NSJLE 2018 PROCEEDINGS

83

Graduates’ use ofJapanese languagein the workplace1
ROWENA WARD
University of Wollongong (NSW)

Abstract
Underscoring a series of government initiatives promoting language education in Australia and New Zealand, particularly
Asian language education, is the presumption that the study of a language will lead to greater employment opportunities.
Anecdotal evidence suggests that some university Japanese language learners anticipate using their Japanese language
skills in the workplace and/or that their language skills will help them gain employment. Yet, no research specificallyaddresses these questions.
This article discusses the results of a 2017 online survey of graduates of Japanese language from Australian and New
Zealand universities between 1997 and 2016. Responses were received from 67 graduates, 60 of whom had used theirlanguage skills in at least one role post graduation. In almost 30% of cases this role was located in Japan. The discussion
covers the degrees completed by all respondents, the reason(s) why they studied Japanese at university and whether
they expected to use their language skills in the workplace at the time of graduation. Interestingly, improved employment
opportunities was not the primary reason for graduates studying Japanese. Discussion also covers the specific language
skills used, as well as the regularity of use. Discussion of spoken skills also covers the level of skill used. The results showthat spoken skills are the most commonly used skill in the workplace, followed by reading and writing. Almost 80% of
graduates who used their spoken skills did so at the basic or advanced level, and almost 74% used their spoken skills ona daily basis.
A number of graduates’ comments on the use of Japanese language skills in the workplace are also discussed.
Graduates recommend that language students undertake professional/technical studies in addition to their language
studies. The results have implications for careers advisers, university marketers and degree administrators.

1

This project was funded through a LHA Challenge Grant. It has UOW Ethics Approval (2017: 308).

NSJLE 2018 PROCEEDINGS

84

Introduction
Anecdotal evidence from university language classrooms—especially at the advanced level—suggests that a numberof language learners hope to use their linguistic skills in their post-graduation employment and/or believe that theirlanguage studies will provide them with an added advantage in seeking employment. Yet, little research has considered
whether or how graduates use their language skills in the workplace. This is despite many of the Australian Federal
Government’s language policies over the last three decades or so being instrumentalist in nature and predicated on theidea that language skills—especially Asian language skills—would lead to employment opportunities. The former Federal
Labor Government’s now archived “Australia in the Asian Century White Paper” (hereafter, ‘Asian Century White Paper’),for instance, suggested that Asian language skills would be useful for “building capacity” for Australia’s engagement with
its regional neighbours, and that the development of Asian language literacy would lead to employment opportunities forspeakers of Asian languages (PM&C 2012). The Joint Australia-Japan Working Group’s “Strengthening Japanese Language
Learning and Support for the Australian-Japanese Business Academic Relationship” report (2010) recommended improved
support for career opportunities and incentives for Japanese language learners, but few new initiatives have emerged. The
one notable exception is the inclusion of an internship in the Federal Government’s flagship New Colombo Plan Scholarship
Program (The New Colombo Plan Scholarship Program 2018 n.d.), although this is, understandably, not restricted toJapanese language learners. The Australian Council of Learned Academies (ACOLA) in its 2015 “Smart Engagement with
Asia: Leveraging Language, Research and Culture” report, highlights various sectors (e.g., science) where engagement with
Asian countries would benefit from language development (ACOLA 2015) but does not address the issue of how languages
are used at present.
Due to the dearth of research into the employment of language graduates, irrespective of the language, it is largely
unknown how university language graduates are using their language skills in the workplace. One exception is Ward
(2016), who discusses the level of skill and regularity of use of Japanese language in the workplace by graduates in thefive years post-graduation. According to Ward, graduates with both majors and minors in Japanese were most likely to
use their Japanese language skills in their first position post graduation, in most cases using only their spoken skills and at
a basic/beginner level (2016, 156). Ward recommends that further research be undertaken into the field. In line with thisrecommendation, a questionnaire was developed to investigate graduates’ motivations for studying an Asian language atuniversity, whether they used their language skills in the workplace and whether they expected to use their language skillsin the workplace at the time of graduation.

