Thats a very lazy way of doing it Ted 
Although you can’t be expected to become fluent in every European language, you can pick up a bit on each visit to each country and end up with enough to struggle by with in each language. One of those little electronic translators is very useful if you get stuck trying to explain something as well. I also found that if you make a reasonable effort in the local language, they were much more willing to speak English.
Paper n pen and pointing will of course be a useful last resort.
Think how you would feel if a foreign vistor to the UK kept jabbering on in their own language, grabbing your arm and pointing around 
