Cost, culture and career opportunity make these ‘Asian Tigers’ an appealing option for language study. By Lili DeBarbieri


few years later, however, she found herself conversing with a local – in Japanese. She felt secretly amazed at this newfound second language ability gleaned from a semester-long program at Sofi a University.


G


Jennifer’s experience, though joyous, was by no means exceptional. It can be seen within the context of a larger trend of student migration towards this part of the world. According to the Institute of International Education’s (IIE) 2008 Open Doors report, North American students are more frequently opting for non-traditional (i.e. non-European) study abroad destinations.


Fueled in recent years by a growing interest in the traditions, cuisines, and pop culture of Japan and South Korea, there has been a dramatic rise in the number of college students learning Japanese and Korean . What benefi ts do studying these languages overseas provide? Cost is undoubtedly a major consideration for most prospective students. At present, the dollar stretches a bit farther in Japan and certainly in South Korea than the dollor or euro. Scholarship programs, particularly among South Korean universities, compete to attract the international student’s dollar.


The Need for Multilingualism Academia, international relations and the business world


12 : verge RESOURCE SERIES


rowing up in a unilingual household in Tucson, Arizona, Jennifer Lewis never envisioned herself competently speaking a foreign language. In Kyoto a


Academic Sojourns in Japan and South Korea


demand ever increasing levels of multilingualism from its professionals.


“Today’s graduates really can’t afford to ignore the growing opportunities for employment with the multinational companies from this region of the world, ” said Michael T. Swift, director of AsiaLearn’s Student Services and Programs.


Over the last 10 years, the Council on International Educational Exchange’s (CIEE) study centre in Tokyo has noted signifi cant career and academic benefi ts to studying Japanese.


“After studying in Japan, many students have found careers in business, law, and media due to their experiences in Japan or language profi ciency in Japanese, ” remarked CIEE’s Daniel Olds.


As the world’s third largest economy, Japan’s demand for translators and interpreters has intensifi ed.


“Because of the relative distance, both physically and socially, between Japan and Western countries, there are far fewer bilingual people, which means that Japanese-to-English translators have a higher earning power, ” explained Kirby.


Making the Right Choice


With a multitude of options ranging between university and private language programmes, prospective students should consider some major differences between the two when making their choice.


FOCUS ON : Study Abroad


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