Sparkchaser: I'm teaching Swiss teenage students who are studying retail (and working in grocery stores) to speak English. Most are at an A2 level (pre-intermediate) and could hold a basic conversation with you. It's part of their training program.

I'll remember that the next time I am in Switzerland.

I wasn't complaining. I was merely noting my experience in the non touristy areas of Mittel- und Oberfranken.

I wasn't complaining, either. But even in your example, kleeblatt, how much will one of your trainees remember in 20 years of hardly ever using that English? I know I wouldn't remember much, as my rusty French will attest.

At a time I didn't speak flemish anymore for 5-6 years. It took me some months to recover my previous level. Give me 30 years...

NewbE: It's impossible to answer your question as every person is different. Remember that young people have more opportunities to use their English than ever before so I can imagine they'll be able to converse on at least a very basic level for many years to come.

My experience in Switzerland was similar, plenty of locals don't speak English (Lac Leman is french-speaking).

I have been lucky enough to "meet locals" there, but only because I have friends who live there who take me around... to local festivals, school pageants, the public swimming pool, dinner parties at their friends homes, etc.

"I agree with NewbE on German speaking English - and it is the same in France. You go to the big cities you find people sepaking english fairly well. "

I also agree..... even in Berlin and Munich older people
did not speak much English even in some expensive stores. ( my German is limited to asking my shoe
size and ordering beer) .
Many travellers have found the same (or even fewer English speakers ) in Spain...

I had a delightful experience yesterday in Paris.I am an 86 year old widow who takes an annual solo trip to Europe.

I signed up with PARIS GREETERS for a tour of LA Defense.
This is an area that I have been wanting to visit for many years.

My greeter was a incredible 45 year old French woman who spoke beautiful English.
She is a professional working woman who lives and works in that area and her love and knowledge of the area was so fabulous, In addition she is a handicapped women in a wheel chair and her spirit was inspiring. she was bright, interesting and easy to talk to.

We spent about 3 hours together walking the area and stopping for Tea at one of her favorite cafes

My visit with her , a true local is one of the highlights of this trip.

I meet locals all the time when I travel... I travel for business. I spent all day Monday with a group of Swedes. I spend tons of time with Chinese, Malays, Aussies, Germans, Israelis, Koreans, Japanese... I've been to local embassies, met with government officials, been to court trials, visited small village gatherings where I've met with the village leaders. All of them have enriched my travel experiences immensely.

I also travel for pleasure by myself and I seem to collect people. People talk to me at the bus stop, in a cafe, at the grocery store. I stay in apartments often. I have made what I now consider to be friends in the countries I travel to.

If you want to meet locals, take a cooking class, go to a local cafe by yourself, go see some local jazz (or other music of your choice).

"I also travel for pleasure by myself and I seem to collect people. People talk to me at the bus stop, in a cafe, at the grocery store. I stay in apartments often. I have made what I now consider to be friends in the countries I travel to."

You are probably fluent in several languages..or lucky to meet
English speakers everywhere you shop for food.

I go by myself to local cafes all the time and have yet to meet a local there.

We've had a number of "meetings" with locals and natives. In Mittenwald, we were having dinner in a casual place and a couple from Stutgart was sitting at the next table. They asked, in very simple English (I speak German fairly well) where we were from, what it was like there, etc. and we wound up having dinner with them and then they invited us out for drinks and we spent from around 7pm until 1am with them.

Same restaurant, a couple of women our age are at the adjoining table. One speaks English quite well, and asks if we'd like to join them, as she used to date a U.S. Soldier and never gets much chance to use her English anymore. We wound up making dinner plans with them the next night also. We also went sightseeing with them for half a day.

At a restaurant in Hall in Tirol, we were having dinner and the table next to us was huge, filled with couples obviously having a "party". my wife's jacket got covered by someone's in their party, on a chair, and I asked if I could move it in English, then in German. Someone asked where we were from, what we were doing in Hall, etc. we relied it was our fifth stay, this was our favorite restaurant, and next thing you know, we're apart of their group. We had a lot of fun.

There are many more. We love meeting people from where we are visiting. We think it's as important as the sights we came to see and we have terrific memories of the encounters. Believe it or not, we stay in touch with a couple via emails, birthday, Christmas cards, gifts, etc, for the last 10 years. We've visited them a few times during our travels.

Jay_G: Very tactful of you. Personally, I have a LOT of candles on my birthday cake. I no longer go out drinking at pubs or wherever, but I still meet and talk to people.

Glad to hear that Peg. I plan to be doing the same thing when my birthday parties necessitate having a fire extinguisher on standby.

I suppose the difference is (as someone upthread mentioned) having "snapshot conversations" or the possibility of spending a decent amount of time with locals.

Obviously personality comes into it too, but I can almost guarantee that some of the interactions I had with locals 10 years ago, in places where I didn't speak the language would be a little less likely to happen now and will be even more unlikely 10 years hence.

Then again, being married probably has something to do with it as well...

I,finding this thread late must tell you. it just happens.
I met the wife in a provencal P.O. when asking directions. She offered to drive there and we follow. She asked us back at her home for an apero and that was several years + ago. My friends outside Poiters was because we stopped for directions. Our conversation led to our being invited and we returned for many years. We made fiends with the owner of our B&B in Normandy. When they closed it because their daughter got divorced and needed the space for her and her achildren, we were still invited back for dinner and visits.

Jay G, I agree entirely. When one is going to clubs and bars and is part of a more fluid, youthful scene, it is much easier to meet locals--and become friends with them, keep up contact, at least for a few years.

cigale, you are forever young, so no surprise you find it easy to meet people.

I met only one person in Paris but it didn't last as he wanted to jump on my bones.
But in the true France, I made life time friends. In Provence I met my friend at the P.O. I was asking for directions to a B&B. She overheard me and offered to show us the way. We had a conversation with her and she invited us for an apero at her house later. We did and the husband invited us back for dinner the following night.
Near Poitiers, we made friends there when we stopped for directions.
We were looking for a place to stay and the man said he just opened his place for guests would we like to be the first and so it began.
We met a couple whose car broke down. My late husband offered to take the man to a garage for help They invited us for dinner at their home later. We stayed at a B&B in Normando for many years and when they closed because their daughter got divorced and she and the children needed the rooms.They wrote us often and welcomed us to visit and dine.

anyone else made friends?

I think the real question is once you meet a local, then what?

I am headed to a farmers market tomorrow. I am sure to meet locals there.

Well, 5 of my "local" friends (2 from Italy, 2 from Germany and 1 from Bangkok) will all be here in MY town in the USA next week! Those friendships with the locals can really turn into something special.