Japanese language and the use of language skills
The teaching of Japanese in Australia has a long history. James Murdoch was appointed to concurrently teach Japaneseat the University of Sydney and the Royal Military College, Duntroon, in 1917 (Sissons 1986). Until the 1980s, enrolments
in Japanese language classes tended to be low compared to European languages but from late that decade, as theJapanese economy expanded rapidly, there was a “tsunami” of enrolments (Lo Bianco 2000). However, the collapse of
the Japanese economy in the 1990s had an adverse effect on enrolments. As an indication, enrolments in Japanese atAustralian universities stood at 6,387 in 1990, but by 1993-1994 had risen to 9,697, which constitutes an increase of 51.8% infour years (The Japan Foundation 1992, 1995). By 1998, enrolments had fallen slightly to 9,593, but by 2003 were down to
8,520 or a fall of 12.1% since 1993–1994 (The Japan Foundation 2000, 2005, 1995). Whilst enrolments recovered to register
9,682 in 2012, there was a sharp decline to just 6,420 in 2015 (The Japan Foundation 2013, 2017).2 In New Zealand, 965
students were enrolled in a Japanese language course as part of a bachelor’s degree in 2010, but by 2018 enrolments had
declined to 690 (Education Counts 2019). The fall in enrolments in both countries occurred despite the appeal of Japanese
popular culture (e.g., anime and manga) as a motivational factor encouraging students to learn Japanese. According to one
survey of language educators, 54% believed that an “interest in manga, anime, J-Pop etc” was a reason for their students
learning Japanese (The Japan Foundation 2013, 6). This is broadly in line with a Northwood and Kinoshita Thomson study,
which found that the third most common reason given by students for continuing their language studies was that they“enjoy reading manga, watching anime and drama” and that 76% of advanced level students express an interest in those
activities (2012, 341). From a different perspective, Armour and Iida (2016) show that consumers of Japanese pop culture
were interested in learning Japanese, but this interest did not necessarily mean studying in a formal setting.

2	The 2012 figures include 2,445 undertaking a major in Japanese, 6,677 studying Japanese as an elective and 560 as extracurricular studies. In
2015, the figure for students undertaking a major was 1,354, whilst 4,745 were enrolled in Japanese as an elective and 321 as an extracurricularsubject.

NSJLE 2018 PROCEEDINGS

85

According to The Japan Foundation, in 2015 Australia was ranked no. 4 in the world in terms of the number of Japanese
language learners and had the highest number per 100,000 people (The Japan Foundation 2017). Whilst pop culture may
be a factor in students learning Japanese, discussions with learners indicate that at least some of them hope to use
their language skills in the workplace; that is, they are aspiring towards what Nakamura (2015) refers to as the “career
domain”.3 This anecdotal evidence is supported by research by Curnow and Kohler (2007) who considered secondary
school students’ reasons for continuing their language studies, and Northwood and Kinoshita Thomson’s (2012) study ofuniversity students’ reasons for continuing their Japanese language studies. According to Curnow and Kohler, a “small”
number of secondary students continued with their language studies (albeit not specifically Japanese) “for career-related
reasons, although the justification was not related to a particular career goal” (2007, 22). That is, the continuing students
think that their language studies “might help in the future” or “can help in a future career path” (Curnow and Kohler 2007,22). Northwood and Kinoshita Thomson found that 47% of advanced level students thought that Japanese was “useful for
my career” (2012, 341) whilst 75% of students “who already spoke another language…indicated that Japanese might be ofpractical benefit to their career” (2012, 351). Despite learners’ stated interest in learning a language for career purposes,
only limited research has focused on whether graduates use their language skills—Japanese or otherwise—in Australian
workplaces. According to Enderwick and Akoorie’s study of successful and non-successful exporters in New Zealand,
language graduates were employed primarily in “marketing” related roles (1994, 12). Webb’s small-scale study of language
graduates from one university in the United Kingdom showed that 96% use their language skills in their employment and
54% held “jobs where foreign languages were essential” (Webb 2010, 32). In their study of Irish exporters, Clarke (2000)
found that “[t]he ability to read a communication in a foreign language” was considered the “most important language
skill required” whilst “writing ability” was the “least important” (2010, 86). In the Australian context, 79% of the linguistic
functions graduates report using at work are “oral” and only 19% were reading (11%) or writing (8%) (Kinoshita Thomson
1996, 27). Ward’s (2016) research also found that oral skills were used more than reading and writing skills.
The lack of research on the use of language skills in the workplace is disconcerting in light of the globalisation of business
operations that has led to an increased global recruitment of staff. The British Council report “Culture at Work”, which
details the results of a survey of the criteria that employers in nine countries (although not Australia) look for when selecting
employees, notes that many consider candidates’ ability in “speaking a foreign language” (2013, 13). However, Phillip (sic)Turner, Director, Global Stakeholder Affairs, Fonterra NZ, commented that “[i]f someone comes into a job interview here
and says they’re fluent in a language, does that make me more likely to employ them than someone that doesn’t? (No,it doesn’t)” (Corder, Kawai and Roskvist 2018, 47). From a different angle, Michael Byrne, Chief Executive of Linfox, in his
criticism of Australia’s education standards commented that his company was increasingly hiring staff from Asia because
they “speak four or five languages” (SBS News 2014). Yet, one of the respondents to this survey commented that “[i]n myexperience, there are limited jobs in Australia where language ability is a requirement. But students with a passion for
languages can find opportunities—or make their own.” Irrespective of whether this respondent’s experience is common
or not, too little research has focused on whether, or how, graduates use their language skills in the workplace. Moreover,as Bashfield (2013, 11) indicates, there are “few recognisable measures of the success” of policies outlined in documents
such as the Asian Century White Paper. Without research, such measures cannot be developed.

