We Anglos are used to speaking the world’s lingua franca – around 70% of the world’s business is transacted in English – so we’re taken aback to find that not everyone can default to our tongue, or that some have only a handful of words in their Anglo vocabulary.
It’s not confined to Latin America – in Tokyo airport I saw an alluring refrigerated display of a drink they call Sweat – but in Brazil, with less British influence than say Argentina, it’s especially true, though they’re catching on, witness the huge number of English language schools. Sao Paulo is providing free English lessons for taxi drivers to prepare for the Cup and the Games. Cultura Inglesa, a clever combination of consulate, arts centre and language school, has 56 branches in Brazil. http://www.culturainglesa.net/wps/portal/inicio
Evidence for the absence of English in Brazil and Uruguay surprises you with unintentional, sometimes Anglo-Saxon humour. A selection below.
Boutique, not church, Punta del Este, Uruguay
Supermarket, Montevideo – not a Welcome sign
For the educated dog, Sao Paulo, Brazil
Not. Supermarket, Sao Paulo
Let’s hear it for fabric softener. Supermarket, Sao Paulo
Boutique near the Playa de los Ingleses, Punta del Este, Uruguay
Pharmacy, Sao Paulo
Bakery section, Sao Paulo supermarket
People are puzzled when I stop to take such pictures …
theproverbial.org 
Stop Dog – haha! People also give me strange looks when I take photos of things like this. Great article.