Long ago, some of my college classmates avoided taking me to their homes because they were embarrassed by their parents’ lack of mastery of the English language. I had that impression because I was often asked to wait in the car while they went indoors to get something we needed: a book, money… whatever. But keeping me outside did not keep me from hearing one of their parents come out and shout something in broken English with an Italian, Slovak, Czech or Bulgarian accent.
