I had an amusing experience last year. After I had left a small village in the
south of France, I drove on to the next town. On the way, a young man waved to
me. I stopped and he asked me for a lift. As soon as he had got into the car,
I said good morning to him in French and he replied in the same language.
Apart from a few words, I do not know any French at all. Neither of us spoke
during the journey. I had nearly reached the town, when the young man suddenly
said, very slowly, 'Do you speak English?' As I soon learnt, he was English
himself!&