Even as the country continues its efforts towards its ambitious Global 30 programme â an effort to bring 300,000 international students to Japan by 2020 â there are increasing signs of strengthening demand for study abroad among younger Japanese students and among female students in particular.
Interest in study abroad picking up again in Japan
A recent survey of Japanese university students indicates a modest uptick in interest in study abroad. The survey, conducted by Recruit Marketing Partners in March and April of this year, gathered responses from more than 3,200 Japanese students.
Nearly 40% of respondents indicated they were unwilling to study abroad, while 33% said they were interested in studying outside of Japan. This represents a modest shift from a previous survey in 2011: the percentage of respondents unwilling to study abroad dropped by nearly 2% from 2011 whereas the percentage interested in study abroad bumped up slightly by 6% in the 2013 survey.
Motivations to study abroad
Concerns over cost and language barriers were the most commonly cited reasons among those not interested in study abroad. Those planning or hoping to study overseas, meanwhile, noted gaining foreign language skills and improved employment prospects as their primary motivations.
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It is this last point â the search for better employment opportunities â that may be tipping the balance in terms of study abroad demand in Japan. Beyond the modest increase in interest captured by the Recruit Marketing Partners survey, there are indications of more dramatic shifts in demand among younger students (that is, high school age) and among female students in particular.
A report released last month by the Ministry of Education reveals that slightly more than 1 out of 5 of Japanâs university graduates for 2013 will be without secure employment this year. This amounts to more than 115,000 graduates without jobs for the current year alone.
As the Japan Daily Press reports: âOf the 558,853 graduates from Japanese universities this spring, 67.3% â 375,959 â took full-time positions of some kind of job or were self-employed, while 22,786 took jobs that were not secure.
âJob market conditions have been relatively improving when compared to the 2008 global financial crisis, but the ministry said that âthe situation remains that some students enter the workforce in the way they donât really desire.'â
âAccording to data from ministry, there were 16,850 graduates who took part-time positions. Those without jobs or who didnât pursue further studies numbered 75,928.â
Particularly given this challenging employment outlook, it is not surprising that we are seeing reports of increasing numbers of Japanese students studying abroad in recent years, whether with the goal of gaining greater access to employment opportunities overseas or as a means of gaining a further advantage in a tough job market at home. Xcom enemy within pc cheats.
This recent movement reverses a long decline â for the past decade or more â in the number of Japanese students going abroad. Download gta episodes from liberty city.
âWhile the number of overseas students from other major Asian countries like China and India has boomed, there was a precipitous decline in the number of Japanese studying abroad,â reports The New York Times. âAccording to figures from the government and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, 83,000 Japanese studied overseas in 2004, though that number dropped to fewer than 60,000 in 2009.â
Language and K-12 sectors at forefront of trend
Some observers trace the turning point in study abroad trends to autumn 2011.
Speaking to The New York Times, Ryugaku Journalâs Executive Vice President Yukari Kato said, âThe government was beginning to realise they must globalise their human talent, and companies like Rakuten [a major online retailer] and Uniqlo [a fashion chain] were introducing in-house English language policies.â
âTwo trends stand out,â reports The New York Times. âOne is that university students, eager to bolster their employability, are choosing short-term language programmes in English-speaking countries like Australia and Canada. Another is the growing number of high school students looking to go overseas.â
âRyugaku Journal says the number of college students it arranged to send overseas rose 12% to 3,500 in 2012, while the number of high school students grew 94%.â Earlier this month, ICEF Monitor reported on a similar trend in China, with new evidence showing that the average age of students headed overseas is declining significantly.
âTatsu Hoshino, an independent study abroad counselor, said that in Japan, there were signs everywhere that more young Japanese were heading overseas â except in data from the Ministry of Education, which are released a few years after the fact.â
In particular, Canada has gained ground as a study destination for Japanese students in recent years.
Those students coming for shorter-term language programmes (e.g., of six months or less) do not require student visas for Canada and therefore, are often not well counted in government statistics. Even so, the Canadian government reports a nearly 10% increase in visas issued to Japanese students from 2010 to 2011 (3,546 visas for 2011 as compared to 3,238 in 2010).
This reflects students visiting the country for longer-term language studies but also a strengthening demand for university degrees.
