If they don't understand, sorry, but I tried.

ICH

BIN

STUBENTIGER

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HighwaySetara@reddit

I have known two German immigrants who came to the US as young adults and who had zero German accent. I was shocked to learn they were from Germany.

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VALISinWonderland@reddit

What part of Germany? I encountered a number of people in the former East Germany who couldn't speak much English. Berlin was the complete opposite. Meet lots of people there who were from anywhere but Germany

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t-poke@reddit

Yup, I spent a day in Dresden a couple years ago and ran into multiple people who didn’t speak English. Ordering at a restaurant required using Google Translate on a German-only menu and pointing. I was surprised, because I was coming from Berlin where, like you said, everyone speaks it.

Just like Celia Cruz said! 😂I love it.

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zadharm@reddit

my English is not so good looking

That's okay, the rest of them aren't either

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MaleficentExtent1777@reddit

🤣🤣🤣🤣

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TillPsychological351@reddit

Common experience in Germany, the Netherlands, Flanders, Austria and the Nordics:

"Excuse me, do you speak English."

"Yes, a little."

Then proceeds to converse more fluently than many native speakers.

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Ameisen@reddit

Then proceeds to converse more fluently than many native speakers.

This sort of statement bothers be as in a linguistic sense, language is defined by the speaking community. The native speakers, unless they have a disability related to communication, will always be more fluent than a foreign speaker.

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mchris185@reddit

The Dutch like, famously speak better English than half of the people I know. I always found this funny.

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Ameisen@reddit

That's because they specifically learned it in an academic sense. Native speakers learn it through use and exposure.

Heykurat@reddit

I've been informed that even the Dutch don't like to speak Dutch. They mostly speak English.

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ozaudi@reddit

I have an Italian friend that lives in the Netherlands. When they first moved there he's sons had a few school difficulties because they weren't very fluent in either Dutch or English. To get around this they spoke English at home most people in the Netherlands speak their native tongue in the home.

Official government language is Dutch but pretty much the entire Dutch population can speak and use English every day.

I once heard when a European says their English isn't very good that means they speak it at 80%.

When am American says it it means they speak it at 20%.

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Ginger630@reddit

My husband said the same thing when he visited Germany and Japan. They spoke to him in English and apologized for not speaking it well. He told them that they spoke better than some native English speakers!!!

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NPHighview@reddit

I lived in the Netherlands for six months, and joined a community choir. The other members were charming; the director didn't speak any English, but directed using the usual Italian musical lingo. The rest of the members were delighted to practice their English on me.

As I was going through Immigration and Customs once at Schipol, the agent snarkily commented (in Dutch) to his colleague that it was too bad that someone like me, who hadn't made an effort to learn the language, was there working. I responded, in English, that I understood him perfectly well, and was learning to speak Dutch just fine.

People would hear me speak, and immediately switch to English. "It makes much more sense for 20 million Dutch to learn English than for a billion English speakers to learn Dutch!" I heard more than once.

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JonOrangeElise@reddit

I can understand some of my German and Scandinavian coworkers much better than many of my UK coworkers. It’s shocking how uninteligible some Brits can be. It’s not just the accent… it’s the cadence and circuitous language too.

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BreakfastBeerz@reddit

Last Friday I was standing on the train platform waiting for my morning commute when someone tapped me on the shoulder. I turned around and it was this really scared/concerned looking young women. She asked, "Espanol?". I shook my head "No", but pulled out my phone and got on Google Translate. We communicated that way, she followed me onto the train and I helped her get off at the right stop and walked her to the building she was looking for. Her face lit up when she saw the name on the building that she was looking for. I had to go two stops past the one I normally get off at and was close to an hour late to work, but she was so happy and grateful for the help.

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Practical-Ordinary-6@reddit

Not sure if you heard but American kindness is just fake. I hope you didn't smile at all when you were talking to her. And how much did you get for the tip you expected? Because that was the only reason you helped her, I'm sure.

That's what I mind. When people who have no apparent understanding of actual American culture try to play natural kindness off as cynical money grubbing.

I was out riding my bike one day and noticed a woman driving along with a flat tire. It was crowded city streets so I didn't have trouble keeping up with her. I knocked on her window and of course she was a little concerned at first but I let her know about the tire and she pulled over at a nearby gas station. I found out she was driving to the airport and her flight was coming up soon. She was very nice and I didn't want her to be late so I changed her tire in my biking outfit. She kept trying to pay me back in some way and I just kept telling her to not worry about it and get in her (rental) car and go because she was going to miss her plane. She did give me her card and we wound up talking on the phone a few times after that. She was some kind of talent coordinator for CBS I think so she had met a lot of famous people behind the scenes. She had some interesting stories, none of which I remember this many years later. By the way, she was American but I don't think it changes the essence of the story.

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Ameisen@reddit

Not sure if you heard but American kindness is just fake.

Come off it; we don't all live in the South.

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chrlsful@reddit

I find the opposite, they R not looking for money, advantage or anything else...

This is so true. I love helping a tourist discover cool stuff.

I suppose this is a lot like NYC people. Don't slow them down on the sidewalk, subway, or escalator by being a stupid tourist. on the whole, I find NYC people to be among the nicer city dwellers I've met.

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KaetzenOrkester@reddit

That's a good point about European-looking. I know for a fact that made a difference in my experiences in Germany. I have a German last name, look German, and I was treated like a long-lost cousin. I guess I sort of am?

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Which_Case_8536@reddit

It was hit or miss for me. I went into a Sephora in Dijon looking for foundation. Was approached by a sales person and when I said “I’m sorry I don’t speak French” she spit on my sandals and called security accusing me of stealing. They searched me in the middle of the store and 17 year old me was scared and crying. Second sales person came to me and said “sorry, she doesn’t like Americans”. He sat me down and did my makeup (because tears and no waterproof mascara). Then took me to the front where he discounted the foundation and sent me off with some free samples. It was a bittersweet experience for sure.

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rayofgreenlight@reddit

People should be more like that guy who helped you.

That woman though. Such horrid behaviour!

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Which_Case_8536@reddit

Agreed. I hate that my first reaction is “ew” because of the woman and not “awww” for the fabulous man that helped after.

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Yeah, people who think the French are rude are the kind of people who walk into a restaurant, bar, café, etc. without greeting the person working, and start speaking English.

