would sneer at your English, there are a couple of Italian expressions made with the hands/fingers, not the mouth, which would be appropriate.