Survey questions
In order to understand if employment opportunities figured in graduates’ reasons for studying an Asian language at university
and whether they expected to use their language skills in the workplace at the time of graduation, a short questionnaire wasdeveloped and made available online. The target population was graduates who had completed a major or a minor4 in an
Asian language in Australia or New Zealand between 1997 and 2016. The questionnaire was available for about four weeks
from late August 2017 and a total of 128 responses were received. This paper deals only with the 67 responses received
from graduates of Japanese. The questionnaire comprised a series of multiple-choice and short-answer questions. Somequestions were compulsory (for example, questions relating to degree completed and the industry sector where they usedtheir language skills) whilst others were optional. The questionnaire specifically asked graduates to answer in terms of
the role/position in which they had used their language skills the most. That is, respondents were asked to focus on only
one role/position post graduation. Questions addressed sex, the industry sector of the role/position and the role/position

3	Nakamura’s (2015) use of “career domain” is loosely based on Unemori et al’s “career/education” thematic self category.
4
A minor typically constitutes four consecutive language subjects.

NSJLE 2018 PROCEEDINGS

86

title. In terms of the use of spoken skills, the questions addressed the regularity and level (‘Basic’, ‘Intermediate’ and‘Advanced’) of use. The definition of the three levels was based on The Japan Foundation’s ‘JF Standard’ (Japan Foundation
2015). Questions on the use of graduates’ Japanese reading and writing skills also addressed the same issues, but after
the survey had gone live it was found that the descriptions for intermediate- and advanced-level reading and writing skills
were incorrectly uploaded. Consequently, discussion on reading and writing refers only to whether the graduates used theirreading and writing skills and the regularity of use, and not the level of use.
At the end of the questionnaire, the graduates were given the option to leave a comment for present and future Japanese
university language learners about employability using language skills. Over half of respondents left comments. A numberof these comments are discussed below.

Survey results
Respondent backgroundAn invitation to participate in an anonymous online questionnaire was sent by email to graduates of the Chief Investigator’s(CI) own institution as well as to coordinators of Japanese at other Australian and New Zealand universities to forward totheir graduates. In addition, the invitation was posted on the Japanese Studies Association of Australia (JSAA) Facebook
page and to a number of other organisations (e.g., the JET Alumni). The invitation encouraged recipients to forward theinvitation to their contacts. Through this modified cascade approach, a total of 67 responses were received from graduatesof Japanese.5 Of these, 61 (91.04%) were graduates of Australian universities and six (8.96%) were graduates of New
Zealand universities (Figure 1). In terms of Student Type, 92.54% were domestic students and 7.46% were international
students (Figure 2). All but one of the international students were female and had studied in Australia. The fifth international
student was male and had graduated from a New Zealand university. For brevity, the respondents from both Australian and
New Zealand universities and the domestic and international student cohorts are discussed together. Almost all graduates(66) had completed a major in Japanese, with only one graduate (1.49%) completing a minor.

