I’m curious because I live in a very young, international city and basically never had this problem, but hear a lot of others in Germany mention it.
For Germans I meet, whether young, old, professional or casual, the conversation almost always starts and continues in German. If it was something important that I needed but couldn’t understand, I was always the one to request to switch. And it was the case back when my German was pretty bad, so it wasn’t related to my German level.
You best have damn good German if you follow this advice cause honestly if you are a level or b1 I would be pissed
A real B1 should be pretty much conversational albeit the sentences may be a bit too simple.
Conversational ability is not only dependent on language level. A A2 who doesn't care about sounding like a 7 yr old will speak more than a B2 who is shy and/or doesn't wanna sound/appear dumb.
Definitely agree with that, moreover I support it. This backwards mentality „don’t even dare to speak unless you’re B2“ won’t do any good to anybody.
It's frankly an absurd approach by any culture wanting to preserve their language. I know it can be rough listening to someone having trouble speaking but people need to learn a little patience and feel free to correct people who are trying.
And this is pretty much the key! Not willing to sound dumb/awkward you will hinder your progress.
My Dad learnt my Moms language mostly by drinking in the pub with her brothers 😁
A lot of b1 people I have spoken to struggle a lot with talking and it makes it really difficult to have longer conversations or makes them take way way longer
Yeah, at B1 I was much better at reading and writing than I was at speaking. Doubly so if the conversation was about something I wouldn’t ordinarily discuss and I had to search my vocabulary to translate the person’s words before I could reply.
But look at it this way... how else are they gonna improve their German?
I have a friend that immigrated from Canada and he's trying his hardest to learn the language. Yeah for deeper conversations or if precision matters, it's easier to stay in English, but that isn't helping him in the slightest.
Get a proper training buddy etc.
Again especially expecting people who are working to take an inconvenient amount of time cause you want to improve your German is not okay
I think its less of what you're saying and more of the 'german efficiency' of your delivery that's making people mad 🤣. As someone who lives in germany and is learning German still, I understand that not everyone has the time to accommodate my need to practice. If they can that's nice and very appreciated. If they can't, that's okay too. It's not like I'm paying them to practice with me. Sometimes people don't have the time or bandwidth to be patient with new speakers. That's ok as long as everyone is polite about it.
The very same people like the ones you are replying to will then go around parading the phrase "In Germany, we speak German". So if you want that - suck up the bad German or don't have people here until they show their Z1 certificate in German literature. People conveniently want it both ways when it suits them.
Yes it is. It's called empathy but I know you guys lost that in WW1 so it's okay
Yes it is. It's called empathy
Okay, where’s the empathy going the other way?
I’m not German, but surely you can spare a little empathy for the poor waiter at the cafe trying to juggle five tables with 10 people in the queue while you struggle to order <whatever> in broken German.
Ah yes now we are up to generalising all Germans on one interaction and bringing up the world wars.... Reddit at its finest
No on my interactions in the last 20ish years
Well I guess if they are talking to you. Most of the Germans I met knew that was the only way I'd learn is speak as much German as possible and insert English word when I didn't know it. Sometimes they stop and help and I repeat, sometimes the convo just keeps going, and sometimes the conversation gets to good and switching to English for the rest.
But no one's gonna learn if they have friends with only your attitude. By year two I was really conversational and could understand and keep up.
I am not talking about your friends but random people or even worse people who are doing their job.
I have and love to help my friends learn German or English but I would be miffed if someone just randomly came up to me and decided to use me as their training partner
You would get upset if someone at your work said "wie heißt das auf deutsch?" ?
No if they continue in German when I am working and it takes 3 times as long while I very much have other stuff to do like a million other things.
Again not your training buddy
Now I want to find you and start speaking broken German to you just to piss you off
vernünftige aussage, stimme ich zu
I'm not German, but I agree with you. If I want to improve my speaking skills, I go to private teachers or attend speaking clubs. Weird downvotes.
Not surprised one bit tbh
I would be pissed
Ok, and?
And nothing I expressed my feelings on the matter nothing more nothing less
Then, alas, you're just going to need to deal with that frustration yourself when those instances happen.