There are indications of growing demand among Japanese students for undergraduate studies abroad and the Japanese Ministry of Education notes as well that more than 72,000 of this yearâs 559,000 university graduates in Japan will go on to graduate school.
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Similarly, while the 18,668 Japanese students in the US in 2012 was a long way from the peak of 47,000 Japanese students in US in the late 1990s, they represented again a 10% increase over the 16,811 Japanese students issued visas by the US in 2011.
Finally, it appears as well that women are driving a good measure of this resurgent demand in the Japanese market.
âExperts say there is a clear gender gap among Japanese students looking to go overseas,â adds The New York Times. âOverwhelmingly, it is female students who show interest,â said Kageaki Kajiwara, dean of the School of Asia 21 at Kokushikan University in Tokyo. âUnfortunately, there is a disparity in career opportunities available in this male-dominated society, and opportunities might be greater overseas for Japanese women.â
This observation is borne out as well by the recent Recruit Marketing Partners survey, which also found that there were more females willing to study abroad than males.
While it is in many respects a mature market for international education, Japan nevertheless continues to surprise and evolve, and it will be fascinating now to see if the gains of the last couple of years will be reflected in longer-term trends toward increased student mobility going forward.
Government strategies to internationalise higher ed
In the meantime, the internationalisation of Japanese education clearly remains a major priority for the country and the government led by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.
In June of this year, the government released its so-called âAbeducationâ strategy â a broad policy statement that aims to further the globalisation of the countryâs higher education system.
Among other items, Abeducation reinforces the governmentâs commitment to boosting the position of Japanese universities in global rankings as well as to improving university governance, expanding online study programmes, and increasing student mobility.
Japan has made only modest progress towards its goal of hosting 300,000 international students by 2020: Ministry of Education statistics show that the number of international students rose from 124,000 in 2008 (the year the Global 30 programme and the related 300,000 student goal were announced) to 137,750 by 2012.
Nevertheless, a broad commitment to the goal remains.
Japanese institutions, notably the University of Tokyo, are going so far as to modify their annual calendars in order to better accommodate international students. And, as reported by University World News:
âFor the first time last year, the University of Tokyo started two undergraduate programmes geared towards international students and taught in English, with more expected to follow.
The university established a strategic partnership with Princeton University in the US in February, which has been described officially as âground-breakingâ for ushering in collaborative research and teaching, as well as faculty and student exchange.â
Abeducation is also concerned with increasing outbound student mobility, and Japanâs Minister of Education Hakubun Shimomura has promised expanded financial support for students in an effort to double the number of Japanese students currently studying overseas.
Despite all of the structural, economic and demographic challenges facing Japan, there are clearly important market shifts afoot that are driving increased demand for study abroad. These represent the beginnings of a hopeful trend that appears poised to build further, particularly if the government follows through on its commitment for improved support for Japanese students going overseas to study.
CURS MONOGRÃFIC
Advanced Vocabulary and Speaking Skills DATES: Del 16 dâoctubre de 2013 al 5 de febrer de 2014 HORARI: Dimecres, de les 19:00 a les 21:00 hores PROFESSOR: Brad Londres DURACIÃ: 30 hores MATRÃCULA: del 30 de setembre al 16 dâoctubre, de 16 a 20h PREU: 199,80 ⬠DESCRIPTION Level Requirements: E.O.I. Level 5, or equivalent. (A level test and/or oral exam will be given, if required). Objectives: This course is designed for advanced students who wish to continue developing their ability to speak fluently and correctly on a wide-range of topics. Since vocabulary is such an important factor in fluency, the course aims to combine vocabulary building with speaking practice to increase fluency. This course will add and activate essential vocabulary and idiomatic expressions to increase fluency, natural speech, and ease of expression. Gain confidence and increase fluency in English Build vocabulary Improve overall communication skills (listening and speaking) Discuss a wide-range of topics Receive personalized feedback Material & Texts *Cambridge English Vocabulary in Use: Advanced *Newspaper articles *Teaching material specifically-designed by the teacher Methodology Weekly homework assignments to build and reinforce specific vocabulary Newspaper/magazine articles for in-class discussion Video clips for in-class conversation activities Students will also be expected to do a short presentation on a subject of personal interest. Evaluation Students will be evaluated on a continual basis and will receive personalized feedback from the teacher. Studies About Speaking SkillsIntroductionIn the acquisition of a second language, speaking is a vital skill to master. In spite of that, according to Baker and Westrup (2003), in