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ladyofthe_upside_dow@reddit

I’m sure that’s true for some people. And I won’t say everyone in France, or everyone in specifically Paris, is rude. I’ve had some lovely interactions with people there. But also I still remember my first time in Paris as a teenager. I tried so hard to learn basic phrases, questions, etc. because I wanted to be polite and I’ve always been taught it’s important to at least try to learn enough of a country’s main language to get through basic interactions. First thing off the train, I tried to order a sandwich. I greeted the woman working there politely and in French I asked if she spoke English. She said no. Okay, cool. So I do my best to order the sandwich in French. But then this woman, who has to be aware that my grasp of French is tenuous at best, starts firing off a bunch of questions that I have no hope of understanding or answering. I apologize every time and tell her (in French) that I don’t understand. She asks more. Still in French. She offers literally nothing to help me even guess at what the questions mean. Everything in her face and body language is making it abundantly clear that she’s annoyed by me. I finally sigh and pull out money, hoping that will end the questions and ask her in my bad French how much. She gives me number, and because I do not speak much French, I didn’t understand it well. So I asked how much again, we figure it out, and I pay. I was so flustered and embarrassed by the end of it, apologizing for not understanding well or speaking well, and as I’m walking away to join my student group again, this woman calls out after me, in damn good English “Thank you, have a good day, miss!” I whipped around so fast, I almost dropped the damn sandwich I had to struggle so hard to get.

And then she greeted the person who’d been waiting behind me in English, after they said “hello” to her in English. I was close enough by to hear her take that man’s entire order in English. So like. I don’t know what her issue was, but that was my first interaction with anyone in Paris, and it made my 16-year-old self feel like absolute garbage. Hell of a first impression.

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ClearText777@reddit

My experience is exactly the same. The gesture of trying to ask in French goes a long, long way. It also lets them demonstrate that their English is better, which many enjoy quite a bit. That's ok - it's true!

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CunningWizard@reddit

I generally had this exact same experience in the cities in France. Just greet them in French and they will switch with a smile once they hear your accent. Once it got rural a lot of people either didn’t or wouldn’t speak English at all so it was a lot of miming or having my friend act as an interpreter.

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My old laundry guys native language just does not have the sounds required to say my name, and hes amazing. We always chat... id be a dick if i expected him to learn how to move his mouth in a completely unnatural way. The sound is very similar to “when”, and he pronounces it “venn”. It gets the point across..

bokatan778@reddit

I found the same thing!!

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AnybodySeeMyKeys@reddit

Right? My French is the equivalent of two months on Rosetta Stone. The absolute basics of navigating or asking how much something costs.

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obiworm@reddit

There was a video I watched recently that opened with an old English passage. It was hard but I was able to get the gist of it without subtitles.

Op - People in the US are normally fine with any accent.

Usually, we are familiar or curious, but not in a negative way!

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Gaybeanuwu@reddit

yeah I struggle more with strong UK or Irish accents, or even some very very strong southern accents more than I’ve struggled with any non-native speakers I’ve talked to.

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qwerty-game@reddit

I’m from Philly originally and I had friends from Alabama. Their older parents came to visit one time - they were probably in their 70s - and I barely understood them. Luckily my friends and I know sign language so when I would look at ny friend, she would sign the parts I wasn’t understanding.

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quikdogs@reddit

The only accent I ever had deep trouble understanding was my first day in Med School, where the Immunology professor, who was from Denver, kept talking about “marrah”. By Wednesday I had to ask another student what that was. She said “bone marrow”, you know, where your T cells come from. Omg

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Njaala@reddit

I had a similar experience. A statistics teacher talking about "zhee distribution" and I did a quindeciuple take because I didn't remember reading about "Z" distribution at all until I realized it was "G" distribution.

I grew up in Texas, but I can’t understand the accents of people from other parts of Texas than the one I grew up in sometimes.

I particularly remember a family friend trying to tell us about a poem his daughter wrote about panties (I know that sounds so weird, but it was totally appropriate in context) and I couldn’t figure out if he was trying to say pennies or panties until he fully went into the content of the poem

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pinksparkleberry@reddit

I grew up in Texas, but I can’t understand the accents of people from other parts of Texas than the one I grew up in sometimes.

I grew up in Texas. I can understand everyone from the U.S and everyone who is a non U.S. native speaker and everyone who speaks English as a second, third or fourth language.

You need a hearing and cognitive evaluation ASAP.

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sparklyjoy@reddit

I do have a little bit of delayed auditory processing, but I actually understand people with foreign accents fabulously well with the exception of two specific British accents (in fact in high school we had a Chinese immigrant math teacher that everyone complained about because they couldn’t understand her, but I had zero issues)- and with that one friend it was just the one word, so now that I think about it, it was pretty inaccurate for me to say that I didn’t understand his accent as if it was a general thing.

I think it’s not uncommon to be thrown when somebody pronounces an English word that you know in a dramatically different way when their accent is otherwise intelligible to you

Like bag/beg is another one I’ve encountered. I moved to a part of the country where people say the word bag just like “bay” with a g on the end, which sounds more like “beg” in my accent, and there was a rather lengthy misunderstanding the first time I encountered that word here, but I’m good now

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Two words in the span of 20 years?. Ok.....

That's also not even remotely connected to what you described.

I grew up in Texas, but I can’t understand the accents of people from other parts of Texas than the one I grew up in sometimes.

You described the symptoms of a significant brain injury, stroke or dementia.

You understand others from Texas just fine. You are being weird. But glad you are ok.

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sparklyjoy@reddit

I did clarify in my second comment which you seem to have not read- even though you responded to it

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pinksparkleberry@reddit

I read it fine. You described being able understand foreign (not Texas) accents ok. And described being thrown by accents (unusual, but I assume you've lead a very sheltered/isolated life).

Having grown up in the UK, none of us are ever taught anything about what the difference or contention might be. Everyone in the States is a Yank regardless of what area they come from.

It was so crazy to me when I moved here and learned that there is a specific history attached to the term and a specific group that it can be applied to

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Bacontoad@reddit

Here's a quick guide: https://www.reddit.com/r/mapporncirclejerk/s/PRJL0dqsbt 😛

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And a lot of native English speakers who don't know how to fluently speak another language - so as a tourist speaking English is your best shot.

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DianneNettix@reddit

Sure, but that's not the question. Are there assholes who will go all "This is 'murica! Speak English!" Sure. Assholes exist everywhere. But by and large my experience has been curiosity when it comes to meeting people from other places. If the English isn't perfect that's not such a big deal. C'mon over. We'll figure it out.

