I’ve heard many travelers talk about how lucky they are to have been raised in an English-speaking country.
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After all, Americans who head abroad can get around relatively easily in their native tongue. There are 390 million native English speakers—which doesn’t account for those who learn the tongue as a second language.
Even locals who don’t speak English probably know enough words or phrases to help us out.
I see things differently.
I was born and raised in the Midwest. Even when I moved to New York City, I had trouble understanding people who spoke English with an accent because I hadn’t grown up hearing many non-native speakers.
As a world traveler, this lack of language exposure has held me back in many ways. It took me years to get accustomed to listening to heavy accents. Learning the basics of even romance language grammar has been mind-bending, nonetheless more complex structures like Slavic grammar.
To offset my lack of knowledge, I always look up a few words and phrases that are common in my destination. Not only is it respectful to have the basics down, but it might also be necessary.
After all, while English is the third-most spoken language on the planet, not everyone speaks the language. If you’re heading to these international cities, make sure you have a few words and phrases scribbled down on a piece of paper or saved on your phone.
You’ll need them.
How are countries being ranked?
The rankings in this article are taken from a 2024 data study from EF English Proficiency Index. The annual report is based on test results from over 2.1 million adults in 116 countries around the world.
The study ranks both countries and capital cities for their English language proficiency. (In case you’re interested, the Netherlands scored first in 2024.)
For the purposes of this article, I’m focusing only on countries that are more often frequented by American travelers. The list is divided into low English proficiency and moderate English proficiency. It’s ranked starting with the lowest level of proficiency.
4 international cities with low English proficiency
You can expect anyone working in hospitality to have a solid, basic level of English vocabulary—so don’t worry about feeling linguistically stranded at your destination. However, keep in mind that the average local you meet on the street probably speaks a very basic level of English. In other words, they can help you find a bathroom or call for help, but don’t expect a drawn-out conversation.
- Mexico City: Mexico
- Bangkok, Thailand
- Panama City, Panama
- Tokyo, Japan
6 international cities with moderate English proficiency
As with the low proficiency capitals listed above, you don’t need to worry about any hospitality professionals: they’ll likely have a solid level of English. To make things even easier, you might be able to hold basic conversations with those you meet outside your hotel/resort/rental.
As you can see by the list, knowing a bit of introductory Spanish will set you up for success in a handful of popular destinations, from Mexico City to Rome.
- Bogota, Colombia
- Beijing, China
- Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic
- Havana, Cuba
- Hanoi, Vietnam
- Rome, Italy
