Originally Posted by
backprop
I agree that learning pleasantries in the local language is absolutely required for English speakers. But IMO if the value of learning common phrases, particularly questions, is dubious unless you are really trying to master the language.
Watch a boatload of tourists with their "dos cervesas por favor" Spanish, for example. When the waiter replies "Qué tipo de cerveza te gustaría?" their faces go blank. The conversation then repeats itself in English, which it should have been in to begin with. No use in pretending that one party is anything other than monolingual.
Questions can have value if the answer can be communicated very simple words or no words at all. If I get asked a question in obviously limited English I'm going to try to make things as easy to understand as possible.
For example, the Russian guy asking for my help in the airport in China--he was stumped by one line on the form to fill out for immigration. His English was obviously quite poor so I limited my speaking to one word: "ticket". When he produced his boarding pass I pointed to the flight number on it and to the blank on the form. He got it right away.
Likewise, a "where is x?" question can be approximately answered with pointing.