The language barrier can sometimes make traveling difficult. This diversity makes English an important common denominator for shared communication. Estimates put Belgium's German-speaking population around 1 percent. Japan is on the bucket list for many English-speaking travelers. In certain cities throughout Spain, you’ll find locals who speak English. While English is widely spoken in some foreign countries, it isn’t in others. The rest speak French, Italian or Romansh. Although French is used for street and place names and for official business, most of Luxembourg's citizens speak a dialect of German called Lëtztebuergesch in daily life, and Luxembourg is considered a German-speaking country. In areas that specifically cater to tourists within the main cities, like Moscow and St. Petersburg, you might be able to get away with speaking only English. Even though many Japanese people learn English as a second language, a lot still don’t feel confident enough to converse with a native English-speaker. The quality of English as a second language is becoming more and more competitive in European countries. Russia is similar to much of Eastern Europe in that a lot of locals aren’t familiar with English. German minority populations (Amish, Hutterites, Mennonites) are also still found in regions of North and South America. RELATED: 10 Of The Most Useful Languages To Know When Traveling. The national and first official language of Ireland is, you guessed it, Irish. Austria is the Latin (and English) term for Österreich, literally the "eastern realm." Then there's the "postage stamp" country of Liechtenstein, tucked in between Austria and Switzerland. Hyde Flippo taught the German language for 28 years at high school and college levels and published several books on the German language and culture. At one time, the e was placed above the vowel, but as time went on, the e became just two dots ("diaeresis" in English). In German: Wien ist die Hauptstadt. Japanese may seem very difficult to learn from an English-speaker’s perspective, but there is a lot of help available! Switzerland: Die Schweiz is the German term for Switzerland, but to avoid the confusion that could result from using the country's four official languages, the sensible Swiss opted for the Latin designation, "Helvetia," on their coins and stamps. Belgium is sometimes called "Europe in miniature" because of its multilingual population: Flemish (Dutch) in the north (Flanders), French in the south (Wallonia) and German in the east (Ostbelgien). Here's where to find the six others: Austria ( Österreich) should quickly come to mind. In the developing world, English is less of a foreign language skill and more a tool synonymous with development, expanding a country's economy and increasing its connectedness to the rest of the world. RELATED: The Top 10 Things To Know Before Visiting Iceland. Austria's beautiful, mostly mountainous landscape is contained in a space about the size of the U.S. state of Maine. Note: The various variations of German spoken in different regions have such strong dialects they could nearly be considered a different language. An interactive visualisation of language knowledge in Europe, based on the European Commission's latest and authoritative Eurobarometer survey data on languages in Europe, resulting from 27,000 interviews across 27 European countries in early 2012. Officials estimate that about 95 million people speak German as a first language. While you may still come across those who understand English in cities like Tokyo and Kyoto, you’re better off learning a little Japanese than expecting the locals to speak English. Before traveling to Russia, it’s a good idea to become familiar with a few keywords and phrases in Russian. What's It Like To See Cappadocia Turkey From A Hot Air Balloon? This is why it’s not surprising Swenglish is recognized as a phenomenon in this region. There are four official languages in Singapore, and one of them happens to be English. Arnold Schwarzenegger's "I'll-be-back" accent is Austrian German. But generally, in cities like Dublin and Galway, you won’t have a problem. Vaduz, the capital, and largest city counts fewer than 5,000 inhabitants and doesn't have its own airport (Flughafen).