What we learn at school, its appeal, and student life
I am studying subjects related to Japanese language education with the aim of completing a Japanese language teacher training program. Balancing work and studies is by no means easy, but thanks to the abundance of on-demand classes, I am able to make effective use of my free time. On the other hand, in live classes with more than 100 participants, I was able to exchange opinions with students from diverse backgrounds through group discussions, which further deepened my understanding of Japanese language education. In addition, the schooling sessions for Japanese language teaching practice provided a valuable opportunity for learners to meet each other face-to-face. I was nervous during my first class for international students, but I was inspired by the creative lesson plans of other learners and was able to do my best.
Dreams and goals I want to achieve in the future
I would like to pursue two goals in the future. First, I would like to start a business that dispatches foreign IT personnel to companies. Japan is already in a situation where it has no choice but to rely on foreign workers, and the shortage of IT personnel is particularly serious. I would like to contribute to improving productivity by educating foreigners in IT skills and Japanese language ability and dispatching them to companies as immediately productive members of the workforce. Second, I would like to provide business Japanese language education for corporations targeting both foreigners and Japanese people. I would teach business Japanese to foreigners and skills such as "easy Japanese" to Japanese people, thereby deepening mutual understanding. Ultimately, my dream is to develop a global business as a specialized company for business Japanese language education and support Japanese companies' overseas expansion.
Reasons for choosing this field/school
I chose to teach Japanese because I learned that many small and medium-sized business owners are lamenting the shortage of IT personnel. I currently run an IT company, and in the future, I would like to start a business introducing foreign IT personnel, utilizing my Japanese language teaching skills to train foreigners who can immediately contribute to improving the productivity of small and medium-sized businesses. I chose Otemae University because online learning is ideal for balancing with family and business management, and the fourth-year transfer system allows me to earn credits in my first year and focus on teaching practice the following year, which I found very appealing.
What made you decide on your field of study? What are some of the school's appealing features, and what advice would you give to graduates and working adults?
● Online learning
Aside from four live classes, all lectures and tests are conducted via e-learning, making it attractive for efficient learning by utilizing spare time. I took lectures during my commute and on weekends, and completed review tests after work on weekdays. The credit acquisition exams consisted of report tests and online tests, and I was able to progress smoothly by working on the report tests on weekdays and the online tests on weekends.
● Teaching practice
The teaching practice was conducted in a five-day schooling format. The first day was a Friday, but the rest were held on Saturday and Sunday, which minimized the impact on my work. Creating lesson plans from scratch and teaching classes to international students made me strongly realize the importance of actually standing at the front of the classroom. It was also a valuable opportunity to interact with participants from overseas and people from different professions, and I had a very meaningful time. I still keep in touch with my teaching practice classmates from time to time.
● The future prospects of Japanese language teachers
The demand for Japanese language teachers is expected to continue to grow, and opportunities for them to work will expand even further. In particular, the number of foreigners is increasing in the IT field, and opportunities to communicate with people who are not proficient in Japanese are also increasing. Personally, by studying Japanese language education, I have become able to communicate smoothly with foreigners when visiting client companies.
Favorite classes, classes with unique characteristics
The "Japanese Language Education Around the World" class was very interesting. The anecdotes from Japanese language teachers with experience working abroad were fascinating, and I learned about the differences in culture and education in various countries.
Yudai Fujita / Faculty of Contemporary Society, Department of Contemporary Society, Correspondence Course, Japanese Language Teacher Training Program
