Mostly from my experience learning Norwegian with only Swedish as learned language: You get a lot of funny looks, stumble over misapplied or uncomprehensible formulations, but you get your point across. (More so if you are using a native language.)
> I think I would put a -5 penalty or so to all communication
> abilities. In normal conversation (no contest) what can I
> do? An ability test of Heortling Customs with -5? Also, I
> don't want too much rolls, because it could stop the game.
I'd enter all manner of nonsensical or incomprehensible phrases when communicating with the players in the role of foreigners. If you have seen "The Thirteenth Warrior", the Norse spoken by the northmen gets interspersed with "comprehensible" fragments. Reverse that progress for more unfamiliar dialects. It helps if you as storyteller can use a language unfamiliar to your players, but fantasy sounds instead of intelligble words or simply mumbling will do as well. In case of doubt, use similar-sounding words totally unsuited to the topic discussed. Use bad puns. In short, use language, not dice.
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