Yes, I've had similar experiences to you, Fishy and James, for instance when I've spoken Greek in Greece - the thing is, I'm quite a way beyond the Hello-and-Thankyou level of the vast majority of fellow Brits Abroad (and I'm not criticising them for it, even as they almost always get the stresses in pronunciation wrong), and once that's clear to a Greek native they seem to presume I'm fluent and will rattle off rapid-fire sentences back to me in their own tongue, and I'll be lucky if I fully understand half of it.

Of course, I take it as a compliment, and I politely say in Greek, "Sorry, I speak very little Greek, I'm English(man)".  Usually this prompts a great deal of praise, particularly about my pronunciation, and it's always a massive buzz for me when that happens.

Yeah it's all a bit of fun and a learning exercise.. but I do whince when the Brits can't even give the basics a go like hello thanks please goodbye etc

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I didn't think they did that kind of word, so I was a little surprised to see them all turn green. Ho hum.

Difficult but you might pick things up that way. A holiday is not ideal as you're only there for a shortish period, but the more exposure the better, I'd say

There's also the added problem when I start the usual pleasantries then I'm faced with replies and ramblings which I have no clue about.. a nod of the head and a smile usually suffices

This is a big dilemma indeed. For people coming to our country to work or live, we ask for them to learn Dutch (residency that is). But the biggest issue is the Dutch themselves: we nearly all speak English - similar to your experience in Japan, but then the exact opposite. Dutch is not the easiest language toi learn but if no one speaks it to you, it is impossible to figure out.

Couple of minutes

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Quote from: The Picnic Wasp on Today at 10:19:31 AMOr is it dilemna? Never quite figured that one out.

It isn't

When I worked for a Japanese bank in the '90s, I took Japanese lessons. I had two consecutive Japanese girlfriends, which also helped. The next company I worked for, an American investment firm, sent me to Tokyo for a few weeks.

So I turned up after a long flight from Heathrow and a coach ride into the city to get the key to my apartment at Ebisu Garden Place. The young lady at the front desk was having a bit of trouble with her English, so I gently prompted her in Japanese, just to clarify a couple of points. Unfortunately as soon as she heard the first Japanese word come out of my mouth she refused to utter another word of English, and I understood about 5% of what she said after that.

Some folks in Tokyo quite understandably don't speak English at all. I was quite proud of myself for asking a railway worker "Do trains from this platform go to Ginza?" and fortunately the reply included a positive nod of the head, which is easily decipherable in any language.

Or is it dilemna? Never quite figured that one out.