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marbanasin@reddit

Yeah that was my take too. Just noting because a lot of us don't speak second languages we tend to not be in a position to really judge. And most dont, as you said. I just meant it can be more tricky if someone doesn't speak English as there's less guarantee to meet someone who can converse with them in the US.

Fantastic-Pop-9122@reddit

Lol, that's cool.

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Heykurat@reddit

This is only a problem if the person is being a dick and refusing to try to learn English.

Well there was a time like 20 years ago where someone dared speak with a foreign accent at one of Philly’s two best known cheese steak places, and the owner hung a sign outside saying “English speakers only.” I think it was a few years after 9/11 and we were at war with Afghanistan or whatever.

Ponce-Mansley@reddit

It's already been said but yeah, the French in popular areas really are like that.

BulkyTiger8706@reddit

As long as you’re trying, nobody cares, Americans hear every accent daily. The only “annoying” thing is when someone expects you to switch languages in the US and gets mad when you can’t, which is a bold strategy for a tourist.

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Draconuus95@reddit

I grew up in a very multicultural suburb of Houston with lots of classmates that were first or second gen immigrants from around the world. And I now live and work in a major tourist destination.

So ya. Learning how to parse accents and strange speech patterns from across the world is pretty normal to me. I’ll admit it sometimes takes a try or two depending on just how comfortable they are with English for me to figure it out. But generally speaking it’s not annoying or all that difficult. Especially once you add on hands and facial expressions and the like to further add depth to the communication.

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BubbhaJebus@reddit

I don't expect tourists from non-English-speaking countries to be experts in English. I try to find ways to communicate with people if their English isn't very good.

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reddits_in_hidden@reddit

Theres not much thats really there to be annoyed about, English is a surprisingly complex language with all of its filler words and nuance, and intent based on auditory inflection, but its also a surprisingly forgiving language, you can miss a word or 10 in when talking to people but still hear what said and understand (no I didnt have a stroke) Honestly the hardest part for most tourists or immigrants seems to just be proper pronunciation, an issue even many native-english speakers struggle with, take England for example! /j

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Capable-Grab5896@reddit

I can't imagine this possibly upsetting me, ever.

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memes_are_facts@reddit

I used to work as an LEO in a tourist destination. I don't really get too annoyed. As a person that only speaks one language, despite multiple attempts to learn others, I understand the burden of learning a language.

That person came to visit us and enjoy our land and culture. I can be pretty forgiving.

That said, our culture isn't super comfortable with nudity. As a rule of thumb, if everyone else has clothes on, you should too.

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Theslowestmarathoner@reddit

This isn’t a thing. We aren’t picky. If we can’t understand you say it louder and use hand gestures. No one really reacts to improper grammar or anything. We meet people from all over the world all the time. Smiling is the cultural norm here though. Smile more the more mistakes you make and it builds comraderie

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DeMonet75@reddit

I’m used too hearing a lot of Asian, Indian and Latin American accents and it’s not something most of us think about. The broken English is also expected and not given a second thought. The only time my ears perk up is if I hear a European accent, as those are more rare in Texas. Nobody cares that the English is not perfect, we’re not sticklers for the proper use of grammar. In fact, most Americans have horrible grammar and speak English quite poorly. This is one area where we don’t pass judgment. I personally only pass judgment on native speakers who don’t speak well, never to a foreigner.

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CR3ZZ@reddit

The only way I would feel about it is appreciative if you're trying to communicate with me. I only know one language there's no point in you trying to talk to me in your native language.

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Nothing annoys me… I’m just happy they’re trying to speak English and that they’re visiting my country.

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PrimusDCE@reddit

I don't really think about it. Honestly if I hear an accent the first thing I think is immigrant not tourist. Neither is annoying to me either.

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Kallymouse@reddit

Everyone has an accent. We don't care.

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LifeConsideration981@reddit

If you are a tourist, it is a delight. If you are an immigrant, it is expected.

The quality doesn’t matter so much as the effort.

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thewholetruthis@reddit

I love when a visitor can speaks English. Americans tend to be are exceptionally patient when somebody is trying to speak English. Depending where you live, you might only hear somebody speaking another language a few times a year. French and Spanish are common along border states of Canada and Mexico, but other places don’t hear anything but English all day every day, and they’re very understanding when somebody is not fluent.

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StrongStyleDragon@reddit

I really don’t care. Speak your own language if you want.

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Ok-Race-1677@reddit

Is it like a European thing to be snobby about people speaking your language in your country? Would you rather people speak their own language so you can complain about being shunned?

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ViewfromMyOfcWindow@reddit

Why in the actual fuck would ANYONE care about tourists speaking English in the U.S.? Go find something better to do with your time. Sweet baby cheeses, this is asinine 🙄

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mythicalwolf00@reddit

Why in the world would we care? Honestly we won’t even think they’re foreign tourists at all unless they have something to blatantly advertise it.

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Dapper_Raspberry8579@reddit

Monolingual Americans have no business being annoyed by how anyone else speaks English.

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Loganpowered@reddit

I am from NY, no one cares if you don’t speak English. Everyone cares when you walk too slowly on the sidewalks.

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morgaine_silver_hair@reddit

The only thing that really annoys me is the British habit of calling everything “brilliant.”

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SevereOrdinary2816@reddit

Accents don’t bother me. I can usually guess the region someone is from their accent but I am a musician and can pick up subtle differences in pronunciation. I am always excited to ask where the person is from but I don’t want to sound rude or unwelcoming. I am genuinely just interested in other cultures and places so I love meeting people who are visiting from other countries. Usually, their English is much better than some natives even when they say it’s not.

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Urbit1981@reddit

I live in Houston and am more surprised when I hear English vs not. Also, if you are speaking a foreign language around people don't assume people don't know what you are saying. There's so much cross media now days that people will know basic Arabic to Mandarin to Spanish phrases.

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leaderclearsthelunar@reddit

I don't think I've ever been annoyed by a non-native English-speaker's English.

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Puzzled-River-5899@reddit

Bolsa de papel?? Did I do it right?

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Nothing annoys me when it comes to people visiting. They cared enough to see our country, I just try to be as nice as I can be.

Side note, a Russian family where at the beach house next to us a couple years ago. They had a problem with the stove in their unit. The dad knocked on our door and tried to speak English as best he could. What he didn't know is that I'm 2nd generation and spoke Russian and helped him. He'd never seen an electric stove before. Our families got a long great that week. He sends me Christmas cards still. I can't read Russian, but I can speak it, thanks grandma!

