Hi Tom

I chose "usual" rather than "first" for those who learned a language very early on and stopped using it upon moving to another country. If you speak English for the majority of your life, you should have no excuse for incorrect usage. If your first language was English and you went to Germany at age 2, would you be fluent enough in English to be "excused" <g>? Just because the use of the term "first" is common, doesn't make it right in all cases.

>>Hello Fernando
>>
>>I think you meant to write this....
>>
>>"I hope you are not unhappy with the words I use to express myself, as English is not my usual language. If so, please pardon me."
>>
>>If you swear or criticise others, that's not my problem <g>.
>
>Mike;
>
>Sounds good to me. You might want to replace "usual" with "first", which is in common use around here. I think it is nice you have commented on this as I am sure Fernando will take it into consideration.
>
>When I have a question concerning Español, I ask my wife. To express yourself well in more than one language can be difficult. Some people lack the ability to communicate in his/her "first" language or any other language for that matter.
>
>One thing about the American form of the English language - it changes and it changes often.
>
>Tom