Do you speak English?

Today Fred and I went to Asakusa where we saw the local shrine and surrounding buildings. We had brought our sketch books and so we sat down and started sketching. Apparently people drawing attracts other peoples' attention and so we had several people come up and watch us. One man came up and asked me if he could take a picture with us. First Fred took the picture of the two of us, then I took a picture of him and Fred. He was very amiable and it was nice to meet someone so friendly.
The next to approach us was a group of boys. This is how the conversation went:
Boy1: Do you speak English? [quickly passes on the paper to his friend]
Boy2: We are junior high students and need to practice English [he too thrusts the paper into the next boy's hands]
Boy3: What is your hometown?
Me: Frankfurt
They look at each other and in confusion and give me the paper to write down my hometown.
Boy3: Write your message.
Me: [I'm not sure what message I am supposed to write and so I ask them:] What message?
Boy3: Yes!
So I proceed to write a message and hand the paper back. I had to also draw an X on a map to show where I was from. And finally:
Boy4: Can we take a picture with you?

We got up and took a picture with them. I thought that this was a truly brilliant method of having students practice a foreign language. They really didn't speak any English at all, but they managed to use all the sentences that they knew. Sometimes it is good to stick out as a foreigner.