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It's simply polite to make an effort to speak another person's language, no matter if you are in their country or they are in yours. It's communication. But there is no real need to learn more than 3-4 'polite' words. The rest can always be done with pictures.
Pictures usually work. I never leave the house without a small pocket notebook and a pen. I might not know the local word for 'post office' but I can draw a picture of a letter with a stamp on it. (This gets a bit dicey when trying to find a gynecologist.) A quick 'excuse me' in the local language for good manners, then a picture, and finish with 'thanks,' again in the lingua franca and you're on your way. No one is embarrassed or upset and perhaps you'll make a friend!
Stitchawl
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