Yeah or people can realize that underpaid staffers are not their training buddies and actually find proper Resources like language café (which I volunteer in btw) or paid for tutors
Utilising the language of the country you're living in during a real life situation does not make the other person your training buddy.
And language classes and tutors would recommend you actually utilise the language in real life situations to get more comfortable with speaking in situations outside your comfort zone. So tough shit?
uses German in a german speaking country
“I AM NOT YOUR TUTOR” the same person will complain that immigrants don’t want to integrate or learn german 😂 somehow they should learn the language to complete fluency in their german classes and NEVER talk to anyone else in a real life scenario until they’re C2, otherwise it’s annoying. sounds like a good way to learn a language and integrate into a culture ☺️
Well, it is a very German attitude but god forbid you point out their faults in any manner.
Depends on the actual level. I'm subpar at understanding broken german. It's super frustrating to me. If it's part of my job to deal with you, i'll still do my best. Off the clock, asked for directions or similar? I do agree with that "not your tutor sentiment".
If you are unable to communicate in a somewhat decent manner it is remember the person you are talking to has about a million other things to do and you trying to remember and utter your 3 broken German lines is not one
And why would I want to suffer through your English?
Well funny story I am a nativ English speaker it is actually the first language I ever spoke but good luck
Unfortunately it is one when the person in question is a paying customer. Of course said worker is always welcome to kick them out of the store or w/e,. And it still does not make the worker their training buddy, it simply makes the worker someone who had to deal with a less than ideal situation.
Yes or you know they can deal with it by switching to a language they speak better double so when they have an accent that clearly shows they speak English
Quatsch mit Soße! I am meeting or listening to many immigrants. Those that try to speak, learn the language a lot faster because they get more and better feedback
You sound fun at parties.
sorry, didn't realize we had an internet tough guy here.
Your german doesn't need to be fluent to speak it. As long as everyone is understanding then it's fine.
Some of these dialects are so bad that many native germans can't speak much better than B1 Hochdeutsch.
Get off your high horse
That's so wrong. Dialekt doesn't mean they can't speak fluent. B1 is not fluent.
My dude, What you are mixing up, is grammar knowledge and ability to express themselve with pronounciation.
Basically no native german cannot speak High German at C1 level. Because the dialects still translate to High German. They still know in 98% of cases, where to put which prepositions, how to order the words or how to konjugate and declinate their verbs.
The pronounciation may be off, but that's less of an issue.
A foreigner with A2 or B1 level makes all those mistakes, constantly, without the extensive vocabulary to back them up, as well as an unsuitable pronounciation.
If you combine those mistakes, you won't be understood.
Wtf did you get the internet tough guy from.
People talking A1 or A2 to somebody working to improve their German while making the persons life difficult is being the arsehole.
Random people are not your training dummies.
And no dialect doesn't equate to b1 German and us kinda a bit of a elitist attitude
– Hallo, ick möhte fra...
– Oh it's alright, we can speak English if you want
– Nein dank, ick will deutche lern...
– Sir, despite my limited English proficiency, which I am actively working to improve, I have chosen to engage in this conversation in English for the sake of facilitating our communication.
– Fahrrad
This is what I do.
Perfect advice.
In my experience people stop switching once you get to / past about B1 and can handle daily interactions without stress.
The only times I have people switch is if they hear me speaking English or god forbid I tell them I'm Australian. Then it doesn't matter what language I speak they'll reply in English the whole time.
Interesting. Perhaps that’s why - when I moved to Germany, my German was between B1/B2. I consider that very bad (I could not express myself outside of the most basic circumstances), and definitely not handle daily interactions without stress (hell I’m C1 now and am still stressed).
That's normal. Bin there. Keep reading, listening to music, watching shows in German. What helped me most was learning some sentences by heart, especially if they are complicated. 2 years after C1 i managed to write my Master Thesis in German.
Yes, there's a resistance by many teachers to learning sentences by heart and it's true that this isn't great if it's your only method of learning, but it's actually quite useful to memorise complex structures once you've studied them to just go back to a real life example you're very familiar with. Same with learning songs/poetry by heart.
