 |
[email protected] |
 |
3275638434 |
 |
 |
| Paper Publishing WeChat |
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License
The Trends of Japanese Students’ Participation in Study Abroad Programmes
Mari Katori
Full-Text PDF
XML 1392 Views
DOI:10.17265/1539-8080/2016.03.007
Aomori Public University, Aomori, Japan
This article examines the trends in Japanese students who participate in study abroad programmes (“mobile students”). Features of recent Japanese mobile students are discussed, and case studies of 23 Japanese university students who have finished short-term study abroad programmes are examined to determine their awareness of, and any changes in, soft-skills, attitudes, and so on. A semi-structured interview method was adopted for the case study interviews, and G-TELP (General Test of English Language Proficiency) was used as a pre- and post-test to evaluate “hard skills”. Although these hard skills showed no statistically significant improvements, interviews indicate changes in awareness and soft skills. Finally, a suggestion is made regarding how to improve and offer more effective short-term programmes for Japanese mobile students.
mobile student, short-term study abroad programme, soft skills
Central Council of Education. (2016, August 24). The report of the promotion of the international exchange about education, the arts and science, the culture, 11 (1956, July). Retrieved from http://www.mext.go.jp/b_menu/shingi/chuuou/toushin/560701.htm
de Wit, H., Ferencz, I., & Rumbley, E. L. (2014). International student mobility European and US perspectives. Perspectives Police and Practice in Higher Education, 17(1), 17-23.
Edwards, N. T. (2009). The correlation between learner autonomy and cultural sensitivity in Japanese university students studying abroad (Doctoral dissertation, University of Phoenix).
Gondo, Y. (1991). Sekaino ryuugaku gennjou to kadai (Comparative perspectives on the study abroad). Tokyo: Toshinsya.
JASSO (Japan Student Services Organization). (2014, September 22). Benefits of study abroad experience: Results from additional survey and analysis for Japanese students supported by the student exchange support program (scholarships for short-term visit program/short-term study abroad program) in 2011 and 2012. Web magazine Ryugaku kouryu (Web magazine studying abroad and exchange), 40(7), 20-30. Retrieved from http://www. jasso.go.Jp/about/documents/201407nomizunitta.pdf
Kaneko, M. (2000). Syuuenn no daigakusei to sono mirai―koutoukyouiku no gurobaruka (University students of the fringe and their future―globalization of higher education). Kyouiku syakaigaku kennkyu, 66, 44-56.
Kimura, K. (2011). How effective the short-term studying program in an English-speaking country is for Japanese university studies: Focusing on the listening and writing proficiency. Journal of Shobi University Policy Management, 21, 17-30.
Kudo, K. (2009). Educational impacts of a short-term overseas language programme on university students: A study based upon a grounded theory approach. Speech Communication Education, 22, 117-139.
MEXT (Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology) Japan. (2015, March 19). Current situation of Japanese studying abroad: Researched by MEXT in 2014 and 2015. Retrieved from http://www.mext.go.jp/_menu/koutou/ryugaku/1345878.htm
Nishikawa, M. (2013). The effectiveness of a preparatory English course and study-abroad programs on improving students’ communicative skills: Based on the analysis of a pre-departure IELTS. Journal of Organization for the Promotion of the International Relations (Kyoto University), 3, 61-72.
Tsuji, N. (2010). Kindai nihon kaigai Ryugaku no mokuteki henyou―monbusyou ryuugakusei no haken jittai ni tuite (The transformation of the purpose of recent Japanese study abroad). Tokyo: Toshindo.