I see a lot of American travelers readily assuming that everyone they encounter on their trip will speak English. Sure, it's the universal language--more likely than not, the majority of people will speak at least a bit of English, and most everything from menus to street signs will be tailored to English speakers. But please, please, PLEASE do not be one of those Americans. It comes across as arrogant, privileged, and ignorant. Of course, it's unrealistic to learn a whole language in advance of a trip, but it takes nothing to learn how to say "hello," "please," "thank you," and "goodbye." I also try to ask the person I'm communicating with whether they speak English before diving into rapid-fire speech; depending on the language, I can ask in a complete sentence, but other times I will just say "English?" in their language, or even just "English?" I try not to assume. And if they do speak English, be cognizant of how fast you're speaking, and what idioms and other elements of your speech might be unfamiliar to them.
Even if your pronunciation is off while trying out a new language, your efforts will be much appreciated. I've never, ever had anyone make fun of me for mispronouncing their language; I'm usually met with a smile, and often a helpful correction. If you feel nervous, that's totally normal; a couple languages I've been speaking near my whole life, and I still feel jittery if I've not practiced in a while.
These nerves also have value in that they allow us to feel more compassionate towards migrants, visitors, etc. in the US who are still learning English, and who feel shy in speaking it. It always rattles me when I see Americans who are contemptuous of people still in the learning process, when these very same Americans can't speak a word of another foreign language. Indeed, non-Americans often make fun of us for our sense of language superiority, while they themselves grew up learning multiple languages concurrently.
Lastly, of course other folks beyond Americans are native English speakers, but I had to single out my nationality. We are known for being a little too presumptive in cases such as this.
Let me know in the comments if you've ever had a funny mistranslation while traveling abroad!
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