Monday, February 26, 2018

Japanese students and study abroad

Japan is encouraging more of its students to study abroad in order to counter the cultural isolation that can sometimes characterize Japanese citizens. Two recent surveys shed light on the motivations behind studying abroad and where young people in Japan prefer to study.

In addition to exposure to other cultures, recruitment officers indicated that 55% of Japanese students want to study in English, 53% want to improve their interpersonal communication, and 46% seek to challenge themselves. In a parallel study that surveyed Japanese students and their parents, 36% of students and 69% of guardians/parents said that the most favored country in which to study abroad was the U.S. while 20% of students and 37% of guardians/parents preferred Canada.

Japan's goal is for 120,000 of Japanese youth to study abroad by 2020. The latest figures and the expansion of English-based instruction in Canada, Australia, and the U.K. indicate that Japan will likely achieve its goal but competition with the U.S. is increasing.

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