Hajime Umeda
Suzuka International University

I Introduction
　The purpose of this research is twofold: (1) to examine how Japanese students feel about studying in regular academic programs at American universities, and (2) to investigate in what ways these students enjoy and benefit from studying and working towards academic degrees in the United States.
　One of the countries in which Japanese students would most like to study is probably the United States. In addition to the study of the English language, the Japanese people have accepted many cultural elements from this vast country. This may contribute to the familiarity that many Japanese feel with the United States opposed to other foreign countries.
　Taking this situation into account, the author prepared a questionnaire, and asked Japanese students studying in the United States to answer the questions in it. The students were asked (1) why they decided to study at their school, (2) how much of the class lectures they think they usually understand, (3) if they are satisfied with the content of the academic program they are enrolled in at their universities, (4) what they do when they do not understand the lectures, (5) how long they usually study each day after school, and (6) if the English they learned at their Japanese junior and senior high schools has helped them with their study at university.
　The data has been collected and analyzed. The results demonstrate that the students are well-motivated and are working diligently to earn bachelorﾕs degrees. In addition, it has been found that some of these students have a totally different opinion about current English education in Japan.

II Subjects
　The subjects are Japanese students currently studying for bachelor's degrees at five four-year state universities in the United States: two in the Midwest, one in the West, one on the Pacific Coast, and one in the South. Those who are studying only ESL (English as a Second Language) at language schools were not included.

III Use of Internet Directory
　In order to find the appropriate subjects, the Internet directory available in the homepages of these five universities was used. By inputting common Japanese last or first names in the query slot, students with those names enrolled at these universities were searched. When there were such cases, the author wrote down their full names and e-mail addresses.

IV Method
　The author sent the questionnaire (See Appendix.) by e-mail during March and April 1997 to the subjects found in the process described above. Since Japanese fonts are usually not available in computers used in American universities, the questionnaire was written in English. The questionnaire was sent to 267 Japanese students, and 108 students returned them with their answers. However, 15 of those 108 students sent questionnaires with incomplete and/or defective answers in them. Therefore, this research has been carried out by analyzing the data from the rest of the 93 Japanese students studying at five state universities in the United States. (See Appendix.)

V Results and Discussions
　A. Question 1: ﾒWhy did you decide to study at this university?ﾓ
　This question asks the Japanese students why they are studying at their current schools. As seen in the results, 42 students (44.7%) chose item a (I am interested in the currently enrolled academic program.). This number demonstrates that these students had thought through which departments/universities offer the academic programs that they are interested in. In other words, they had clear objectives in mind when selecting a university. As for the 9 students (9.6%) who chose item e (I did not like studying at a Japanese university.), they may be expressing their negative opinions against the superiority of a standard deviation system that shows the level of difficulty of entrance examinations for each Japanese university. Twenty-six students (27.7%) chose item i (Other), the second largest number next to those who chose item a. Among these students, 11 students (42.3%) wrote, "I have friends/acquaintances in the town where my university is located," and/or "I am familiar with this town." This implies that some Japanese students would like to study in a place that they are familiar with in some ways. In other words, some Japanese students feel uncomfortable studying in totally unfamiliar places in the United States.

　B. Question 2: ﾒHow much of the class lectures do you think you usually understand?ﾓ
　In this question, it is natural to recognize that the ﾒunderstandﾓ refers to not only English but also the knowledge they are trying to acquire in each class.
　Forty-three students (46.2%) chose item a (more than 90%) followed by 21 students (22.6%) who chose item b (80-90%) and 19 students (20.4%) who chose item c (70-80%). These figures show that approximately 90 percent of the students think that they understand at least 70 percent of the class lectures. The students seem to enjoy listening to and understanding the lectures at their universities. According to Nakayama (1994), the lectures at American universities are hard to understand if the students are reluctant to read the previously assigned textbook pages. He also reports that the professors try to keep the level of the lectures high by giving updated information as well as their own opinions. Taking these things into consideration, these figures are commendable. Of course, there are cases in which the students overestimate their degree of understanding the lectures. However, there is no doubt that quite a few Japanese students try to understand the lectures by overcoming their language handicaps.

　C. Question 3: ﾒAre you satisfied with the content of the academic program you are enrolled in at this university?ﾓ
　Item a (Yes.) was chosen by 75 students (79.8%), which means that about 80 percent of the students feel satisfied with the content of their academic programs. Question 3a asks these 75 students the reasons for their satisfaction. Forty students (51.9%) chose item a (The lectures are interesting.) while 29 students (37.7%) chose item c (I have a motivation to study.).
　On the contrary, those who chose item b (No.) amounted to 19 (20.2%). Sixteen (84.2%) of these students chose item d in Question 3b. Each of the 16 wrote different reasons for their dissatisfaction. However, 3 of them complained about the class size: there are too many students in one lecture. This may mean a lecture given in a big classroom like an auditorium. In such classes, it is a matter of course that the students have difficulty in listening to lectures. The same problem has been pointed out at Japanese universities as well.
　In the authorﾕs experience, the best class size was thirty students at maximum capacity.

