>>14
Hah. Well, one can study languages simply because they enjoy linguistics--there doesn't need to be any intention to fit in or be accepted by native speakers. Hell, some people learn languages only because they want to read books in those languages, not because they want to talk to anyone. If you enjoy learning, I don't see how it's a waste of time.
As for your comment on xenophobia, the fact is that the world is full of 'foreigners' and constant communication between cultures. What's the use in being too afraid to learn something or go somewhere just because some people won't "like" you for it, if it's what you want to do? Plus, to be honest, I've generally encountered enthusiasm when learning from native speakers, and where I live and grew up is highly multilingual anyway. Not everyone learning a language is going to be a "foreigner" somewhere.