JACKIE MARQUEZ / OPINION EDITOR

Over intersession I studied abroad in Tokyo, Japan. As someone who can only speak English and a bit of Spanish, one of my biggest concerns about the trip was the language barrier. The idea of spending three weeks in a foreign country with no way to communicate with the locals was unnerving to say the least. So, in an attempt to prepare myself for my upcoming adventure, I frantically downloaded Duolingo. 

About a month after I started my Japanese lessons, I touched down in Tokyo. After leaving the airport I stopped by a 7/11 to grab a quick snack; confident in the handful of phrases I learned, I greeted the cashier in Japanese. To my surprise, he greeted me in Japanese… and then started speaking to me in English. 

As I interacted with more people abroad, it became increasingly obvious  that a  lot  of   locals   knew   some English. In fact, many of them knew about American culture in general. If you studied abroad, you may have experienced something similar. 

When it comes to going abroad, coming from a prominent Western country like the U.S. affords students like myself with many privileges. As such, it’s important to recognize those advantages and consider what they can teach us about our own country and culture, too. 

English is one of the most widely spoken languages in the world. According to Ethnologue, a database focusing on world languages, Mandarin Chinese has the most native speakers, but English has the most speakers in total. Nearly 1.5 billion people speak English, and it is an officially spoken language in 88 countries and territories. English is also the most widely studied foreign language. According to the University of Winnipeg, there are 142 countries where English is a mandatory part of public school curriculum. Some of these countries include Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, Spain, Germany, Italy, Egypt, Libya, Nigeria, Iran, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, India, China, Japan and South Korea. Due to this, people with English as their native tongue can almost always find someone who speaks their language abroad.

In comparison to their global counterparts, the U.S. is significantly behind in language education. While the majority of countries start studying a foreign language, such as English, in Kindergarten through 6th grade, most American public school systems don’t require a foreign language until high school. In fact, according to the American Academy of Arts  and  Sciences, barely 20% of Americans study a foreign language at the K-12 level. Rather than accepting this as the way things are, think about what it would be like if we treated learning a language the way  that  other  countries do. Instead of relying on others to speak English, Americans could better learn a foreign language and interact with the culture in a more enriching way. 

Not only do people in other countries know the U.S.’ predominant language, but they also know about our American culture. As I took the subway to class everyday, it wasn’t rare to see someone wearing San Diego Padres merch, nor was it rare to see U.S. politics on the news. One morning as I rode the Yamanote Line to class, the screens on the train were displaying coverage of Ron DeSantis dropping out of the U.S. presidential race. 

While I consider myself well-read when it comes to news, I couldn’t tell you much about Japanese politics. Because the U.S. is a global superpower, our news cycle tends to overlook foreign politics, unless they directly relate to us. For example, Shinzo Abe, Japan’s former prime minister, was assassinated in 2022. This was briefly mentioned in major news sources, but it didn’t make headlines for more than a day. In a sense, this fosters a false sense of nationalism and keeps Americans ignorant to foreign affairs. It feeds into a U.S.-centric worldview that erases the significance of other countries. Rather than accepting this reality blindly, we should follow in the footsteps of other countries and be mindful of foreign affairs, even if they don’t “directly” affect us. 

Ultimately, being from a western, English-speaking country directly impacts your experience in a foreign country. Almost everywhere you go, you can find someone who speaks your language or knows about your culture. As such, it’s important to be mindful of the privilege your American  identity  affords  you. Rather than blindly accepting that you don’t have to know very much about other cultures, put in a little extra effort to build a  deeper  connection   with them. 

Japanese news coverage of Ron DeSantis dropping out of the presidential race. Jackie Marquez / The USD Vista