Figure 1: Respondents by Australian and New Zealand university5

Due to the ‘optional’ nature of some questions, not all questions received the same number of responses.

NSJLE 2018 PROCEEDINGS

87

Figure 2: Student Type: Domestic or International

Almost two-thirds of the respondents (41 or 61.19%) were female and 26 (38.81%) were male (Figure 3). It is unclear how
accurately this breakdown reflects the female/male Japanese language major and minor cohort, but anecdotally in many
universities female students outnumber male students at the upper levels.

Figure 3: Respondents by sex

In terms of the degrees which the respondents had completed, the highest proportion had completed a Bachelor of Arts
(BA) (41.79%), with combined degrees (32.84%) the next most common (Figure 4). One student also completed a Diplomaof Languages, which is usually studied concurrently with another degree program. No graduate completed a single
degree in Engineering or Science, although two completed a BA/Bachelor of Science, one completed a BA/Bachelor of
Medical Science and one completed a Bachelor of International Studies/Bachelor of Science (Honours). The most common
combined degrees completed were the BA/BCommerce (four graduates) and the BA/BEducation (also four).
Over two-thirds of graduates (67.16%) had completed a double major as part of their degree. The most common majorother than Japanese was Politics and International Relations (4), whilst Asian Studies (4) and Asia-Pacific Studies (2)accounted for another six graduates. An additional eight graduates completed a major in another language (two in Frenchand one each in Italian, Korean, German, Chinese, Spanish and Indonesian). Of the seven graduates who had completed an
Honours program, three replied regarding the discipline of their Honours program: one completed an Honours in Japanese
Literature, one in Japanese Studies and one in Science.

NSJLE 2018 PROCEEDINGS

88

Figure 4: Respondents by degree(s) which they completed

As it was anticipated that graduates may have had more than one reason for studying Japanese, the question relating to
the reason(s) for studying Japanese at university allowed for multiple answers. The most common reason (88.06%) was‘General interest’ which was followed by ‘Belief in ability to speak more than one language’ (55.22%) and ‘I thought that
it would help me get a job’ (50.75%) (see Figure 5). That is, just over half of respondents believed that studying Japanese
would be beneficial for their employment opportunities. A minority of graduates (9 or 13.43%) studied Japanese because
a language was a requirement of their degree. Similarly, despite anecdotal evidence that the number of students with atleast one parent born in Japan had increased over the two decades covered by the survey, less than 3% replied that theystudied Japanese for ‘Heritage’ reasons. The 11 respondents who indicated that they had studied Japanese for ‘Other’reasons included three who had returned from exchange in Japan and one who replied that they wanted a “qualification
to go with their language ability”. This indicates that a small number of graduates had lived in Japan prior to commencing
their Japanese language studies at university. It is unclear whether their language background provided these graduateswith more opportunities in the workplace than those who began their language studies at university.

Figure 5: Reason(s) for studying Japanese at university

Interestingly, an overwhelming majority (91.09%) of graduates indicated that at graduation they expected to use theirlanguage skills in the workplace (Figure 6). As discussed below, whilst only six graduates did not expect to use theirlanguage skills, in practice seven did not use any language skills (see Figure 8). Of the six graduates who did not think theywould use their language skills, four left a comment. Three replied that they had “changed their career goals”, “pursued acareer related to the other degree” or similar. The fourth replied that they had “not attained a high enough standard”. These
responses indicate that some students change their career aspirations after they commence their tertiary studies. MoreNSJLE 2018 PROCEEDINGS

89

research on this issue as well as on skill achievement levels is required. On the latter issue, an interviewee in a recent New
Zealand report on languages commented that “I think it is questionable what you can do with the Japanese language thatyou have learnt only for a few years at university” (Corder, Kawai and Roskvist 2018, 47). That is, university level language
studies are not necessarily sufficient for language proficiency.

