Speaker
Description
This presentation reports on a short-term international teaching internship in Thailand for Japanese university students training to become Japanese language teachers. Using pre- and post-program surveys, observations, and interviews, the study examines changes in participants’ intercultural understanding and teaching self-efficacy through this internship program. Results suggest that while language proficiency gains were limited, participants showed increased intercultural awareness and confidence in teaching Japanese.
Keywords
Internships, Intercultural Understanding, Japanese Language Teaching
Short summary
This presentation reports on a short-term international teaching internship in Thailand for Japanese university students training to become Japanese language teachers. Using pre- and post-program surveys, observations, and interviews, the study examines changes in participants’ intercultural understanding and teaching self-efficacy through this internship program. Results suggest that while language proficiency gains were limited, participants showed increased intercultural awareness and confidence in teaching Japanese.
References
Chang, C., & Utsumi, Y. (2024). The impact of international internships on Japanese undergraduates' English acheivement: perspectives on cultural capital theory. Education + Training, 66(7), 890-906. https://doi.org/10.1108/ET-04-2023-0124.
Guest, C. (2023, 10 6). Internships and How They Improve Language Skills. From Peason: https://www.pearson.com/languages/en-au/community/blogs/
Abstract
Internships are described by the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) as a form of experiential learning that integrates classroom study with practical application. Such programs play an important role in building a bridge between university education and professional employment (Chang & Utsumi, 2024). In the context of language education, international internships may also contribute to the development of intercultural understanding and professional self-efficacy (Guest, 2023). This presentation reports on an international internship program in Thailand designed for Japanese university students training to become teachers of Japanese as a foreign language. In this program, sixteen female students from a Japanese university received partial scholarships to teach Japanese for two weeks at a Thai university offering an intensive Japanese language program. All participants had previously completed coursework in Japanese language pedagogy at their home institution. To examine the impact of the internship, data were collected through Likert-scale surveys administered immediately before and after the program, as well as classroom observations and semi-structured interviews conducted during the internship period. The study focused on changes in participants’ intercultural understanding and self-efficacy as Japanese language teachers. The findings indicate that while participants’ foreign language development was more limited than that typically reported in study abroad programs involving homestays and formal language instruction, the internship resulted in notable increases in intercultural awareness and confidence in teaching Japanese. These results suggest that short-term international teaching internships can play a valuable role in Japanese language teacher education by fostering intercultural competence and professional growth.
| Scheduling preference | Anytime on Sunday |
|---|---|
| Title | Impact on Intercultural Understanding from an International Internship |