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Baughn comments on How to choose a country/city? - Less Wrong
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Thanks. Do you know exactly how far English gets me in most European countries? Also, could you elaborate some more on what "much farther" means? For example, in Germany people would start talking in German with me on the conversation? And yes, if I would to live there I would like to learn the language. I'm also not comfortable with people being able to communicate in a manner I cannot understand (this is mostly paranoia, but it is also social uncomfortable).
You'll have to get over that paranoia. People will always do that, even in nominally English-speaking countries.
In general, the larger the country is, the less chance there is that a random person you meet on the street speaks usable English. Germany, France and Spain are particularly bad in this regard. I don't have hard numbers, but with very wide margins, you might expect that >95% of the working population speaks English in Scandinavia but only 50% in France.
So go to Sweden, if you have the option. Scandinavia's the nicest area of Europe anyway.
That said, emphasis on "random" above. Anyone working for a university is almost guaranteed to be competent in English, especially in a technical area.