It’s not always easy being bilingual. Multilingualism might come with plenty of benefits, but it also causes its fair share of confusion – especially when you realize your native language no longer comes as naturally to you as it used to.

More and more of us are learning Italian, for a whole host of reasons ranging from career development to practicalities to love. But it’s only right to give you fair warning: la bella lingua will mess with your English. It can be disconcerting when you start doubting your spelling in your native tongue, or when people assume you’re not a native speaker at all. But rest assured that you’re not the only one.