Can you speak basic English?
The answer is yes.
Now many friends are worried about going abroad, one is language and the other is safety. Haha, in fact, there are many people who can speak Chinese abroad now, and the problem of simple English communication is basically not big. As long as you go to a place that is not particularly small and only has local aborigines, it may not be easy to communicate.
Anyway, haha, the popularity of English in Sri Lanka is probably like this:
Most people can speak English, especially office workers, waiters in hotels, restaurants or shops. Educated people speak English very well. Although they have an accent, they can understand it after listening to it several times.
Just like Mandarin in China, uneducated people may not speak it, or just put words together to form sentences, such as bus drivers, the elderly and some women.
Young people in Sri Lanka can basically speak basic English, especially those in the tourism industry. Although our driver's little brother is not very good at English expression and organization, he has a large vocabulary. He is definitely above the average level of China people and can basically understand what my friends and I said.
If you are really worried, it is better to travel with a group. If you have any questions, you can travel with a weather vane. Haha, mainly because I have been out with them many times, and now I think of them when I talk about traveling. You can also consult their little sister. It's very nice.
Of course, you can also learn English words by yourself, such as fruits, animals and plants. Haha, mainly for eating well!