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well_this_is_dumb@reddit

Don't care at all. If anything I feel a bit shamed being reminded of my lack of bilingual-ness. Any non-native speaker coming here speaking English is more impressive than me.

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DogOrDonut@reddit

I hate when Brittish people say maths instead of math.

There's only one math. There are multiple disciplines within math: arithmetic, geometry, algebra, trig, calc, etc. but they all fall under the same singular system of math.

"We say math because it's short for MATHematicS."

Math is short for mathematics. Why are you grabbing the last letter and dropping the middle? That's a dumb way to abbreviate a word.

.... I may have irrationally strong feelings on this topic.

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SHAsyhl@reddit

Good for them.

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halfscaliahalfbreyer@reddit

It’s expected in tourist areas that tourists may not know the language. We certainly don’t wait to learn the language before our vacations

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Skyvueva@reddit

When we were in Barcelona, my husband and I were talking and a bunch of 20 something Northern Europeans hustled over to us and asked in English if we could help them get a taxi. We don’t speak Catalan and my Spanish is nearly nonexistent but being an older woman hailing a taxi worked. I hoped that they were able to communicate where they wanted to go.

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Appropriate_Copy8285@reddit

I hate it to the core when people come to my country and speak my language, especially when it is not fluent but i can still underatand them....../s

Americans all have different accents and English levels, and our dialects have evolved to be very context-based, so we tend to understand even those speaking broken English.

I wouldn’t much rather you try and speak English than speak a different language and leave me out of the conversation. Honestly, that feels rude. Not that I am necessarily entitled to hear other people’s conversations, but situations like when I’m getting my nails done and three or four people are conversing with each other in a language unfamiliar to natives it can be uncomfortable. It’s like talking behind your back right in front of your face.

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lantana98@reddit

The majority of Americans like it and it doesn’t matter if it’s poor or hesitant we’ll try to figure it out!

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Low_Attention9891@reddit

I don’t care what language they speak. What do you mean by this?

I guess if you’re having a conversation and someone flips to another language to talk to someone else behind your back, that’s annoying.

“...annoys you?...” nothing really. I’m just thrilled some 1 wants to visit, some 1 wants to talk w/me (as they’re a ‘foreigner’). I too give mericans (as misnomer cuz that runs from Canada to Terra del Fuego, we’re usa-ers a sm section of that) a wide swath due to their reputation but really? that is Not the people (here). It is often the 1%, or others w a y “above my pay grade”. The vast majority are similar to others around the world.

“...like...?” The country is quite vast, it’s ppl, the same - a great deal of variety. So what I like (them saying) excludes “U mericans” or “the mericans”. I have my own identity (for instance: politically - I am not Red or Blue). I dont think any 1 wants to B grouped as “ they “. I like when we can havea dialogue (2-way conversation. Giving AND getting info). One that goes deeper than surface. THAT takes awhile which is ok w/me too.

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Appropriate-Food1757@reddit

What else are you going to do? Definitely speak English if you can

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rogaladriel@reddit

I LOVE foreign accents. Some of the best people I know speak English as a second language and it's utterly delightful. (My in-laws are Dominican and I can pick out that accent from miles away.) I also just love languages in general and am sad that I went deaf before I could be fully fluent in one. Unfortunately the Deaf thing causes more issues than the other person's lovely accent because it makes lip reading almost impossible for me, and then I feel terrible, because 98% of the time I KNOW that person speaks English fluently and I just can't process it.

Some fun things I've come across when talking with people from other countries is how their own language grammar effects their English. Example (an actual quote from a story when meeting a friend of a friend the first time): "And then he shot himself into the leg!"

Or substituting their native words into something they were saying. Example (another actual quote while walking through Bratislava with a friend): "Careful! Huvna is there!!!" She was trying to warn us about dog poop on the sidewalk. When we asked if she meant "poop" she just about rolled on the ground laughing so hard at the word "poop" it sounded so silly to her. Apparently the Slovak word is more like "shit".

And I love that I now know a ton of random Spanish phrases from my in-laws just from being around when they talk back and forth to each other. (I took some Spanish, but my hearing was too far gone to discern spoken Spanish properly on a consistent basis. My husband's Tia insisted that no American can hear the ñ in the word "soñando" and I had to explain to her that I can create an ñ sound just fine, but I can't hear it. She was flabbergasted. Lol.

I love it when people speak English even if they don’t know it well. Also I love it when people ask me things in their native language and I use Google Translate to figure it out. Americans like helping people, in general.

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soupdenier@reddit

Most Americans don’t speak proper English. We don’t really care if your English is broken and most people are more than happy to help you. Americans are genuinely friendly and it’s not fake or for show.

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markjay6@reddit

Nearly a quarter of Americans speak a language other than English at home. We won’t even know you’re a tourist (or care).

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Torkin@reddit

Well I can’t speak any other languages so I appreciate them trying to use mine.

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ehs06702@reddit

No decent person cares if you don't speak English.

There's a sizable group of assholes that will, but the normal people will simply try to help you.

Maybe they'll surprise you and respond in your language. Some of are in fact bilingual. Some of us will recognize it and not speak the language. But we'll try and make conversation about it anyway.

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Optimistbott@reddit

Most accents are sexy but know that every time you use the word “do” in the wrong place or forget to use it, a baby deer dies in my brain.

I had this conversation with a dual citizen from Spain and I was like “I’m just a little embarrassed about my accent to try to speak Spanish” and she was like “should I be embarrassed my accent?” and the rest is history.

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GenericUsername19892@reddit

I don’t think I could care less honestly. Just try to mimic an English cadence to your speech, and I can probably get what you are saying.

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roguedevil@reddit

OP, this depends on where you are and what your accent is. I'm many places where tourists aren't expected, you're accent or English attempt isn't seen an as "tourist" and more like immigrant. You can easily get a "go back to your country" or "speak English" comments, even from service people.

Americans are welcoming to tourists, but not to immigrants.

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Troutmandoo@reddit

If you’re visiting here and you want to try English, I will be the most patient man on Earth; I’ll make you feel as welcome as I can and we’ll have a great time. Appreciate the effort.

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CupcakesAreTasty@reddit

We don’t care. We hear a dozen different languages every day, anyway.

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V_is4vulva@reddit

Just doing your best with English is extremely appreciated because a huge portion of us don't speak any other language, and for those that do, the vast majority is Spanish. So if you're speaking anything else, you might go quite a while before you find anyone who can communicate with you.

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Dapper-Presence4975@reddit

I can’t think of anything in particular that annoys me, so long as you are courteous and self-aware you’ll be fine.

