What to do when you don't understand some languaje? How you can to comunicate with foreign people?

I never traveled out of my country but i studied tourism and i work with foreign people, so i can understand some people when they aren't in their country and they not only miss their family also they can't tocomunicate with anyone in any place or keep a flowing conversation, so sad, right? Well i think the most important is be patient, you have to try to the other person understand you because it can help you to get some thing or know some thing or go some place, but when are you who don't understand to the other person i think if you make some gestures you can get the other understands you, it might be more easy if you know some words of this languaje or if you have a dictionary in your hands or finally you can do pictures, with this is impossible that the other person don't understands you!
If you are going to travel to another country or if you are going to work with foreign peolpe it's very important to learn foreigns languajes i know that is a little expensive, a little hard and you are not going to have a lot of free time but believe me, it is going to help very much!!!!