People ask which is a better accent: American, Canadian, British, Australian, whatever. People also ask which way is better to speak: American idioms, British slang, outback Australian babble. But, really, think about it... Would you really want to sound like an Aussie or a Brit? Or a Canadian or an American? Especially if you told someone that you were a visitor from Russia or Poland or Greece or China?

If you are coming from a far-off place, people will want to know about you: your life, your country, your family. What is different (or the same) about you as compared to themselves. What they do not want to hear is you talking to them in an accent or in a too-familiar grammatical or conversational style.

If you are from Ireland and speak with an American accent people will wonder if you are really Irish. What's more, they will suspect what you may be telling them about Ireland since the aural cues you are giving are inconsistent with the message you are delivering.

Don't get me wrong... No-one wants to hear butchered English grammar and bad vocabulary. Nonetheless, speech needs to be consistent with the message that needs to be imparted.

When non-native speakers try to use slang expressions or regional idioms with native speakers, the native speaker will begin to wonder about two things. First of all, he will wonder if the speaker knows precisely what he is speaking about, since slang and regional idiom are very specific and carry nuances that are lost outside of the local community.

Secondly... and this is really more important... the native will wonder if the speaker actually knows the common, formal, correct way of conveying the same thought. By trying to sound "Canadian" to a native Canadian, you may actually be missing an opportunity to understand Canadians better.

Communication needs to be honest. By just being yourself in speaking to a native-English speaker, you will open her up to a barrage of questions, which will strenuously exercise your ability to create spontaneous conversation! Try it on your next trip!