　D. Question 4: ﾒWhat do you do when you do not understand the lectures?"
　Item b (I ask questions to the professors after class.) was chosen by 63 students (64.9%), and item a (I ask questions to the professors in class.) was chosen by 8 students (8.2%). In total, more than 70 percent of the students ask questions directly to their professors. This is a very good trend since this is the quickest and most dependable way to understand what the professors are saying in the lectures. Matsuka (1989) encourages the Japanese students to ask questions to the professors in American university classes. On the contrary, only 17 students (17.5%) chose item c (I ask questions to my classmates.). A similar study, Umeda (1996) reported that more than 50 percent of the Japanese students studying at Minnesota State University-Akita, a branch American campus in Japan, had chosen item c when given the same question. When not understanding what the professors are saying, the way that students choose to solve this problem may depend on where their American universities are located; in the United States or in Japan.

　E. Question 5: ﾒHow long do you usually study each day after class?"
　This question asks the Japanese students how many hours they spend on studies every day. Twenty-eight students (30.8%) chose item e (about 3 hours) and 23 students (25.3%) chose item f (about 4 hours) respectively. In addition, 20 students (22.0%) chose item g (5 hours or more). With these figures, it was found that about 80 percent of the students study for three hours or longer a day. Takayama (1998) says that he, except for eating and sleeping, had to study extremely hard every day all through his first semester at an American university. Students are often forced to drop out of school if their Grade Point Average (GPA) goes under the passing point one year after their enrollment. Therefore, students need to involve themselves in hard work in order to complete the academic programs at American universities.

　F. Question 6: ﾒDo you think the English that you learned at Japanese junior and senior high school helps you study at this university?ﾓ
　Those who chose item a (Yes, very much.) amounted to 10 (10.8%) and item b (Yes, a little.) was chosen by 31 students (33.3%). On the other hand, 40 students (43.0%) chose item c (No, not very much.) and 11 students (11.8%) chose item d (No, not at all.), these numbers exceeding those of items a and b. This implies that the students have different opinions about English education in Japan at the high school level as it applies to their own academic program.
　Question 6a asks those who chose items a and b about what English abilities they feel are effective. Item e (grammatical ability) and item b (reading ability including vocabulary) were chosen by 27 students (44.3%) and 14 students (23.0%) respectively. The reason that these 27 chose item e is most likely that the students studying at American universities are frequently required to submit essays and research papers as assignments. If they do not write them in grammatically correct sentences, they cannot expect good grades on their work even if the content is outstanding. English education in Japan seems to help students acquire good English grammatical skills. As for reading ability mentioned in item b, it is most likely that the students benefitted from the extensive study of vocabulary and idioms at their Japanese junior/senior high schools.
　In Japan, people tend to treat English education as a tool merely to pass the entrance examinations to upper school. However, the author suggests that this issue be looked at from another angle. As shown in the results above, the basic skills learned at the junior/senior high school level are clearly benefitting study at the university level.

VI Conclusion
　The questionnaire distributed on e-mail and its results have been analyzed and discussed in terms of how these Japanese students feel about studying in their academic programs in five four-year state universities in the United States. Although the ages and previous educational/job experiences of each subject vary as well as their majors, the Japanese students generally seem to be working hard to complete their academic programs. Meanwhile, it was confirmed that acquiring the ability to handle academic English is very important, equal to making the efforts to understand the lectures, for a successful academic life at American universities. Manto (1992) reported that the students have to have communicative competence in English in order to succeed in studying in a regular academic program at an American university. In other words, what the students are expected to have would be the following skills: listening to lectures, reading textbooks, writing papers, participating in class discussions, etc. These are all indispensable to survive in American universities. Those who are planning to study in the U. S. for bachelorﾕs degrees should keep this in mind.
　At the same time, it is worthy to re-discuss the English curriculum offered in Japanese high schools. Although the high school students may prefer to take oral communication classes as opposed to reading/grammar classes, the Education Ministry of Japan should not reduce the number of hours for the latter. In taking them, the students are able to establish the foundation to acquire academic knowledge at the university level through English, the most popular language around the world. This enables them to have a chance to get a passport to live in an internationalized society.
　In the United States, Japanese students are forced to put themselves in demanding situations in many ways. This is a matter of course when they study in a different country and in a different culture. Although students can come and go between the United States and Japan quickly, easily and safely these days, these types of situations have not changed for years. Under these circumstances, if students are able to learn a variety of things, not only about their academic field but also about cross-cultural situations, they are expected to make themselves active in an internationalized society. The author therefore suggests that many young Japanese people try to find a chance to study in the United States. Moreover, students should think about the answers to "Why am I going to university?" no matter which country they would like to study in at the university level.