Some things can be lost in translation.

My hovercraft is full of eels!

I work in the tourist industry and I just had a dude talk to me in straight Italian, luckily his daughter translated for him. It was weird because it wasn't like he asked her to help, dude looked me in the eye and asked the question in Italian like I would understand him, but I wouldn't fault the guy for it, it's his only means of conversation, I likely would have figured it out since I know Spanish, and there are similarities but it did throw me off.

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Vulpix_lover@reddit

I think at that point he expected his daughter to translate and was just being respectful by speaking directly to you instead of to her.

I know that when I was in fast food and someone had a translator with them, I would speak to the person, not the one translating

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Ponce-Mansley@reddit

Yeah, as a bartender it always becomes a thing where I have to acknowledge both the person and the translator but I do my best to make sure the person who can't speak English but is primarily trying to talk to me gets the full attention and eye-contact. No-one should ever feel othered in a conversation they initiated

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t-poke@reddit

I’m a white guy and don’t speak a word of Japanese, and yet every time I’m in Japan, employees in shops and restaurants and whatever will start talking to me in Japanese as if I look like someone who would speak Japanese. And then I have to say “Sorry, do you speak English?”

And it makes sense, like what the hell would they start talking to me in? German? It’s just amusing they try to start conversations in Japanese.

Then I go to Poland…my grandma was born in Poland. I have a Polish last name, I know fewer Polish words than Japanese words, and every local immediately pegs me as an American and starts conversations in English without me even having to ask.

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JellyfishFit3871@reddit

And the ones that care are a loud but unimportant minority. The vast majority of Americans are sincerely somewhere between "eh" and sincerely welcoming.

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FiddleThruTheFlowers@reddit

Especially in the places where tourists are likely to be. If you're in a major city or tourist area, people are so used to tourists and immigrants that they don't bat an eye at a tourist with a strong accent or whose grammar isn't great. The worst that would happen is taking a few seconds to figure out what they're saying, or asking to repeat. Even if you run into the very rare asshole who takes offense at your English level, just try to talk to someone else. If anything, someone openly being an asshole might prompt someone nearby who overheard the interaction to try to help.

People in other countries need to realize that many native English speakers in America don’t even know the language that well. Definitely don’t ask most of them to write anything.

I don’t encounter many tourists these days but I worked at a company for 15 years that had employees throughout the world. One phrase I remember my Indian colleagues using back in the day (like 10 years ago or more) was “do the needful,” by which they basically seemed to mean, “please do the next step in the process” or something like that. Note that these folks were located in India; they weren’t migrants to America.

Haven't you heard the stereotype of Americans screaming, "you're in the US you must speak English!!"

Its very true and it usually comes from the Americans that read English at a 4th grade level (aka can't read at all)

No, no one is angry if you speak English if anything they're angry if you don't. You are expected to.

English is the international language of the world due to the British being dicks. Its taught in schools as a secondary language all around the world. Its even seen as cool and trendy to speak English, take a look at Kpop

This isn't something like French for example where their language primary only exists in their country and anyone else who learns it is seen as an outsider or maybe even a pretender or imposter.

English is the majority language in the world while other languages are minorities so its not an equal comparison.

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Original_Remote_6838@reddit

One of my favorite coworkers ever barely spoke English. Even with the language barrier I was always so thrilled to have even brief conversations with her where we understood each other. A few of us in the FOH used Google Translate one day to write her a birthday card in Lao.

Dead_before_dessert@reddit

I don't feel anything tbh...other than being impressed that they're bilingual. I can understand some Spanish and some basic French. My Spanish is better than my French at this point, so I can communicate enough to say "I'm sorry, I dont speak Spanish, but if you wait one moment I know someone who can" (can't type it in Spanish though. It's more of an on demand spoken thing).

I can’t think of many that would care at all and if they do, well it’s their loss.

As far as I’m concerned, you could have the most terrible English and accent in the world and I wouldn’t mind if you were a pleasant person.

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Darth_Lacey@reddit

Try, don’t treat me like I’m stupid or inferior, and don’t get grabby. That’s really all that’s necessary to get assistance from reasonable people

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how-tobe@reddit

We generally don't get annoyed when someone is trying to speak our language lol

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TimelyToast@reddit

Not only would no one care if a tourist attempted English, many would not even know you are a tourist.

Don’t really worry about what they say tbh.

Saltpork545@reddit

Are they having a good time and being respectful?

Then they can speak English or their native tongue or whatever other language they want.

There's very little that's going to annoy most of us about people who are genuinely trying. Americans aren't a single homogenous society, we're not really going to get offended if someone is struggling but putting in effort.

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RadiantReply603@reddit

Americans probably don’t know they are tourists. In my neighborhood, close to a majority of families are immigrants. We expect that people can speak at least some English.

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Tangled-Lights@reddit

Speak whatever language you want.

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xSparkShark@reddit

I mean a lot of non native speakers struggle with English grammar, but that’s not like a point of judgement.

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epicenter69@reddit

I worked in an area with plenty of tourists from around the world. I never took issue with anyone who spoke English as a second language.

That said, the most arrogant, rude tourists I’ve ever encountered have been British. With one exception, every encounter I’ve had with someone from Great Britain has not been pleasant.

My hope is that it’s not the norm there, and that these are the rich and arrogant types who have money to travel. America has plenty of those too.

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Dangerous-Juice5732@reddit

Doesn’t really annoy me or any others I know. I appreciate the attempt and realize English is very weird.

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DoscoJones@reddit

We really don’t care.

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NoDiscipline4640@reddit

Speak whatever language you want. If you want to practice English, go right ahead. I don't think most of us care.

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notreallylucy@reddit

People get bitchy about people who live here but don't speak English, as if you're supposed to magically speak the language as soon as you arrive.

Arquen_Marille@reddit

Not for me because I accept people have accents and I respect them trying to speak English.

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Scav-STALKER@reddit

We’re just happy you’re speaking in English lol

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Bright_Ices@reddit

We kind of love it when people come here and want to practice their English. As a nation of immigrants, it’s common for people here to speak with various accents, so most people under age 50 are pretty good at understand most everyone’s English.

Great_Value_Trucker@reddit

I don't think about it. Other languages and accents are a part of our day to day lives. At least, most of us.

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Ok-Dealer4350@reddit

I live 10 minutes from the Washington DC line. My mother was an interpreter who spoke 4 languages. She was particular about proper pronunciation. She learned English at Cambridge, UK. If she was around people from there , her accent would change.

