A question visitors to Germany are likely to ask is whether they can get by on English.
And it's a fair question, because German is a famously difficult and scary language to learn;
and if you're only visiting for two weeks,
a three-year language course is probably out of the question.
So, as a clueless tourist armed only with the words for "please", "thank you" and "beer",
will you get by,
or will you find yourself adrift on a sea of confusion?
English is the world's lingua franca,
which means it's the language used
when people of different mother tongues have to communicate.
For example, if a Czech businessman meets his Chinese contact in Paris,
the chances are the language they'll be speaking is English.
So it's not unreasonable to suppose that Germans might speak English.
But... do they?
You'll get a range of replies to this question.
Some people will say that an awful lot of Germans don't speak a word of English,
and they had a really tough time in the country.
Others will say that literally every German they met spoke fantastic English,
and some will even complain that when they tried to practice their German,
Germans would always speak English.
So, either Germans everywhere speak English, or none of them do.
How very helpful.
According to a study for the European Commission, which was conducted in 2012,
about 56% of Germans say they know enough English to be able to have a conversation in it.
That compares with 90% of Dutch people and 20% of Hungarians,
so... middling.
So perhaps it's no wonder that people have such vastly different experiences.
Of course, among those who didn't say they could have a conversation in English
is probably quite a large number of people who know enough English
to able to direct you to the museum you just got hopelessly lost trying to find.
It's not as if nearly half the people you meet will be unable to speak a word.
If you're a tourist, most people you're likely to interact with are going to be working
in some job relevant to the tourist industry:
hotel receptionists, wait staff, tour guides.
These people will know at least enough English to be able to do their jobs.
Which is the reason they were hired in the first place.
As a rule, Germans who have studied to university level
will probably speak English quite well.
Those with a less academic background will probably speak less, or none at all.
In the city, you're more likely to find somebody who speaks English;
in the country, perhaps less.
Older generations are less likely to speak English than younger people;
and this is especially true in former East Germany,
because under the old Communist regime, people were not encouraged to learn English.
Once you leave the airport, you may see some signs in English,
but it's actually quite unlikely unless you happen to be in an extremely touristy area.
And it can be frustratingly random.
For example, in larger train stations,
some of the signs are translated into English and French.
But signs pointing to important sights might not be.
So, can you survive without German?
I'd say yes. But if you go off the beaten track, it might be a bit challenging.
In my experience, people will do their best to help you,
and it can be surprising how well you can communicate
even if you don't have a language in common.
So, my advice:
learn a few basic phrases, because everyone appreciates it if you make an effort;
and then come over here and enjoy yourselves,
and don't worry too much about the language.
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