Granted, as throughout practically all of the known world today, English IS the lingua franca numero uno, taught, spoken, used!! In my experience, I always listen BETWEEN the text aka the lines of my interlocutor, be it in Poland, Hungary, Germany or bloody Timbuktu, for that matter.
Poles will use English, on the whole, much as you and I might use basic arithmetic to figure out a bill, in all probability with our fingers, if mental computation fails us, which it often does, I'm sure:-)
Interactions in English with the average European are generally only slightly higher than same between Americans using their limited knowledge of high school Spanish, French, possibly German etc.
Non-native English speakers have long become past masters in the famous "prepared answer" to most forseeable questions or challenges from foreign visitors to their country. I am therefore certain, Rich, that every simple question which you put to hotel or first class restaurant, tourist, guest-services staff was answered to your satisfaction.
However, life is rarely if ever quite as predictably simple as a script memorized by someone with at best a college-level knowledge of English. My thing wherever I've traveled or lived abroad, is precisely getting OFF of the script, indeed, approaching the inhabitants as natives of their own country rather than as mini-satelites of the the good ol' USA! In the former instance, Rich, the ONLY way to go beyond surface communication and relate on a comfortably native-speaker level, is to gain as firm a knowledge of that language as one possibly can.
You wish to take a great vacation somewhere and feel totally comfortable speaking English only?? STAY HOME!
Poles will use English, on the whole, much as you and I might use basic arithmetic to figure out a bill, in all probability with our fingers, if mental computation fails us, which it often does, I'm sure:-)
Interactions in English with the average European are generally only slightly higher than same between Americans using their limited knowledge of high school Spanish, French, possibly German etc.
Non-native English speakers have long become past masters in the famous "prepared answer" to most forseeable questions or challenges from foreign visitors to their country. I am therefore certain, Rich, that every simple question which you put to hotel or first class restaurant, tourist, guest-services staff was answered to your satisfaction.
However, life is rarely if ever quite as predictably simple as a script memorized by someone with at best a college-level knowledge of English. My thing wherever I've traveled or lived abroad, is precisely getting OFF of the script, indeed, approaching the inhabitants as natives of their own country rather than as mini-satelites of the the good ol' USA! In the former instance, Rich, the ONLY way to go beyond surface communication and relate on a comfortably native-speaker level, is to gain as firm a knowledge of that language as one possibly can.
You wish to take a great vacation somewhere and feel totally comfortable speaking English only?? STAY HOME!