Thank you, that's what I meant. It helps to start your conversation without those "ehm" "eeee" "panic" "forgot the word". You just feel more confident, atnd it helps a lot to keep going. Only one Professor noticed, that i actually learned first 3-4 sentences by heart, but was pleased, that i made lots of thoughts not only about the Topic but also how i communicate it.
I mean this kind of applies in every field possible. Just copying someones work doesn't make you understand why it's good and how to build on it.
Bad at a game? Try copying the masters. You will probably see some improvement but you can't really do anything else when you opponement does something which requires an appropriate reaction.
I've had this with a colleague but they asked if they could speak in English to practice and I said I would continue in German and all was well. It's fun to communicate like that. We would also help correct each others mistakes.
That's a win for everybody 👍😊
I second this. Once you get to the point of completing B1 you can hold your own in simple conversations. Before then it can be pretty uncomfortable for your conversation partner. That’s why it is good in the earlier stages to have a conversation partner who is very patient with you. The exception being Switzerland, where you could speak C2 High German and the locals will still switch to English.
The exception being Switzerland, where you could speak C2 High German and the locals will still switch to English.
That's more because they, Swiss Germans, don't want to speak Standard High German though, no? Nothing to do with the conversation partner.
I get it, I also don't want to speak the Standard form of my native language if I can avoid it, it's only a written language for me and it feels extremely weird to talk like that. I understand how someone itching to practice their textbook language with me will be disappointed by this, but at the end of the day, I'm not a language teacher.
I’m a native English speaker with (officially certified) C1 German in Munich. It doesn’t happen in most interactions, but still does in some of them, maybe 10-15% of the time.
I think this is a problem that disproportionately affects those with accents that identify them as native English speakers. For everyone else, the German may not be sure if the non-native actually speaks better English than German.
I live in Fulda, before I moved here, I was told (mostly on this sub honestly) that I wouldn't be able to get by with my A1 German. I am in classes currently to improve my German and integrating is extremely important to me.
I have found that most people here are incredibly kind about my language skills. Sometimes they will automatically switch to English, but for the most part they will let me speak in German and if I don't understand them verify in English.
I do however, start ALL of my conversations with saying in German that I am learning German and ask them to speak slowly for me. This seems to help people expect to need extra patience with me.
I have ran into quite a few people who don't speak English and we get by okay with my broken German and translations apps.
That being said this week, I had an amazing moment in the grocery store where an elderly lady couldn't read the best by date on the eggs she was purchasing and asked me for help and I was able to help her! So, pretty proud of that!
Also in Fulda and nooobody speaks English here so not really a problem. But people did appreciate when I excused my German and asked for patience. Thankfully I am over that.
Most people I've met speak English here though?
That story and your attitude sound awesome!
Thank you. It's been a really really hard time for me. Trying to decide if I made the right decision and there has been lots of tears, but it's also been really great in a lot of ways
I know what you mean. My girlfriend and parents are also immigrants. It is a tough life but once you made it, it will be worth it. I was always told that learning good German is the hardest part. Dont give up and keep the spirit. Thank you for contributing to our society! I hope that you will enjoy your future here with us.
This is really sweet. Thank you for your kindness.
You are welcome. Have a nice day :)
Kiwi living in heidelberg. Ive been here bearly 3 years and am only in the early stages of A2
that "bearly 3 years" made me read it in a west-coast Chicano accent.
Was supposed to be nearly. Just a typo.
Brooooo
Im basically/almost the same after a month... How do you get by day to day without feeling obliged to learn more?
You’re almost certainly significantly worse than him and overestimating your level.
Idk, it depends on the person. I’ve been here 4 years and am C1. However everyone has their circumstances and learns at a different pace, as long as they are putting it effort I don’t think anyone should judge.
I'm daily going shopping or getting coffees, deciding which cake to get with it based on the barista's recommendations and in stores asking where I can find shit. Taking back my burger because it was the wrong one/didn't have bacon on it... I spend hours at family bbqs with native speakers and, while it requires effort, I follow the conversation 90% of the time.