Figure 6: Expect to use language skills in employment at the time of graduation

Figure 7: Industry sector of position where Japanese was most usedThe ‘Education & Training’ sector was the most common industry sector where the graduates’ role/position using their
Japanese skills was located (Figure 8). In terms of position type, 25 (43.86%) of the respondents described their positionas ‘Educator/Trainer’ whilst 12 (21.05%) described their role as ‘Administrative’ and 10 (17.54%) described it as ‘Technical/
Specialist’ (Table 1). The number of respondents working as an ‘Educator/Trainer’ (25) is lower than those employed inthe ‘Education & Training’ Sector (28), which means that not all graduates working in that sector are educators. Yet, it
is unclear whether the high proportion of respondents working in the ‘Education & Training’ sector reflects the reality
for Japanese language graduates or whether it is a reflection of the dissemination of the survey by Japanese-teaching
related organisations, such as the Japanese Teachers’ Association of NSW (JTAN) and JET Alumni (JETAA). Members of
associations such as JTAN are primarily employed in either primary or secondary schools and this would have an impact
on the results, especially in terms of the level and regularity of use. For example, primary school teachers are unlikely touse ‘Intermediate’ or ‘Advanced’ level skills, although they may use their skills on a daily basis. Of the 25 who worked as an‘Educator/Trainer’, ten (40%) indicated that the role was in Japan. However, more research is needed to better understandwhere language graduates—Japanese or otherwise—find employment post graduation.

NSJLE 2018 PROCEEDINGS

Position TypeNo. of responses

Percentage

Administrative

12

21.05%

Educator/Trainer

25

43.86%

Management

2

3.51%

Technical/Specialist

1017.54%

Other

8

14.04%

Total

57

100%

90

Table 1: Role/Position description

Language skills
Of the 67 graduates of Japanese who responded, 60 or 89.55% used their language skills in at least one role/position after
graduation (Figure 8). This proportion is significantly higher than in Ward’s (2016) pilot study but is one less than the numberof graduates who at the time of graduation expected to use their language skills. Of the 58 respondents who replied
regarding the location of the role, 37 (63.79%) replied that it was in Australia, two (3.45%) that it was in New Zealand and19 (32.76%) that it was in another country. Of the latter, 17 (29.31% of all respondents) replied that the role was in Japan.
That is, almost 30% of the graduates who used Japanese at work, did so in Japan. It is possible that a number of graduatesworked in ‘Teaching in Japan’ roles, including those on the JET Program.

Figure 8: Proportion of graduates who used any Japanese language skill in the workplace

Five of the seven graduates who had not used their language skills left a comment as to the reason: one wrote that “thejob nature does not require the language. Does not coincide with my other degree”; one wrote that language skills were“not recognised/valued”; another wrote “not required”; one wrote they were “not relevant, and my language skills were nothigh enough for the type of jobs I would have liked to apply for”; and the other wrote “no jobs”.
Of the graduates who used their language skills, just over 95% used their spoken skills (Figure 9). This makes spoken skills
the most commonly used skill, which is in line with the studies undertaken by Kinoshita Thomson (1996) and Ward (2016).

NSJLE 2018 PROCEEDINGS

91

Figure 9: Respondents who used their Japanese spoken skills

In regards to the frequency of use, most graduates used their spoken skills ‘On a daily basis’ (73.68%) whilst 10.53% of thegraduates used their spoken skills ‘Once a week’ (Table 2). An additional 15.79% (nine out of 57) used them ‘As required’ oron an inconsistent basis.
Regularity

No. of responses

Percentage

On a daily basis

42

73.68

Once a week

6

10.53

Once a month00

As required

9

15.79

Total

57

100

Table 2: Regularity of use of spoken skills

In terms of the level of Japanese spoken skills used, 42.11% of respondents used their language skills at the ‘Basic’level whilst 36.84% of respondents used ‘Advanced’ level skills (see Table 3). The high proportion of graduates who used
‘Advanced’ level skills is encouraging and indicates that there is not only a significant number of graduates with this levelof skill but they are also using their skills. More research on the contexts where advanced-level skills are being used isneeded. Interestingly, intermediate-level skills were used by the least proportion of graduates. In terms of the combinationof sectors and skill level, of the 24 who used their skills at the ‘Basic’ level, 15 were employed in the ‘Education & Training’sector. That is, more than half of the respondents who used basic-level spoken skills were employed in that sector. This is
a probable reflection of the level of skills taught in that sector and/or the possibility that they taught English.
Level

