International Students' Learning during Activities Involving Reading Materials Focusing on the Experiences of Former International Students:

Development of Teaching Materials and Classroom Activities with the Goal of Supporting International Students' Career Development

NAKAI Yoko, SUGANAGA Rie and SHIBUYA Hiroko

The authors introduced reading materials to intermediate-level Japanese language students that described the experiences of former international students, with the goal of giving them the opportunity to consider their own career development. These materials included former students' descriptions of difficult episodes they had dealt with both while at university and while at work. The students thus had the opportunity to think about problems that they themselves will face in considering their future careers. Moreover, the students made an effort to consider former students' positions and feelings critically during the class discussions. These reading and discussion activities could raise students' competence in problem-finding/solving. However, one student was frightened by the episodes about former students; several wished that the readings had addressed a more diverse field of majors and careers. It was clear that diversifying the experiences presented was necessary.