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Even when you aren't traveling, it can be polite to know a word or a phrase in a language other than your "milk tongue". In my local Mexican restaurant, I usually say "hola" to the greeter and "gracias" to the young girl who drops off the chips and salsa. (I'll admit that I tend to follow that with the English equivalent -- Hola, hello!.) I don't know much Spanish off the top of my head, so other than attempting to properly pronounce the names of the dishes I'm ordering, that's about it.
I *don't* expect the residents to speak English, so as an English-only speaker, I'm intimidated when I visit a country that isn't English-speaking and prefer to travel with someone who does speak the local language.
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