The Trends of Japanese Students’ Participation in Study Abroad Programmes

Abstract

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 preand 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.