References

Krashen, S. D. (1987). Principles and Practice in Second Language Acquisition. London: Prentice Hall International.
Manto, Katsunori (1992). Kokusaika to Eigo Kyouiku (Internationalization and English Education). Tokyo: Taishukan.
Matsuka, Yoko (1989). Musume to Watashi no Eigo Ryuugakuki (Studying English overseas: The Cross-Cultural Experiences of my Daughter and me). Tokyo: Tamagawa University Press.
Nakayama, Shigeru (1994). Daigaku to America Shakai (The University and American Society). Tokyo: Asahi Shimbun.
Takayama, Hiroshi (1998). Hard Academism no Jidai (The Hard Academism). Tokyo: Kodansha.
Umeda, Hajime (1996). Zainichi Gaikoku Daigaku ni okeru Gakusei no Gakushuu Ishiki (Learning at a Branch American Campus). The English Teachers' Magazine, 45 (4), 32-36.
Umeda, Hajime (1997). Yori Juujitsu shita Ryuugaku Seikatsu no tameni ----- Nihonjin Ryuugakusei eno Teigen (Methods to Ensure Academic Achievement ----- Some Advice to Japanese Students Studying at American Universities). KASELE Bulletin 25, 23-28.

(This research project has been conducted thanks to 1997 Suzuka International University Special Research Fund.)

Q. 1: Why did you decide to study at this university? (Choose one.)
　a. I am interested in the academic program in which I am enrolled at this university.　　42 (44.7%)
　b. I want to learn from famous professors/instructors at this university.　　1 (1.1%)
　c. I am attracted to this university's reasonable tuition.　　3 (3.2%)
　d. I am interested in English and American culture.　　2 (2.1%)
　e. I did not like studying at a Japanese college/university.　　9 (9.6%)
　f. I was only admitted to this university. (Although I sent applications to some other American universities, I was not admitted to any of them but this university.)　　4 (4.3%)
　g. My parents/relatives recommended this university to me.　　6 (6.4%)
　h. My company/sponsor recommended this university to me.　　1 (1.1%)
　i. Other (Specify.)　　26 (27.7%)

Q. 2: How much of the class lectures do you think you usually understand? (Choose one.)
　a. More than 90%　　43 (46.2%)
　b. 80-90%　　21 (22.6%)
　c. 70-80%　　19 (20.4%)
　d. 60-70%　　9 (9.7%)
　e. Less than 60%　　1 (1.1%)

Q. 3: Are you satisfied with the content of the academic program you are enrolled in at this university?
　a. Yes. -----> (Go to Q. 3a.)　　75 (79.8%)
　b. No. -----> (Go to Q. 3b.)　　19 (20.2%)

Q. 3a: Why do you think you are satisfied with it? (Choose one.)
　a. The lectures are interesting.　　40 (51.9%)
　b. I can understand the lectures very well.　　4 (5.2%)
　c. I have a motivation to study.　　29 (37.7%)
　d. Other (Specify.)　　4 (5.2%)

Q. 3b: Why do you think you are NOT satisfied with it? (Choose one.)
　a. The lectures are boring.　　1 (5.3%)
　b. I can not understand the lectures very well.　　2 (10.5%)
　c. I have no motivation to study.　　0 (0.0%)
　d. Other (Specify.)　　16 (84.2%)

Q. 4: What do you do when you do not understand the lectures? (Choose one.)
　a. I ask questions to the professors in class.　　8 (8.2%)
　b. I ask questions to the professors after class.　　63 (64.9%)
　c. I ask questions to my classmates.　　17 (17.5%)
　d. I do nothing.　　0 (0.0%)
　e. Other (Specify.)　　9 (9.3%)

Q. 5: How long do you usually study each day after class? (Choose one.)
　a. Not at all.　　0 (0.0%)
　b. About 30 minutes.　　1 (1.1%)
　c. About 1 hour.　　6 (6.6%)
　d. About 2 hours.　　13 (14.3%)
　e. About 3 hours.　　28 (30.8%)
　f. About 4 hours.　　23 (25.3%)
　g. 5 hours or more.　　20 (22.0%)

Q. 6: Do you think the English that you learned at Japanese junior and senior high school helps you study at this university? (Choose one.)
　a. Yes, very much. -----> (Go to Q. 6a.)　　10 (10.8%)
　b. Yes, a little. -----> (Go to Q. 6a.)　　31 (33.3%)
　c. No, not very much.　　40 (43.0%)
　d. No, not at all.　　11 (11.8%)
　e. I have never attended Japanese junior or senior high school.　　1 (1.1%)

Q. 6a: Which of the following abilities you currently need is helped by the English you learned at Japanese junior and senior high school? (Choose as many as you want.)
　a. Listening ability　　5 (8.2%)
　b. Reading ability (including vocabulary)　　14 (23.0%)
　c. Speaking ability 7 (11.5%)
　d. Writing ability　　8 (13.1%)
　e. Grammatical ability 27 (44.3%)
　f. Other (Specify.) 0 (0.0%)

back to Papers index

back to Top