I was in Brussels about 30 years ago and the Barmaid in a pub could sing Whitney Houston perfectly….she didn’t speak a word of English.
But you’re right of course, other than in some areas of Eastern Europe, everyone knows some English.
Still, some pretend not to ;)
I'd say in the Netherlands 85 to 90% speaks English as the second language. Even more than German or French, which is spoken in the neighboring countries.
For me, I had an "aunt" who'd come over from the UK every year. Not really an aunt, but my granddad was stationed at her home during WW2 before going to Normandy (not on D-day, his regiment was deployed in August). I remember crying my eyes out because I couldn't understand her when I was 4, but the next year I had full conversations with her.
As for German and French, can read it, speaking is a bit better in German but understanding spoken French is impossible. They speak in 500 words a minute or something. Even if you ask "explain it like I'm a retard" they slow down to 495 words a minute.
Maybe if you were American, you'd think that its unusual for people to speak other languages.
In Western Europe, it would be quite unusual to find anyone who is not quite familiar with at least one other language (i.e. English).
I think the crowd knows exactly what they are singing.
I was in Brussels about 30 years ago and the Barmaid in a pub could sing Whitney Houston perfectly….she didn’t speak a word of English. But you’re right of course, other than in some areas of Eastern Europe, everyone knows some English. Still, some pretend not to ;)
I'd say in the Netherlands 85 to 90% speaks English as the second language. Even more than German or French, which is spoken in the neighboring countries.
For me, I had an "aunt" who'd come over from the UK every year. Not really an aunt, but my granddad was stationed at her home during WW2 before going to Normandy (not on D-day, his regiment was deployed in August). I remember crying my eyes out because I couldn't understand her when I was 4, but the next year I had full conversations with her.
As for German and French, can read it, speaking is a bit better in German but understanding spoken French is impossible. They speak in 500 words a minute or something. Even if you ask "explain it like I'm a retard" they slow down to 495 words a minute.
Exception to the rule: France, where even if they know English, they'd die before letting on that they know English....