Originally Posted by
Doug64
[snip ...] knowing the language is not very important. Knowing a few words like good morning, hello, please, and thank you combined with a smile works wonders [... snip]
True, wrt practical matters. I've traveled rather extensively and language never prevented me from eating, sleeping, etc. "Survival English" is widely understood and tools like Google Translate are useful if things get a little more complicated (e.g. a visit to a medical clinic). Still, not being to converse with the locals can be frustrating at times.