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I am going to be in Madrid for a week or so next summer. Mostly work, but probably also some free time. I have been studying Spanish for a while now, and I got to the level when I am mostly understanding written text, at least up to the newspaper level (though some rarer words are missing, but mostly I get through), but when I listen to the radio it's about 50/50 chance I can understand. I know most people these - especially in tourist places and hotels and so on - would speak English likely, but I think it'd be cool if I could speak Spanish to them - and especially understand them speaking Spanish to me. Any suggestions about how could I increase the likelihood of this happening?
Most people in Spain do not speak good English. The spread of English in Europe has been exaggerated (with a few exceptions). Yes you'll be partly understood in tourism heavy locales but you won't be having particularly satisfying conversations in English with the average Spanish person. A lot of subtleties will be lost.
Learning the local language is usually a better bet. Regular exposure is the key. I would try to find one or several practice partners for voice chatting. Watching Spanish movies with and without subtitles every week might help. Maybe voice AI could be of help too. I'd try to branch out from learning the written language. Actually speaking it yourself is important to get used to.
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