No. of responses

Percentage

Basic (e.g., participate in conversations on common work-related topics in
informal context)

24

42.11

Intermediate (e.g., summarise and/or describe issues raised at meetings)

12

21.05

Advanced (e.g., give presentations on specialist topics, adapt language
appropriately for different audiences, be interviewed in the language)

21

36.84

Total

57

100

Table 3: Level of spoken skills used

NSJLE 2018 PROCEEDINGS

92

Figure 10: Use of reading skills

In regards to the use of their reading skills, almost 90% (52 of 58) used this skill (Figure 10). The proportion of graduatesusing this skill is significantly higher than in both the Kinoshita Thomson (1996) and Ward (2016) studies. This result could
be partially explained by the high proportion of graduates employed in the ‘Education & Training’ sector. In terms of theregularity of use of their reading skills, 37 (72.55%) used them ‘On a daily basis’ whilst nine (17.65%) indicated that theyused them ‘As required’ (Table 4). The use of graduates’ reading skills on a daily basis is far higher than the results of theWard (2016, 156-157) study which showed that less than half of the respondents with a major used their Japanese reading
skills on a daily basis.
Regularity

No. of responses

Percentage

On a daily basis

37

72.55%

Once a week

4

7.84%

Once a month

1

1.96%

As required

917.65%

Total

51

100

Table 4: Regularity of use of reading skills

Figure 11: Use of writing skills

NSJLE 2018 PROCEEDINGS

93

In terms of writing skills, 79.31% of respondents reported using this skill. However, in comparison to the use of reading
skills, twice as many did not use their writing skills. In regards to the regularity of use, 29 of the 44 graduates who use theirwriting skills reported using them ‘On a daily basis’ whilst seven (15.91%) reported using them ‘Once a week’ (Table 5). The
remaining eight (18.18%) used their writing skills ‘As required’.
Regularity

No. of responses

Percentage

On a daily basis

29

65.91%

Once a week7

15.91%

Once a month00

As required

8

18.18%

Total

44

100%

Table 5: Regularity of use of written skills

Finally, more than 35 graduates left comments/suggestions for present or future university Japanese language learners
regarding employment using language skills. One common theme was the need for students to undertake technical/
professional studies in addition to the study of Japanese. The following two comments are examples:
Language is essential to differentiate yourself in a tight labour market but tends to be icing on cake – so ensure you have atechnical qualification as well eg economics or law or science.
	Language/culture by itself will not be enough for employment beyond something like the JET program or academia. You musthave another qualification or interest under your belt that is not language-related (i.e. public policy, accounting, audit, law,finance). Find the industries in which your country/language are strong in Australia. Examples include mining, engineering, andprofessional services such as financial advisory, law, audit or something similar. In short, your foreign language/culture skills
will be of use in the long run, but you MUST have a professional skill or qualification (the plus-alpha as they call it in Japan) tooffer a prospective employer.

The above comments are broadly in line with comments mentioned in Ward (2016). Other graduates noted the importanceof the skills that language learners develop in the process of language learning (e.g., ‘soft’ skills such as intercultural
understanding) and the need for ongoing engagement with the language to maintain proficiency. Examples include:	It isn’t all about employability, it is about understanding others who are not like you. Learning a language opens up a world of
culture, difference, acceptance and richness.
	Actively look for ways to engage with native Japanese speakers on a regular basis. Since graduating, as I haven’t had thechance to use my Japanese language skills my level of Japanese has dropped back to a beginner’s level unfortunately.

Conclusion
The results of this study show a complexity as to how university graduates use their Japanese language skills in theworkplace and why they chose to study Japanese. Significantly, the results show that a high proportion of graduates
are using their language skills in the workplace in at least one role post graduation. Moreover, in line with Kinoshita
Thomson (1996) and Ward (2016), speaking is the most commonly used skill, followed by reading and writing in that order.
Importantly, a high number of graduates use their spoken skills at an advanced level and, compared to both the Kinoshita
Thomson (1996) and Ward (2016) studies, a higher proportion of graduates use their reading and writing skills. This latter
difference could be due to the high proportion of responding graduates employed in the ‘Education & Training’ sector where
the teaching of reading and writing skills is an essential element of the curriculum. The results also show that a numberof graduates use their skills on an ‘As required’ basis, which indicates that they are not used regularly. Such a scenario
could potentially have a negative impact on graduates’ ability to maintain their linguistic skill levels. The results also showthat whilst over 50% of graduates study Japanese because they think it will be useful for their employment prospects,