She found English to be unusual with all the regional accents here in the IS and UK.

As an example, her first language was Spanish. There are regional words, but basically the language is the same except in Spain which is classical Spanish. The rest of the Spanish speaking world doesn’t talk that way. She read ‘Riders of the Purple Sage’ by Zane Grey in Spanish. All the locals, cowboys and so on spoke normal Spanish. When she read it in English, she was blown away by the colloquial way people spoke. That is where saying the sentence out loud if a foreigner or non-English speaker is reading the book helps.

I never heard her accent in English, being accustomed to her way of speaking. I can hear it in others and can usually figure from where they are. My sisters and I learned German. Two sisters then concentrated on French. I started French, took 3 years and switched to Spanish. I hear my accent in German and Spanish. I rarely try anything French.

If someone needed help, I would try to assist. The French are particularly prickly if the foreigner doesn’t at least try to speak French.

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Spiritual_Finish_337@reddit

Even the extremists tell our immigrants “this is America speak English” so they shouldn’t be annoyed. But on a serious note, we hear accents on a daily basis, nobody cares

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pinksparkleberry@reddit

Nothing. This has never crossed my mind. Why would I be mad someone working hard to speak a non native language?

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ghastlycupcake@reddit

We’re a nation of immigrants and people of diverse backgrounds, very many of whom have a first language other than English.

Of course not everyone is going to sound like a native speaker. It is not a problem, and if anyone treats it like a problem, that’s a red flag.

It depends on where you're going to be visiting. America is a large place. Which varies drastically depending on your location.

If you are visiting a place known for Tourists ie. New York City, Washington DC, Florida (Metro not the rural parts) people in those areas are accustomed to hearing foreign languages and people attempting (American) English.

The places less travelled by foreign tourists, will be more of a hit or miss. In some parts you may be met with interest & curiosity; and in other places you may meet with unfriendly types that can't comprehend that people are people whether you speak the same language or not. I apologize for those folks.

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speaker-syd@reddit

I encounter people with accents on a near daily basis. It is almost never an issue.

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UseMuted5000@reddit

Please reread the sub, this isn’t AskTheFrench lol

Language is just another way to communicate. The world is a big place and English is not easy to learn so I applaud them even making the attempt. My French is so so and it took me a bit to even try speaking it in France. Apparently my vocabulary is that of a 5 year old but my accent is perfect. I’ll take that as a win.

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Xezshibole@reddit

If you were in SF or LA I'd hardly even notice you were a tourist without something else giving it away.

I have always said that native English speakers are really used to accents. We can understand them and probably even guess where you’re from. I always give folks grace if they don’t speak well.

Significant_Menu_313@reddit

Most Americans think it is cute or interesting or don't care. Every once in a while, my husband, who is not a native speaker of English will meet another person with accented English and they really can't understand each other.

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realvctmsdntdrnkmlk@reddit

Personally, fully indifferent

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SpecialistBet4656@reddit

I think we expect it. There are 15 million immigrants in the US, mostly from places where English is not the primary language.

The only things that are annoying are constantly criticizing america and Americans and general rudeness.

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marymoonu@reddit

No, I like it. I think most people seem to enjoy hearing different accents. I know I do!

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OneHitWonder-69@reddit

I’ve never done anything except appreciate the effort and smile. Say what you want about Americans, but most of us are pretty friendly and welcoming.

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SirFelsenAxt@reddit

Honestly, I probably wouldn't even guess that they were a tourist.

Bored_Accountant999@reddit

I don't care. I live in a city with tons of international people when I hear other languages every single day. I have no idea if those people are visiting or if they live here. Doesn't make any difference to me.

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Usually it’s just funny when people mispronounce something or get an idiom wrong, not annoying or offensive. One time a guy at work said, “This sucks me off!”

Another time this guy visited from Denmark and had never been to the US other than NYC. He said he wanted to go to (about 10 different words that all started with W) and me just guessing places that started with W that a tourist might want to see. Finally he wrote down WALMART and I was like, oooohhhhhh

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os2mac@reddit

Having been on the receiving end of being chastised for not correctly speaking the local dialect when traveling overseas. I tend to be very conscious of my reaction to people making the effort to speak English when traveling to the US. The are making the effort and that's what counts, right? they are visitors, be a good host and be a littel gracious.

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cdb03b@reddit

It is expected. So long as the accent is not so thick you can't understand it we have no issue.

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jacowab@reddit

I don't know about people who live in more touristy areas but I don't think we can even spot tourists. I think the level of cultural diversity we just casually have in america would shock most foreigners.

I do a lot of people watching during work (work security) and I constantly hear people speaking Spanish, Chinese, Arabic, various African languages (I don't know by ear so I couldn't tell you), and see people dressed in ethnic outfits from those same regions and I would hesitate to signal out any of them as tourists because they all just seem like normal Americans.

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Avbitten@reddit

we have so many immigrants id just kinda assume they live here rather than assume tourist. if they sound like they speak spanish ill ask them if they do then ask to switch so i can practice. Sometimes if its a language im very unfamiliar with ill ask them to teach me a basic word like hello or thank you.

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wifespissed@reddit

It's a non-native language but I'll allow it.

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nis_sound@reddit

So many Americans have accents, I can't usually tell if someone is a tourist. Unless they're at a museum or Disney world or something. Heck, I've spoken to people with just a hint of an accent thinking they're American and then find out their from brazil or something.

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lfxlPassionz@reddit

To be honest, we deal with accents, different dialects and even people that don't speak English regularly.

The United States doesn't have an official language. We just usually use English as the main language in schools.

Every city has it's own dialect as well.

As a person who has been in food service for a very long time, I work with the public and a lot of tourists. Spanish is the most common language after English since a lot of people here actually speak Spanish. Many of them only speak Spanish.

I see a huge variety of languages though. So many that I don't always recognize what language they are speaking.

I appreciate when anyone does.

I do not care at all. I can't see why anyone would be upset about tourists speaking english.

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QueenoftheDinosaurs@reddit

I literally don’t care. We are referred to as a melting pot for a reason.

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45babycakes@reddit

Don't care

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farmerthrowaway1923@reddit

I don’t care. Honestly don’t know anyone else that cares either. I’m in super chatty east Texas where they will ask where you are from, what’s it like, etc…all while giving you a life story. We hear scents and languages so frequently it’s really not a big deal.

