all those stupid TV series where Americans abroad try to speak to locals by speaking English very slowly and with exagerated facial expressions...

You forgot speaking loudly. That's not only on television, either. People really do that. There's something about the way our brains are hard-wired for language which makes us want to start shouting if someone doesn't understand us. It's as if the language barrier is something that can be overcome by sheer volume. It's irritating when I see someone else do it, and then when I get into that situation, I catch myself doing it.

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Tony Fabris