It was through a recent trek within the CUB, here at Washington State University, that my admiration and awe for foreign languages turned to embarrassment and disgust.

I found myself struck by the fact that strangers took the time and energy to understand my culture, yet I was, essentially, oblivious to theirs.

I know I’m not alone in the matter and this got me thinking. Why did it happen and from where did it stem? The answer, without a doubt, is the American education system.

American education is failing to provide the means for progression. Americans are ill-advisedly ethnocentric in the fact that other countries are required to learn English if they wish to communicate, to trade and to interact, not the other way around.

 This is a terrible circumstance for a couple reasons.

With an ever-present global connection via social media and electronic platforms, the existence and introduction of foreign languages has never been more important. Business, trade and pleasure all heavily rely on the knowledge and familiarity of intercontinental dialects.

In an assessment conducted in 2012 by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) found that the United States does not even break into the top 20 list of global education systems – far lower when looking at proficiency in foreign language and culture.    

American Education Secretary Arne Duncan called the PISA findings a “picture of educational stagnation,” as reported by Bill Chappell of NPR. Duncan told the Associated Press that America needs to “invest in early education, raise academic standards, make college affordable, and do more to recruit and retain top-notch educators.”

Stagnation does not even come close to the truth behind such flawed education. In preparing students for their future, the United States is more worried about test scores, than overall, well-rounded citizens. Luckily, the White House and the Obama Administration are taking steps to acknowledge and resolve these problems.   

In his State of the Union address early this year, President Obama said that states require “more challenging curriculums” and “new ways to measure how well our kids think, not how well they can fill in a bubble on a test.”

Obama went on to say, “We are building new ties of commerce (and) we’re also expanding cultural and educational exchanges among young people.”

This awareness is overall positive and the entire concept a stride in the right direction. Exchanges and travel abroad programs not only introduce students to new culture, but also immerse students headfirst into foreign language and foreign practices. With any hope, the United States and students such as myself will experience the implications of this program firsthand in the very near future.   

There is no better time to travel abroad, thanks to the increase in government contribution. Now is the chance to take charge of education, introduce students to a greater global understanding, and broaden the language and overall foreign instruction of all.