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Lilylake_55@reddit

We are generally impressed when a tourist speaks English at all. And most people will go out of their way to help you if you are having problems with speaking or understanding.

Future-Tradition7004@reddit

It’s awesome! We will try to help you too.

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LadyCoru@reddit

I live near Disney World, everyone is used to figuring out bad English

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EgoSenatus@reddit

Americans usually appreciate when you speak English (given we usually can’t speak anything else), but even if you can’t speak any English, it’s more likely than not that someone will try to help you using Google translate or something if you’re looking for information.

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Lugbor@reddit

Speaking amongst themselves? They can speak whatever language they want.

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Agreeable-Sun368@reddit

Tourists should speak as they like and I will do my best to communicate with them! I could never be annoyed by tourists communicating in their native language, or having difficulties with English.

I will say Spanish speakers need to never assume that people don't understand them. I think a lot of people assume that in America their non-English language is a "secret code" that they can use to speak in public and not be understood and for some languages this is true, but Spanish is not one of them. I would say Russian is also not a good one, depending on the area. I have eavesdropped on a LOT of Russians and Ukranians and Belarusians etc with my best friend.

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DasArtmab@reddit

I believe in Queens NY, for most citizens, English is not their native language

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slothdonki@reddit

I recently spent like an hour trying to figure out how to help some young men and only one of them spoke a little English. They spoke creole(Kreyòl? I think they were Haitian) before understanding what they needed and my partner and I just told them to hop in our car and we’ll take them where they need to go. (Their friend got pulled over on a suspended license and one of them needed to drive that car home).

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flugualbinder@reddit

If I saw someone walking around, not speaking English, I would have no way of knowing whether they were a citizen or a tourist. And I also wouldn’t care or take the time to find out.

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bren3669@reddit

that’s wonderful.

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DynamiteStorm@reddit

Americans don’t care about accents or improper wording. We are like golden retrievers happy about the random conversation.

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East-University-8640@reddit

Do people not realize how many accents Americans hear every day? Just today I heard a Minnesota English accent, a New York accent, a southern accent, a Hispanic accent, an Indian accent, and a French accent. America is made of accents and they’re all accents of our own citizens.

If they want to speak English, that's fine, if they don't want to or can't speak English, that's fine, too. If can't speak your language, I have a free translation app on my phone, if you want to speak to me, or ask a question.

Just be aware that a lot of Americans come from all sorts of backgrounds and depending on where you are, there may be other people that understand you.

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Cheap_Coffee@reddit

I appreciate the effort

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KentuckyWildAss@reddit

Half of them are going to cry if you don’t.

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JenniferJuniper6@reddit

It’s the U.S. Half the people I encounter on any given day aren’t native speakers. It’s completely unremarkable.

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Hey man they can speak whatever language they want, I am usually impressed because it's often better than how most Americans speak lol.

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Pure-Friend-8729@reddit

We have no negative feelings or judgment against a tourist just doing their best to communicate.

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firelock_ny@reddit

Tourist: "I'm sorry, my English is not so good."

Me: "No problem, your English is much better than my Vietnamese."

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Ronnoc527@reddit

I don't get tourists in my neck of the woods but I would just assume they are Americans that don't speak English well.

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oneislandgirl@reddit

Most Americans are not great with foreign languages (except in some Spanish speaking areas) so if you are speaking a foreign language, don't expect anyone to understand you. Please try to speak English if you want help. We will not be annoyed.

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Aggressive-Emu5358@reddit

They’re are plenty of native English speaking American I have a hard time understanding. We don’t care.

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Divinityemotions@reddit

We don’t care. We make sense of it.

But that reminds me of how years ago I was working in a busy restaurant in Manhattan and this poor guy, Brazilian, was so excited being there he tried to ask me for a coke with and American accent so it cane out as “hi, can I have a cock?”

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asexualrhino@reddit

Has France traumatized the world that badly?

Most Americans don't speak another language (and if they do, is it likely to be your language?) Please speak English, I beg you. We're very very used to hearing accents in most regions. No one is going to be annoyed. If they are, that's their problem, and they're not worth talking to.

They’re speaking English because it’s the only language WE speak (obviously not everyone, a ton of us are multilingual, but hopefully my point comes across). I think most everyone I know has a gracious view of tourists speaking English imperfectly or even poorly.

The few who complain are a loud minority, in my experience.

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transfemmefatal@reddit

I literally do not fucking care, and I was raised in a tourist town and worked service jobs well into my 20s. Just spend money please amd don't be a prick. Oddly it seems only the Americam tourist were an issue.

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einsteinGO@reddit

There is nothing that a non-native speaker could say that would annoy me other than something racist or prejudiced.

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Chimur@reddit

Few Americans are fully fluent in more than two languages. Most Americans are fluent only in English. If you want to speak to an American English is your best bet

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Accomplished_Mix7827@reddit

In terms of language, there are two types of Americans: those who are generally forgiving of non-native speakers who make occasional mistakes, and bigoted assholes who will be mad at you just for not being a native English speaker. The latter category are not worth paying any mind to, and tend to live in the places tourists wouldn't ever want to go anyway.

In terms of culture, one thing that will annoy us is if you're snooty about our food. Europeans are particularly bad about this.

Restaurant portions are oversized because generous portions are a big part of American hospitality culture. If it's too much to finish in one sitting, it's acceptable -- indeed, expected! -- to ask for a box to take leftovers home to eat later.

Fast food isn't expected to be healthy. Yes, McDonald's is bad for you. We know. You're not supposed to eat it every day.

And for fuck's sake, don't pretend an obvious novelty dish is typical American food. No, that giant burger served on two donut buns with five strips of bacon and a fried egg or whatever is not normal or representative of American food. It's a novelty item. You can tell because it's being clearly advertised as a novelty item. The locals are treating it as a novelty item. You will not find it outside of that one place, because it is a novelty item. If you Instagram it as "oh, you won't believe what they eat in the US" as if that's a normal thing and not a novelty item, we will be annoyed with you.

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RedSolez@reddit

We are used to hearing people speak all different languages here as well as accented English, and don't care.

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ComprehensiveEar6001@reddit

Hell, my mother-in-law doesn't even speak English and she's an American citizen. We communicate with Spanglish just fine.

It annoys me when a visitor says, “Nice place to visit but I wouldn’t want to live here.” I think that about most places, but I don’t say that out loud to the locals.

I would rather you speak to me in English than a language I don't speak.

ccoakley@reddit

Given that I probably don't speak their language, any English helps.