many countries, because it is not assessed in tests, teachers usually disregard this skill and focus on other features such as grammar or vocabulary. This is especially true in the case of English education in Vietnamese high schools. However, in numerous colleges, studentsâ speaking skill is appreciated and becomes a criterion in evaluating linguistic performances. At the English Department of Hanoi University, during the first two years, speaking is a subject on the curriculum. Therefore, many first-year English majors struggle with their study. In order to examine this matter, we conducted this research. In this small-scale project, we wish to identify problems facing students before and during the speaking process as well as in their practice strategies. Materials and methods The purpose of this study is to determine problems in using and practicing speaking skill that students may confront during their first year at the English Department. To collect data for the study, a questionnaire (Appendix) was constructed due to various advantages. For instance, it provides a simple but very effective way to investigate on a large scale. Besides, it does not require any special apparatus or method. The questionnaire comprises eight questions divided into two parts. The first part, including questions one to six, identifies studentsâ perceptions of their own linguistic ability and problems first-year English majors might encounter before and while speaking English. The second part with two remaining questions investigates the suitability of respondentsâ practice routines to improve speaking skill. The subjects of the study are 50 first-year students of the English Department. They were selected randomly from different classes and varied in the level of English as well as speaking skill. Furthermore, in order to receive high response rates and great accuracy, we chose all the participants on a voluntary basis. The majority of the subjects is female and at the average age of 19. Several versions of the survey had been conducted and compared in terms of resulting authenticity. After a pilot survey had been done with the help of 10 first-year students, we realized that open-ended questions do not gain as many revealing and reliable answers as multiple choice questions because they require much more time, while most respondents are not very patient. Consequently, in the designing process, we decided to use multiple choice questions as they could obtain instant and honest responses from participants. However, in case we do not provide adequate possible answers, some of the questions have open-ended options for students to express their own ideas. The survey was administered at Hanoi University in March, 2010. After being edited properly, 55 questionnaires were distributed to the subjects. They were allowed to read the questions and raise queries first. Then the participants proceeded to complete the questionnaires. All the handouts were collected after 30 minutes, and 50 questionnaires were classified as appropriate. Within one week, we interpreted the findings for final results. Results and discussion 1. First year English majorsâ self-evaluation of English and Speaking skill Figure 1 demonstrates how first year English students of Hanoi University assess their own ability to use English in general as well as in communication. A large proportion of respondents, comprising approximately 40 students, claimed that their English and speaking skill are poor or average. 12 first year English majors considered themselves competent linguistically. However, only 8 students rated their capability to speak English above average. This figure gives assurance on the assessment that âIt [speaking skill]..is usually viewed as the most complex and difficult skill to masterâ (Tarone, 2005, p. 485). In a recent study, Bygate (2009) agreed with the aforementioned statement by claiming that learners with reading and writing proficiency do not always have fine speaking skills. 2. Findings concerning problems before and while speaking 2.1. Problems before speaking English The pie chart compares how different methods of preparation are used by first year English majors in speaking. This stage is underestimated and neglected by 26 percent of students. In addition, 7 students stated that they only picture what to say in mind. As Turk (2001) insisted, this is not a wise strategy because without any written preparation, students may assume that they have more ideas than they truly do, forget crucial points or sometimes even freeze on the spot. Turk (2001) suggested that students should write down what to say in order to âfocus and clarify your thoughts, and identify the points you want to makeâ (p. 90). However, they must understand that only key points should be written down, not the whole speech. According to Turk (2001), â In many ways the most obvious thing to do, and often the first method chosen by inexperienced and nervous speakers, is to write the talk out in full, and read it out from the scriptâ (p. 85). Unfortunately, it is exactly the method that the greatest percentage of first year English students adopts. As can be seen from the chart, the number of students writing down the full script before speaking constitutes 50 percent of all respondents, 5 times as many as those who only jot down some important notes. As a result, their performances in speaking are not satisfactory. The examination of languages used by students in thinking while speaking English reveals poor choices among first year English majors. A significant number of students, amounting to 67 percent, reported that they think in Vietnamese when they communicate in English. In a research, Wenden (2005) concluded that designing a speech in the native language and then translating it is disadvantageous to second language learners. Alternatively, they should think in their target language (Wenden, 2005). This is the tactic employed by only one third of respondents. 