I just cant process a sentence in that context fast enough to participate properly in the conversation before it moves on.
I've officially passed the first half of A1 already but that almost feels like undermining my argument given how basic that was (modal verbs, barely touching some akkusativ cases, times/numbers, trennbare verbs, directions, some basic nouns and their article) Yet this final point alone entirely supports my original comment - that I'm nearly at his level after 1 month. Like. I literally am, regardless of subjective opinions or anecdotal evidence.
If I took the part 2 test for A1 right now I might pass it, and if I failed it would be close - which would put me a week or two away from overtaking the other dude.
The only reason I was so incredulous was because I'm also a kiwi, with ADHD no less, and so I feel like whatever I do is there or there abouts the minimum standard. Especially when comparing months to years.
Well, i spent 6 months in hospital, then over a year trying to figure out how to become a person again. Then the mental healtj took a but of a kicking. So, its a slow process, but there is some.
Depends on the environment. Germans who speak English usually switch to English immediately out of courtesy (you just don't wait for the other party to announce that they cannot follow). Unless you know they wants to practise, you do not assume.
Also Germans want to practise their English and as this is much harder in Germany, surrounded by Germans, they jump at the opportunity of course.
Yes, I have also found that many Germans see switching to English as a kindness. I’ve never encountered someone doing it out of frustration that they couldn’t understand me.
But I also live where the majority do not speak English, so that probably skews things.
I think this is an underappreciated distinction. People who complain about Germans switching to English might not be aware, but it makes all the difference in the world!
In most situations, I'd consider it basic politeness to not let my conversation partner struggle on in German if there's an easier option, especially if the conversation is about an actual question where details matter.
I wouldn't dream of switching to English if you let me know you want to practice German and it's a "Nice weather today" type of conversation. I'm sure that goes for 99.9% of people here.
Just please be upfront about practicing and select your topics accordingly. Don't ask about the train connection that leaves in 5 minutes or a medical emergency or stuff like that...
I mean, as a German (but living in the UK) to me that's the opposite of politeness, by switching you're essentially pointing out that the other person doesn't speak German well enough.
Hmmm... I can see that happening, too. We might be imagining slightly different scenarios.
Once again, for me it depends heavily on what I think that person's main goal is. And then on top of that there's tone, facial expression etc.
Good question, but let me also add another variable I have been investigating: what's your native language and how much of that accent is present when you speak German.
Native language is Chinese and I’m ethnically Chinese, but I learnt English from a very young age and am closer to a native speaker than a fluent foreign speaker.
I have been told that it’s mostly my (weird mix between American and British) English accent that comes through in my German, so I have the common struggles with r and ch. But I’m also told that ironically, my accent is more noticeable when I’m nervous or pay attention to it, and if I speak naturally or in context, I even get the hard sounds right.
Native language is Chinese and I’m ethnically Chinese, but I learnt English from a very young age and am closer to a native speaker than a fluent foreign speaker. I have been told that it’s mostly my (weird mix between American and British) English…
Ah, the Hong Kong (maybe Singapore?) international school accent. I can imagine that’s tough.
Ha your first guess is spot on. Singapore has their own accent.
Depends on how militant their parents were about hammering the Singlish accent out of them, tbh. Speak Good English and all.
They might also not assume you can speak English in that case. Seems it would be odd to assume that but could be part of the equation.
My native language is also Chinese, and my sitution is similar to yours. I never got the issue of "switching to English"
I'm convinced native language is the biggest factor!
I don't know if it's the biggest, but my working hypothesis is that if they recognise an English accent, they are more likely to switch to English. If they perceive e.g. a Greek accent but they don't speak Greek, they are more likely to assume that the most viable shared language is still German.
In my experience it's entirely about the environment and not the city or state you live in. Nor is it particularly about speaking perfect german or not having an accent. I live in Berlin and am a native English speaker so if anyone would be force-switched to English it would be me, but it very rarely happens.