My favorite is when someone fucks up an idiomatic expression. I heard an italian dude once say "I'm pissed out right now," and his english-speaking partner was in stitches.

I was once talking to a visiting post-doc who was having a normal conversation, then stopped, looked at me, and said "what do you call a onesy-threesy function?"

"What?"

"ANTI-SYMMETRIC!"

"An odd function?"

"Yes!" then resumed the original conversation with "...I thought it was odd that he said that thing."

Over half of my coworkers aren't native English speakers and speak with a thick accent... Even my own father isn't a native English speaker either. We're so used to foreign accents here that we genuinely don't care. And the people who do care, tend to be racists or xenophobes and probably wouldn't have liked the foreigner anyways, regardless of how thick their accent is.

I hear people speak other languages almost daily around me. I don’t really care. Just don’t be a dick. That’s all I ask.

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Patient-Apple-4399@reddit

No one cares. The only time I have actively corrected people is if they are REALLY wrong. Instances include: my dad for some reason can't pronounce "public". He says "pubic". It needed to be addressed. One of my friends learned English from family guy and bless his heart he sounds so polite in his home tongue but then swaps to English and starts talking like a middle schooler just learning to curse

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SenseNo635@reddit

I, for one, do not give a shit. I’ll do my best to communicate with them just like they do with me. If we each use enough hand gestures we’ll figure it out.

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SouthernStyleGamer@reddit

Most foreigners I've met who speak English as a secondary language are easier to understand than the spam callers, I promise it isn't a problem.

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Recent_Permit2653@reddit

I appreciate someone trying. I absolutely do not expect perfection. Heck, I dont even expect you to really make yourself fully understandable lol and I will definitely do my best to accommodate you! I’m just happy you’re here :)

As someone who is myself bilingual, I know how intimidating it is to use another language with a native speaker.

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petitecrivain@reddit

Compared to some other cultures Americans are generally appreciative of just the fact that you're trying. Most of us have spoken to ESL speakers before and don't mind little mistakes.

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ylylychee@reddit

I speak six languages. I make mistakes in all of them, including my two native languages. I hope I’m as forgiving of people making errors as others have been of me.

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jexxie3@reddit

Nothing they say annoys me. Sometimes it feels awkward because I want to understand them. But it isn’t annoying.

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endangeredbear@reddit

The only way to learn is by continuing to use it! I learned a lot of Spanish working at a gas station. A lot of my customers helped me out learning and didn't give me any flack. Its the same with us for the most part

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ThesoldierLLJK@reddit

99 percent of Americans don’t care in fact so many of us fool around on apps like duo lingo, Babbel, etc… we would probably try to have a conversation in your native language

Whatever makes you happy. We can’t expect every person from another country to learn English just to visit. We’ll figure out a way to communicate when we need to.

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Mysterious-Web-8788@reddit

The only thing to watch out for is cases where we may be bilingual, for example in the south many hospitality workers speak spanish, and if you're latino with crappy spanish, they may prefer to just speak spanish because it's easier for everyone.

Otherwise, nobody ever notices, most of us white people never bothered to learn another language so if you're going to communicate with us, it's with whatever english you've got, and we know that.

clekas@reddit

I appreciate the effort and I make an effort to help translate if someone doesn’t speak English.

There’s nothing that really bothers me that tourists say in English, though it did take me a bit of time to grow accustomed to tourists from countries where people are much more…open about calling people fat or saying other things Americans would generally perceive as negatives. (I worked at a makeup store that got A LOT of East Asian tourists, who often had no problems calling my coworkers and me fat.)

I have also encountered groups of tourists who clearly believe that no one near them understands what they are saying in their native language - that’s not always the case, and I think it’s probably smart for tourists to remember there’s a non-zero chance that someone near them understands what they’re saying, so it’s probably not a good idea to loudly mock Americans or do something similar and just assume no one understands you.

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mommawolf2@reddit

I'm impressed when they do , with that said I'm not offended when they don't.

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Naive-Kangaroo3031@reddit

Most Americans outside of the major cities meet very very few people from other nations. They will mostly likely find you fascinating

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AuggieNorth@reddit

It definitely doesn't bother me when tourists who barely speak English ask me for directions. It does happen like maybe once a year, most likely when I'm wearing a sports team logo that pegs me as a local. If it happened more often, maybe I'd feel differently.

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Confetticandi@reddit

Americans are used to interacting with non-native English speakers or even people who don't speak English at all. There are a lot of immigrants living here at all language proficiency levels. Assholes exist, but people are generally understanding, especially if you're openly like, "Sorry, English is not my first language," when you're unsure. Also, you likely know by now, the English language is relatively forgiving of errors. You can butcher an English sentence pretty badly and still be understood.

Honestly, the biggest thing you can do to help ensure you are perceived well is smiling. North American culture (US, Canada, and Mexico) is smiley. If you keep your face open and friendly looking while you talk, then even if you accidentally say something that could be considered rude, people will not feel threatened.

Oh, also, I don't know of any country where people like it when tourists openly criticize the place they are visiting. A lot of foreigners seem to intuitively know this when they travel to other countries, but think it's acceptable in the US for some reason. Don't do that. I don't know of any country where that plays well.

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Mushrooming247@reddit

We don’t really think about it, so many Americans have accents, you could be a citizen or visitor, it hardly registers that you must speak another language too.

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SockSock81219@reddit

Many Americans are monolingual, so unless you have good reason to believe they speak your language, trying in English first is polite and smart.

American English is very forgiving of accents, pronunciations, strange grammar, the works, and most of us know at least a couple words in a variety of languages. We have a lot of people from many different cultures and we all try to get along.

If you're in any city worth visiting, you can probably approach any friendly-looking stranger and just say "excuse me, where bathroom?" or "starbucks?" or "madison avenue?" and they'll do their best to help. "Please" and "thank you" are also essential.

I don't think anyone (or at least anyone worth listening to) is annoyed by the way any foreigners talk. That's close-minded and rude.

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DukeofBraintree918@reddit

I appreciate that they're giving it a try if they're not fluent

Somnifor@reddit

I have so many neighbors and coworkers who aren't native English speakers and who might not speak it well or at all that it has never occurred to me to care about a tourists English proficiency.

Happy to help out however, regardless of their English fluency.

Over 20% of my state is immigrant. Living in NY metro accents are extremely common.

As an American, I can say that most Americans have a very loose grasp on English. Tourists often have better English than most people born and raised here.

They’re making an effort - I give them grace. And I really appreciate it when they do the same for me when I visit their country.