2.2. Problems while speaking English As shown in figure 3, students meet a lot of difficulties in speaking English, and the most serious problem is the lack of confidence. Indeed, shyness is very likely to occur when students speak English (Baker & Westrup, 2003). Consequently, student involvement in studying, a crucial factor contributing to success (Ellis, 2003), can be discouraged. Offner (1997) shared the same opinion as he stated that being active is essential when studying speaking. Problems relating to the contents of a speech like ideas and grammar are the second and third most common as about 20 respondents selected them. 5 students added vocabulary difficulties to this set of problems. These phenomena were also reported by Baker and Westrup (2003), âThey [learners] may have little idea about what to say, they may not know the words to use, or they may not be sure how to use the grammarâ (p. 16). In addition, pronunciation is another major obstacle to 33 percent of students. This fact confirms the following opinion, âThe acquisition of good pronunciationâ¦is commonly held to be the most difficult of all tasks in second language learningâ (Carrasquillo, 1994, p.136). In brief, these findings should be highlighted and carefully considered by both students and teachers of the English Department. Figure 4 shows how students handle two other common obstacles regarding speaking English- running out of ideas and lexical problems, i.e., not knowing or forgetting words (Poulisse, 1990). Of the 50 students that participated in this survey, 26 students claimed that they would hesitate and try to think until they find the words or ideas. Only the minority of participants implements one of the following strategies stated by Poulisse (1990): âavoidance/ reduction strategiesâ (p. 59)- skip and move on to the next point, âinteractional strategiesâ (p. 59)- let the interlocutors help, and âcompensatory strategiesâ (p. 59)- find another way to express themselves. These strategies are very helpful if speakers wish to avoid communication breakdown (Poulisse, 1990). 3. Findings concerning rationality of current Speaking practice routines Figure 5 indicates how often first-year English majors practice to improve their Speaking skill. Despite their incompetence in Speaking, the students tend to spend very little time on it. 60% of respondents either never or rarely practice Speaking. This is very disturbing because without practicing, language learners cannot develop their ability to speak (Offner, 1997). Additionally, only 5 students responded that their practicing Speaking English was frequently done. Chapelle (2003) suggested that spending time practicing English outside the classroom was essential to improve communication skill. Besides, Offner (1997) recommended âit is important that the time spent be done on a daily, or a near-daily basis as short sessions daily are much more effective than cramming all at once.â To sum up, unless first-year English students change their practice routines, little progress will be made in their speaking skill acquisition. Figure 6 illustrates the popularity of different practicing tactics used by the students to improve their Speaking skill. Surprisingly, although 42 students indicated that their level of speaking skill is below good (as revealed in Table 1), more than a quarter of 50 respondents do almost nothing to improve their Speaking skill. Therefore, they do not see much progress in learning Speaking. On the other hand, it can be clearly seen that indirect practice strategies such as accessing sources to enrich background knowledge, e.g., television, newspapers, the Internet or building a bigger stock of vocabulary varied substantially in prevalence. However, in general, they are more preferred than those involving actual speaking. In fact, practicing with friends, the most common direct method, was chosen by only 9 participants, whereas the number of students selecting listening to English was twice as many, making it the most widely used strategy. This particular method can positively influence learnersâ speaking skill. Ellis (2003) declared that listening skill can foster speaking competence. Nevertheless, students should not apply only one or two particular methods. Since each strategy has certain benefits and advantages, it is advisable to be flexible in choosing and combining different tactics (Ellis, 2003). Conclusion In conclusion, this research demonstrates numerous problems in applying and practicing speaking skill that many first-year English majors at Hanoi University encounter. It implies that inadequate knowledge of English features, e.g., structure, lexicon, pronunciation is a common problem facing many first year English students. Their lack of strategic approaches to preparing, using and improving speaking skill can also result in low communication ability. Thus, students should enrich their understanding of the target language as well as identify and employ suitable learning methods to improve their academic performances. Furthermore, it is hoped that learning strategies will be included in the curriculum of the English Department so that teachers can help their students design effective plans for acquiring advanced speaking skill.WriteWork ![]()
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