NSJLE 2018 PROCEEDINGS

94

an even higher proportion do so for ‘General interest’ or because of a ‘Belief in ability to speak more than one language’.
That is, perceived employment opportunities are not necessarily the main reason for graduates to have studied Japanese.
Importantly, a high proportion expect at the time of graduation to use their language skills in the workplace and, for themost part, this expectation is met. However, in nearly 30% of cases, the role is located in Japan. Whilst such a situation
indicates that graduates of Australian and New Zealand universities are successful in gaining employment in Japan, it could
indicate that there is a lack of ‘value’ placed on language skills by Australian (and possibly New Zealand) businesses. Yet, it
could also be a reflection of graduates’ strategic use of a sojourn in Japan to improve their language skills.
These considerations clearly indicate that more research is needed on the employment of language graduates. Research
incorporating interviews which specifically addresses how graduates use their language skills would provide greater
clarity on the employment by industry sectors, location of the role as well as the regularity and level of use. Research on
graduates’ comments about their language skills being “not valued/recognised” by business is also needed. Finally, whilst
not specific to language graduates, research into students’ changing career aspirations during university studies would beof use to university teaching staff and administrators.
The results of this study have implications for career advisers, university marketers and degree-structure administrators,
particularly in terms of the need for students to develop technical or professional skills in addition to their language skills.
The results also have implications for policy makers; government programs encouraging and/or supporting language
studies are important, but business needs to be engaged more so that opportunities for language graduates (or eveninternships) are available and there is greater recognition of the value of language skills.

References
Armour, W. and S. Iida. 2016. “Are Australian Fans of Anime and Manga Motivated to Learn Japanese Language?” Asia Pacific Journal of Education 36 (1): 3147. https://doi.org/10/1080/02188791.2014.922459.
Australian Council of Learned Academies (ACOLA). 2015. “Smart Engagement with Asia: Leveraging Language, Research and Culture.” Accessed 5
November, 2019. https://acola.org/engaging-with-asia-saf03/.
Bashfield, S. 2013. “Indonesian Literacy in Australia: Vocational Experiences of Indonesian Language Graduates”. Honours Thesis, Monash University.
British Council. 2013. “Culture at Work: The Value of Intercultural Skills in the Workplace.” Accessed 2 January, 2018.
https://www.britishcouncil.org/organisation/policy-insight-research/research/culture-work-intercultural-skills-workplace.
Clarke, W. M. 2000. “The Use of Foreign Languages by Irish Exporters.” European Journal of Marketing 34 (1-2): 80-90.
https://doi.org/10.1108/03090560010306214.
Corder, D., J. Kawai, and A. Roskvist. 2018. “Report on the Need to Build Capacity in International Language and Intercultural Capabilities in New Zealand: The
Role of Tertiary Education (Japanese as an Illustration).” Accessed 8 July, 2019.
http://www.massey.ac.nz/massey/admission/scholarships-bursaries-awards/other-scholarships/sasakawa/japanese-language-fund/report-on-the-needto-build-capacity-in-international-language-and-intercultural-capabilities-in-new-zealand-the-role-o.cfm?lang=en.
Curnow, T., and M. Kohler. 2007. “Languages are important. But That’s Not Why I’m Studying One.” Babel 42 (2): 20-24, 38.
PM&C (Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet). 2012. Australia in the Asian Century. Accessed 13 November, 2014.
http://www.asiaeducation.edu.au/verve/_resources/australia-in-the-asian-century-white-paper.pdf.
Education Counts. 2019. “Participation: Languages.” Accessed 9 July, 2019. https://www.educationcounts.govt.nz/statistics/tertiary-education/
participation.
Enderwick, P. and M. Akoorie. 1994. “Pilot Study Research Note: The Employment of Foreign Language Specialists and Export Success – The Case of New
Zealand”. International Marketing Review 11 (4): 4-18. https://doi.org.org/10.1108/02651339410069218.
The Japan Foundation. 1992. Kaigai no Nihongo kyōiku no genjō (shūkeihyō 1-1: Nihongo kyōiku kikansū·kyōshisū/gakushūshasū) [海外の日本語教育の現状（集計表1-1：日本語教育機関数教師数・学習者数]. Accessed 8 July, 2019. https://www.jpf.go.jp/j/project/japanese/survey/result/dl/1990gaiyou.pdf.
The Japan Foundation. 1995. Kaigai no Nihongo Kyōiku no genjō (beppyō 1: Kuni·chiikibetsu Nihongo kyōiku kikansū·kyōshisū·gakushūshasū (1993))[海外の日本語教育の現状（別表1：国地域別日本語教育機関数・教師数学習者数（1993年））]. Accessed 8 July, 2019.
https://www.jpf.go.jp/j/project/japanese/survey/result/dl/1993gaiyou.pdf.
The Japan Foundation. 2000. Present Condition of Overseas Japanese-Language Education (Summary). Accessed 8 July 2019.
https://www.jpf.go.jp/j/project/japanese/survey/result/dl/e_gaiyou.pdf.
The Japan Foundation. 2013. Survey Report on Japanese-Language Education Abroad 2012 (English Summary). Tokyo: Kurosio Publishers.
The Japan Foundation. 2015. The JF Standard for Japanese-Language Education. Accessed 5 November, 2019.
https://jfstandard.jp/pdf/CEFR_Cando_Category_list.pdf.

