Should international students prioritize English support or opportunities to use Japanese?
Rather than universally prioritizing one, students should value both according to their study goals and current language ability. English support can help with understanding classes and seeking advice, while opportunities to use Japanese support daily life, interaction, and future options. Japanese study becomes especially important in programs taught in Japanese.
Key points
- English support can assist with understanding coursework and handling university procedures or consultations.
- Using Japanese can promote independence in daily life and interaction with Japanese students and the local community.
- Japanese is useful even in English-taught programs, while students in Japanese-taught programs should check the required level.
Things to check
- Required language ability, available support, and the language used in classes vary by university, faculty, program, and academic year, so students should check official information.