When travelling abroad many people will ask ‘do I need to learn the language’ and this does not really have a clear cut answer. No one is going to expect you to be fluent in Greek just because you’ve booked two weeks in Kos, however learning a little bit of the language can be useful and essential in some countries.
If you are going to a country or area very popular with tourists then you are most likely to find that many people there in shops and bars speak English, however if you pick a more remote destination then you may find it necessary to have a phrase book (or app) and try to speak some of the language in order to communicate effectively.
When travelling to another country it can come across as being impolite if you make no attempt to speak the language, basic phrases such as hello, goodbye, please and thank you. You shouldn’t feel shy if your spoken language is not up to much as most people will appreciate that you are trying and will help you out if you start to converse in their mother tongue.
At the end of the day brushing up on a few key phrases can’t be a bad thing and would be received well most places that you would visit.