If the workplace/Verein/classroom has German as it's working language, then Germans will use German with anyone who can converse competently, whereas if English is the working language, it will also be used for private conversations except between native Germans. I don't think it's really deliberate, it just becomes natural to speak a particular language in that environment. It happens to me too.
So for anyone trying to learn German but also only taking part in activities that are held in English, the situation ends up self-reinforcing. All their attempts to meet more Germans just ends up with speaking more English.
Side Anecdote: A particularly bizarre case was that when I transferred from an English-speaking team to a German-speaking team within the same company, people not in either team who previously spoke to me in English started speaking to me in German, even though of course my German skills did not magically change from one day to the next.
Oh, this makes perfect sense. All the interactions I have with Germans are in German environments. The Germans at my former English work place did indeed speak English, but that’s because the manager also explicitly discouraged people from speaking German.
In Berlin it also heavily depends on the location. I live in Berlin West for the last 6-ish years and nobody ever switches to English with me. Lots of people just dont speak English here and others just stick to German even though they can speak it.
When I go to the east part, people more often switch to English even though my German is more than good enough to hold a conversation.
If you are in tourist area they will speak English especially if your accent is not good
I live in Köln. I went to the large garden center near me yesterday. I went to the Pflanzenschutz desk and told the guy "Guten Tag. Ich suche konzentrierte insektizide Seife." He answered in German and then also said "we can also talk in English"
It's also very common for me and my fellow immigrant friends that people, especially in stores, will switch to English very quickly. I don't blame the workers, though. It's not their job to suffer us taking longer to speak when they have other things to get done.
As my German gets better, those kinds of interactions generally happen less... unless someone is trying to be polite or, in rare cases, when they tell me they'd like to practice their English.
I find this interesting, because I started working in a store during my studies, and of my colleagues, me and some other students aside, there was no one, I think, comfortable with speaking English at all. When there's someone looking for something in English (and there is quite regularly, because it's a small University town with a not of international students) they usually send them to me (or another student present), or ask me for a translation. So this widespread availability of everyone understanding English and switching immediately, is really not what I experience at work at all, even though I hear it a lot on the internet.
I also don't switch myself very often. There's not that much talk going on anyway. We even have enough customers who have their headphones in the entire time. So, it really doesn't matter much, in most cases what language someone speaks. Most do well enough to understand hello and good bye and everything else can be done with hand and feet, and the price is always visible on the screen anyway. So I generally only switch when there's more to talk about and a clear lack of understanding of what I say in German. Even than, I usually switch back to German for the goodbyes. I have a bit trouble switching languages on a whim, rapidly. I can speak English fluently, but switching back and forth is kinda hard for me. So I do it rarely.
There are also many cases. Really many cases, where English doesn't help either. For every time I need to switch to English there's also one time, I try to switch, but the other person doesn't speak English either. Or not very well. So usually, I wait for the other person to switch or until I run out of patience.
I talk in my disastrous A2 German and people usually don’t switch. I do live in an area with a LOT of immigrants who don’t speak English though, so people usually don’t assume it will make a conversation easier.
If you're a native English speaker, do they not recognize from your accent and then switch to English? Regardless of where the immigrants in your area are from
No, but I live in the middle of nowhere so most Germans here don’t speak any English. Very very few times has someone switched to English with me.
I life in Berlin and even as a German I tend to ask for things in English nowadays because 80% (exaggerated) of the staff does not even speak any German (at bars for example)
What friends have told me, there is a tipping point, once you go over that mountain most do not switch, but once you inconvience their patience too much they use english.
No one ever switched for me unless I asked because I couldn’t follow the conversation anymore. I also find it interesting that so many posted here that they couldn’t practice German because everyone switched to English for them. For context I am in Hamburg.
Cologne
Same, no-one ever switches for me unless I actually know them and we both know that their English is better than my German.
I live in Hamburg, same experience. Germans love to speak German with me here.
I have to say I feel the same. I know I'm in a not very big city in Eastern Germany but damn I had to use my then half forgotten German since the first day and spoke English here maybe on three occasions in two years.
I hope its not Dresden :D
Haha no, a much less known city. In fact when I finally visited Dresden I was already so used to speaking German that I didn't even try English and no one tried to switch to it as well.
