Just recently, I was in France and all the reactions were just lovely. Everyone replied in French to my French but asked if we should continue in English, when they noticed my understanding was incomplete.

Some cashiers spoke really fast, so I just pretended I understood and nodded. But everyone was very accommodating and repeated sentences if I asked or explained with different words.

Most people even spoke English with my colleagues, who don’t speak French, and French with me. Even one waitress, whose English was really at the beginner level, made it work.