Interesting this guy, Will Strunk an American professor and author of 'The elements of Style', to me this is the man now (no momento, para mim, ele é o cara), please don´t look me askance Mr. Lula!  First, let me explain why.

      E.B. White (an author of grammar books) said about him:

      "He said about writing "Make definite assertions" , scorned the vague, the tame, the colorless, the irresolute. He felt that was worse to be irresolute than to be wrong."

      "He croaked, "if you don´t know how to pronounce a word, say it loud! you don´t know how to pronounce a word, say it loud!  .....Why compound ignorance with inaudibility? Why run and hide?".

      May it be food for thought, may it be not.    However, it somewhat explains our amazement about the children´s learning. 

      Children are bold, they dare to tell us what they are thinking and feeling, even if they don´t do it in a grammatically correct way.

       They don´t need make an essay, a composition, or something of sorts.  They are focused in, and only in the communication itself.

        Ask a teenager, a high-school student if they are allowed themselves to talk like this, or write in this fashion.  No way, not at all.

        So, one that is going abroad must think that he/she is not going (generally) in their children´s age.  Thus, he certainly will be expected to talk accordingly, at  least I think so.   

        In the first case, communication is expected; in the second, a certain level of fluency and skill. 

        Of course, if he/she is going only to get a manual job, this don´t matter much (or even in the least).

Post Script:   My likely errors are due to my 'youthfulness' in English matters, I am just beggining...

           It´s your turn guys, the subject is really interesting...

          PP.