For me, it depends on the circumstances. At my university, where many students are international, even though I know German, my professors would talk to me in English. In other places (hospitals, supermarkets, and other public service institutions), people would talk to me in German 99% of the time. Also, my German husband doesn’t want to talk to me in German because he loves to use English at home with me. So depends on the place and specific situation like my husband. Lol.
This is an interesting topic. I’m a heritage speaker so rarely have this problem even though my German has not always felt up to scratch and rusty. My first trip back after 20 years I had been in Berlin one day worried I couldn’t remember anything and I was really nervous. When getting a SIM card (and signing a ridiculously long contract lol) the salesperson was really chatty and I had no idea how my German was sounding but I went with it. Maybe it’s accent🤷♀️ I was later asked by an Austrian I didn’t know if I was born there and moved away as a child. Maybe a mix of not sounding quite like a foreigner and not quite like a native. I can pronounce everything but sometimes my vowels might slip a bit or intonation is off and I make mistakes here and there. I did stay with a friend I first met at home so day 1 was mostly English and by day 3 we’d switched to German. The only other time someone switched to English in my travels back was at a touristy spot after I turned and spoke to my daughter in English. Back when I lived in Germany I had one friend who switched to English sometimes. I think he just wanted to practice. I did speak to other English speakers in English if no German speakers were part of the conversation and it was like a holiday! A cousin commented that when I was speaking in English to my son I seemed a bit more animated. Ha ha. She said our mutual Spanish speaking cousins were the same when they spoke Spanish together. Makes sense I guess as maintaining a heritage language away from the country is hard work.
I don't say that I don't speak German. I say that my German isn't so good so please speak slowly and easily. Then they know that I still want them to speak German, but wittle baby German for babies.
I grew up in Switzerland but have been living in Australia for decades. I still speak absolutely perfect Swiss-German, but when speaking German I have a slight English accent. My grammar and fluency in German is still as good as ever. Nevertheless, most times when I'm in Germany and speak German to someone, they instantly respond to me in English.
I was born and raised here in Germany and I'm 26 years old now. Sometimes people still approach me in English because my parents are from Sri Lanka. That's the time where I pack out my badischen Akzent and keep speaking in German haha
i dont understand why people are making a big deal out of it, its like they give the person they're talking to all the power. you can always say lets keep speaking german. why is it so hard to state your preference??
p.s. this is not meant for the OP, just in general
I’m a native German speaker so I’ll answer your question from the other perspective. Usually I’m happy to speak German with foreigners even if they have a thick accent but it can happen that I don’t understand at all what they’re trying to say and I’ll ask if we should try in English.
My partner is a foreigner and learning German but people almost never switch to English unless he’s clearly struggling / lost. Even then a lot keep talking to him in German. But generally he was always relieved if someone offered English instead cause he feels a bit shy to ask for it himself.
We live in Berlin btw.
I've been near Stuttgart since August, people there don't switch to English unless I visibly struggle to understand (but it's only the young people who do that) or ask them if they speak english (which is the most frequent outcome of the two)
The only moment I've had people automatically switch was when I was in Berlin because my sentence was just super grammatically incorrect and also it seems that the moment I would start to switch to english for a word or sentence I didn't know how to say, they would just not go back to german and continue in English even if I go back to german.
Thing is: if you stricke with German, we switch to English to make your life easier. If you TELL us not to, because you want to learn, we stop. If you ask us to correct you, because you REALLY want to learn... Be prepared that we we bloody will. We're fucking friendly like that.
Personally i never switch to english. Only if they wish so. I can read english but i cant speak it.
Personally this has never happened to me anywhere in Germany.
I have a weird problem - I got up to B1 but I had (and still do) have really, really good pronunciation of all but the hardest words. This causes many Germans to assume I’m much much better at German than I actually am, and especially in Berlin they start to use lots of slang. I don’t live in Germany anymore, so my German comprehension is rusty but the grammar and pronunciation sticks. It can be quite embarrassing when meeting people in business meetings and having to interrupt them after a few minutes just because they’re slipping into comfortable slang.
you are acting likethe average renate at the weekly farmers market is able to speak English
I think the 'problem' is massively overstated, and predominately by tourists who visit touristy regions. The vast majority of long term migrants I know have the exact opposite complaint i.e. people refusing to use anything other than German regardless of how poorly the conversation was going. This has also been my experience after living in Germany for a while in two major cities, the vast majority of Germans will not and do not switch away from German in day to day life.
