Said something embarrassing with work colleagues

[Dameednas]

I’m mortified. We’ve moved abroad (EU) and I went out for a drink with work colleagues tonight. I speak the language reasonably well so can mostly get on. We left the pub and I heard a group speaking English, I asked my colleagues if they noticed more people speaking English and what they thought of it. Their eyes got wide, they answered quickly, and then walked away. We then went our separate directions and I didn’t have a chance to recover.

It shouldn’t be such an odd question, you’d think, but a) our talk that evening was entirely work-related, and b) that sort of thing marks you here as a total anti-immigrant knob! I’ve been mulling it over since I got home, I feel so awful. (I suffer from a bit of social anxiety anyway and this was my first time going out with this group, it sure I’ll ever be invited again!)

From your explanation the 'what do you think of it?' part does read as though you were trying to spark up a controversial conversation. Why on earth did you ask what they thought of it if you know speaking English is a dog whistle?
Hopefully as you are also an English speaking immigrant they won't think you're anti immigration or racist and just made a quick getaway because they thought a socially awkward conversation may be forthcoming.
I'd try not to overthink it now. Just carry on with them as usual and avoid contentious questions until you know people a lot better.

I can kind of see what you're saying OP, it's hard for us to 'get it' because we're not used to being the 'foreigners.' I suppose it's a bit akin to a colleague saying something like 'Every time I go to the pub now someone is speaking Polish, have you noticed that?'

I still think for most people it would absolutely depend on the exact wording way it was said, and, crucially, if you were Polish yourself it would land completely differently, so for your colleagues to immediately assume you were being discriminatory sounds a bit OTT. For one to just walk off without saying anything makes her far ruder than you and I wouldn't even bother addressing that with her. People who work with you will get to know you and that you aren't discriminatory, and if anyone brought it up I'd just laugh it off and say 'I think she got the wrong end of the stick, I am English so why on earth would I be complaining about other people speaking it?'

If you know the other one better, you could maybe have a quiet word with her next time but more along the lines of explaining your (whatever language) isn't perfect and some cultural/social mores don't translate exactly but you hope she knew you didn't mean to offend anyone. But I wouldn't be excessively apologetic for what was an innocuous remark.

Many of us are used to being foreigners! I’ve lived outside my home country for most of my adult life. I wouldn’t give it another thought.