What makes many Americans believe that most Europeans can speak English?

Well, lots of Europeans do speak English. As a matter of fact, English IS the business language whereas French IS the diplomatic language.

You just took the only example of a nation that thinks the same way as the Americans : France

Both, people of France and of the US, think that their language is the best and that it should be spoken by EVERYBODY on earth!

Get over it : although both think they are "the Navel"of the Earth....neither nation is. Let's learn each other's languages, try to cohabit together and let's appreciate all cultures and all languages...le monde entier ne s'en portera que mieux.

There are so many different languages in Europe. Most Europeans like to travel and English seems to be a language spoken & understood by a lot of people in most regions of Europe and in Africa & Asia as well.

Bonne journée! :)

Most the countries of the world learn to speak English as a second language because it's the most spoken language any where but as usual it in among the educated

more than others and when we talk about the tourism industry you should know they're

hand picked & they must speak the required

language before they get hired.

In America only business people & travilers

speak more than one language.

Probably a few reasons:

1. I think many Americans expect everyone to speak their language - our educational system doesn't spend much time on geography or foreign language or even cultures - the U.S. has a significant percentage of poorly educated people [high school drop out rate in Los Angeles is in the 30-40 percent range and rising every year]

2. The U.S./Canada is pretty dang large also - so traveling thousands of miles on a trip usually means English is still spoken - East to West Coast trips are much more likely to occur before a trip to Europe

3. Several countries in Europe have great language skills (Holland, Germany, Belgium, and Scandinavia plus many major tourist sites in the Med.) - - - not to mention the U.K.

so when an American goes to Venice or Florence or Paris and a dozen other areas - they get a shocker -

Well, I always thought a lot of Europeans and the like knew English because 1) Both of my parents and their families going back forever have been Russian, but both my parents learned English in school. 2) My German teacher often says "Yeah, but Germans know that English phrase" or "Germans will understand that." and 3) If you try to look up foreign music, most non-english bands have song in English, sometimes whole albums!

Of course, obviously, it wouldn't be a majority, but it gives the impression of a good amount.

I think you answered your own question. The people in the tourist industry speak English, and that is why many Americans assume that English speakers are common in other fields as well. The tourist industry is what tourists have the most contact with, after all.

I know people in France that speak English, French, German, and Spanish. Europeans can speak english. What are you saying.

1. Most of Americans have never been to Europe.

2. Most Americans think 'British' or 'London' when they hear the word European.

A lot of Americans are idiot nationalists. They've never actually seriously attempted another language, so they assume their own language is easy and logical, having never looked at it from any other perspective. So, of course, they think everyone else knows it, since it's "no big deal." They're super sheltered that way.