In my personal opinion, a lot of it has to do with the English proficiency amongst the general population being massively overstated. The average German has no real need to use English in their day to day life and has generaly forgotten most of the English they've learnt in school. The foreign media is almost entirely dubbed, so there's very little exposure via that.
That being said, there are some social circles where people are a lot quicker to switch to English, my partners friends used to do that at the start and then stopped as my comprehension got better.
Just start the conversation with English, people always pretend to don't understand you, so they will ashamed to switch back to English after.
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How good is your German?
I think it's a combination of situation and language skills. With situation I mean do we have time to stumble through sentences or do we need precise information quickly? Like, do you want to practice your German or do you rather want to catch your train?
When it comes to language skills, that 1. goes for both sides; not every German is proficient in English or doesn't want to speak in an half familiar language. Others like to use their knowledge. 2. It's not just the ABC level, it's also a matter of accent. Some people may have great grammar but I still don't understand a word they are saying because their pronunciation is way off. In this case, it doesn't really help to speak more slowly.
As a counterexample, my German is bad (DTZ B1), and I never get switched on, and I live in Swabia.
When people switch to English w me I just keep speaking in German. I’m A2 so my grammar gets pretty bad when I start speaking due to nervousness/lack of speaking practice but I did feel like everything I said made perfect sense. About half the time people would keep speaking to me in German and I always thanked them for being patient. I was in Berlin, Dresden, and Salzburg over a six week period.
Personally never had too much trouble with people switching to English in Austria, but it probably helped that I was often out and about with native speakers when I was first learning German. But even when I was alone, it was really mostly only in “gastro” situations, like going to a busy ice cream stand, that people switched to English.
I think this is a lot of people’s issue who say it’s hard practicing German: They think restaurants are a good place to practice. Many gastro workers will switch to English especially if you are at a lower level, but if you’re in a Verein or take a pottery class or even go to like a speciality non touristy shop, people will speak German with you even at a pretty low level.
Why? Because a lot of non-gastro workers actually don’t really want to speak English to do their job / even if they might want to practice their English they are much more willing to entertain you practicing and helping you.
I live in Munich and have the same experience mostly which is I think better to learn the language but contrary to general view of the internet.
What is a very young city?
here is a trick, just say you don’t speak english, so either german or hindi (for me) and then try your best german. In an important conversation as long as they understand the general thing you are trying to say they will understand and you can have conversations
First moved to Berlin in 2001, when the East-West distinction was really a thing and people in the east tended not to speak good English. Because of this, I rarely had language switching in the East but very frequently had it in the West. The main thing seemed to be whether they could tell from my accent that I was an English native speaker and whether they judged themselves to speak better English than my German or whether they felt a need to practice their English. Whether or not they could basically understand me did not necessarily play a role as often they switched before there was much to misunderstand. Nowadays, I don't experience any language switching as people openly tell me that my German is too good and they would feel bad about their English in comparison.
I live in Erlangen and I'm from India, I am very much fluent in German and am very comfortable with it. Any conversation for me either gets started in English or they reply in English. I always keep replying back in German until either they switch or they tell "ohh du sprichst Deutsch". Which was not the case where I was initially studying. There no matter you had to speak German coz the town was filled with Old people and I found it easier to understand their German than listening to their broken English in case of my Uni.
cologne
If someone switches to English, that means your German might be to terrible to understand, but they still want to communicate with you and English could be better for you to pronounce.
So go back to school and study more😉
If they switch to English, start speaking fake Spanish or say you don’t understand English
When this happened, I actually did something crazy and unimaginable: I asked the person to instead continue speaking in german because I wanted to improve 😱
Just keep speaking german. You don't have to switch