In East Germany people older than 50 or so learned Russian in school, not English, so your attempts to speak German will be more appreciated there.

On a personal note my American partner claims that I have a nicer — less German — personality when I speak English, or perhaps correct English is not that important to her, an attitude probably shared by many Americans. She does not understand that I appreciate corrections, the same way I do not understand that she doesn't.

A conversation that starts with "it is das Beziehungsgespräch, nicht der!" tends not to continue well. So English has become the language of choice in our partnership. (To our son I speak German while she addresses him in English which turned out well.)

In East Germany people older than 50 or so learned Russian in school, not English, so your attempts to speak German will be more appreciated there.

On a personal note, my American partner claims that I have a nicer — less German — personality when I speak English; or perhaps correct English is not that important to her, an attitude probably shared by many Americans. She does not understand that I appreciate corrections, the same way I do not understand that she doesn't.

A conversation that starts with "it is das Beziehungsgespräch, nicht der!" tends not to continue well. So English has become the language of choice in our partnership.

This mechanism could be at work in general conversations as well, making them simply go smoother in English.