Research on International Students’ Mobility and their Satisfaction in Japanese Universities: A comparison of Chinese and American students

Internationalization in higher education in Japan is progressing, and it is desirable for international students to have a high degree of satisfaction with their experience in Japanese universities. With that in mind, this research focuses on the study of Japanese language and experiences of taking Japanese language classes before and during study abroad. In addition, this paper examines the different influences on Chinese and American international exchange students based on a questionnaire administered to students in Japanese universities between April and June 2016. A comparison between students who studied Japanese and took language classes before studying abroad and those who began only after coming to Japan shows significantly different levels of satisfaction with their university. Additionally, Chinese and American students experience different levels of satisfaction based on their experience with Japanese language. Chinese students’ previous experience with learning Japanese did influence their satisfaction, but the magnitude of this influence was smaller than the influence of prior Japanese language experience on American students.