My experience with trying to talk Czech is that I will go to some restaurant, and in my best Czech will ask for what I want, and the waiter/waitress will ask me in English what drink I want with it.
Same with me
In the more major places, anyway. In smaller shops, or anywhere outside of Prague, and in any government offices, I speak bad Czech, and they either look at me confused, or reply in a rapid stream of complicated Czech.
To add a bit about how people learn English and get competent in conversation skills - there are English native speakers all over the place teaching English. It's a really common summer / Gap year job for Americans (and some Brits). It's pretty easy to find a native speaker, meet with them for an hour a week, and talk.
