Just try to understand this, if one is a professional (as I am) you live in two very different worlds. A business world which contains mostly white people, and your close family and friends of the same cultural background. Of course, I'm not 100% positive, but I imagine the Latinos you know put a different face on for you than they do at home. So you get the less "Latin Loco" version as you call it. I think it is only natural. As for me, I have discussions on internet forums differently depending on where I am. If i'm here, I write in my business tone, if i'm in a Chicano forum, I write in Spanglish.
Here's my question, and it's an honest one: Why not just speak English in some situations and Spanish in others? I mean, I can understand slipping from one to another from time to time, but doing it deliberately just seems odd.
I'm sure Dave will provide a better answer, but sometimes they like to exclude the gringos. Tell 'em with a big bright smile you hablo a poco espanol. They won't chatter around you so much.
Estoy una gringa que habla un poco Spanglish, gracias. No entiendo mucho español, verdad, pero cuando alguien escribes en español, es mas fácil a leer y comprender. Mi novio es muy mejor, así normalmente el hablas.
My spanish sucks, but I could understand that. The ear is harder, because language is familiar babble, not like you would be taught in a formal setting.
I use very familiar words, and few of them. Phrase learning sounds stilted, like "may I use your restroom?" which is probably why some frustrated latino dudes would say "toilet, bitch, now." I could actually dig the difficulty of English as a second language. It ain't easy. Especially when you -maybe- haven't had a whole lot of school to familiarize you with the latin-english root phraseology.
Do not attempt to teach me to ask for directions to the bano, or I will fuck your seester, the number four prostitute in all of mexistan.