NSJLE 2018 PROCEEDINGS95

The Japan Foundation. 2017. Survey Report on Japanese-Language Education Abroad 2015. Accessed 21 April 2019.
https://www.jpf.go.jp/e/project/japanese/survey/result/survey15.html.
Joint Australia-Japan Working Group for the Promotion of Japanese Language Education and People-to-People Exchange. 2010. Strengthening Japanese
Language Learning and Support for the Australian-Japanese Business Academic Relationship. Accessed 21 April, 2019.
https://dfat.gov.au/geo/japan/Documents/strengthening-japanese-language-learning.pdf.
Kinoshita Thomson, C. 1996. “Employment and Language Ability of Australian Non-native Speakers of Japanese: A Sydney Case Study.” Japanese Studies
Bulletin 16 (1): 15-34.
Lo Bianco, J. 2000. “After the Tsunami, Some Dilemmas.” Australian Language Matters 8 (1): 10-13.
Nakamura, T. 2015. “Motivations for Learning Japanese and Additional Languages: A Study of L2 Self-Image across Multiple Languages.” New Voices inJapanese Studies, 7 (39-58). https://doi.org/10.21159/nvjs.07.03.
Northwood, B. and C. Kinoshita Thomson, 2012. “What Keeps Them Going? Investigating Ongoing Learners of Japanese in Australian Universities.” JapaneseStudies 32 (3): 335-355. https://doi.org/10.1080/10371397.2012.735988.
SBS News. “Lift Education Standards: Linfox Boss”, 7 May, 2014. Accessed 17 April, 2019.
https://www.sbs.com.au/news/lift-education-standards-linfox-boss.
Sissons, D. C. S. n.d. “Murdoch, James (1856–1921).” Australian Dictionary of Biography. Canberra: National Centre of Biography, Australian National
University. Accessed March 9, 2021. https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/murdoch-james-7690/text13461.
The New Colombo Plan Scholarship Program 2018, n.d. Accessed 17 June, 2017. http://dfat.gov.au/people-to-people/new-colombo-plan/scholarshipprogram/Pages/scholarship-program.aspx.
Ward, R. 2016. “Employment of Graduates of Japanese Language.” In Local Connections, Global Visions: 2014 National Symposium on Japanese Language
Education Proceedings, edited by C. Kinoshita Thomson, 148-167. Sydney: The Japan Foundation, Sydney.
Webb, G. 2010. “Enhancing the Employability of Language Graduates.” Assessement, Teaching and Learning Journal 10 (Winter): 30-32.
Unemori, P., H. Omoregie and H. Markus. 2004. “Self-portraits: Possible Selves in European-American, Chilean, Japanese and Japanese-American Cultural
Contexts.” Self and Identity 3 (4): 321-338.