I was pretty surprised recently when I visited St Petersburg. I went on a tour and the tour guide spoke flawless English for the whole three hour tour. Until someone asked her a question in English. And another. And another. And with each one it became more apparent that she did not speak English, she just memorized the tour in English.

One of the more interesting things I took from the trip.

She probably knows some english, just not conversational. I can read spanish and I could certainly memorize a spanish language speech and even pronounce it fairly well, but I struggle to have anything beyond and extremely basic conversation in Spanish.

Hearing and understanding is easier than forming responses in real time. I understand a lot more Russian than I can speak. She probably understood a lot of English, but struggled coming up with responses.