Feature Article

The Post-Study Abroad Experiencesof Japanese University Students

Kristen Sullivan
Shimonoseki City University
This study investigates Japanese university students’ continued engagement with thetarget language and interculturality after returning from study abroad, focusing on
their perceptions of the utility of the home campus in providing opportunities for this.
Immediately prior to graduation, 13 study abroad returnees were surveyed about their
participation in on-campus opportunities to use English and engage with international
students, their satisfaction with opportunities to use English and engage in international
exchange, their perception of their ability to maintain or improve their English proficiency,
and the activities they engaged in to maintain their English skills since coming back to Japan
from study abroad. The study found that while some students proactively engaged with oncampus opportunities, others did not and instead perceived the home campus as insufficientin this respect. The study also identified a small number of students who creatively made useof off-campus opportunities, taking part in and sometimes creating their own English-using
communities. The study considers the use and non-use of on-campus opportunities in terms
of affordances and explores the types of interventions that universities can implement tohelp students maximize their study abroad experiences after returning to the home campus.

Considering Learning after Study Abroad
Study abroad is an important experience for university students, particularly
those studying a foreign language. Data published by the Japan Student Services
Organization ( JASSO, 2015, 2019) indicates that the number of tertiary
education students in Japan participating in study abroad through an academic
exchange agreement increased from 45,082 to 66,058 between 2013 and 2017.
Although participation in shorter programs that are one month or less is moreprevalent and accounted for most of the rise, participation in three-month or
longer programs is also increasing. While such overall increases in the number
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Post-Study Abroad Experiences, OCJSI 1, pages 90-106

of students doing study abroad are encouraging, we also need to consider whatthese students are doing after their study abroad to build upon their study-abroad
experiences.
Recent commentary suggests that the post-study abroad period is widely
overlooked as both a research target ( Jackson & Oguro, 2018; Plews, 2016)
and as an area where universities offer support to students (Brubaker, 2017).
This is perhaps because, as Kinginger (2009) noted, “study abroad is construed
as the end of the language learning process, with further attention to language
development deemed unnecessary” (p. 84). This common misunderstanding
overlooks the limitations of what can be achieved during study abroad and what
is really involved in becoming proficient in a second language. As Kinginger
argued “students’ return from a sojourn abroad is prime time for teachers’
investment in their language learning” (p. 85). Jackson and Oguro (2018) madea similar point regarding the development of intercultural competence: “thedevelopment of intercultural competence entails a lifelong journey and does not
begin with study abroad experience and end when students return home” (p. 3).
Indeed, the period after completion of the study-abroad program is thelongest in duration for the participant and arguably the most important, because
it is when the experiences and learning that occurred during the study abroad canbe acted upon in a new context and thus extended and enhanced. More attention
in terms of both research and practical endeavors needs to be paid to students’experiences after completing their study abroad. This is particularly so as wecannot assume that post-study abroad learning will occur naturally. Regarding
the actual study-abroad period, many researchers argue that students often do
not achieve the language, intercultural competency, and emotional development
they are expected to from study abroad without pedagogical interventions(Vande Berg, Paige, & Lou, 2012; Jackson & Oguro, 2018). The same can besaid for continued learning post-study abroad.
The concept of affordances can help to understand this. Affordances referto the range of potential opportunities existing in an environment but which
exist to be acted upon only in relation to how they are perceived or interpretedby the actors within that environment (Menezes, 2011). In this sense, students
91Sullivan

returning from study abroad are potentially surrounded by various affordancesthat can be used to support their continued engagement with the target
language and interculturality both on and off campus. However, they may
perceive and interpret these affordances in different ways depending on theirdiffering understandings of the world and their belief systems. As Menezes
stated, “[i]t is up to the learners to perceive what their niches offer them andact” (p. 68). However, at the same time we also should realize “that learners
must be empowered to perceive affordances in their niches” (p. 71) and that
we, as teachers and university administrators, need to help our learners to see
and make use of the opportunities surrounding them and at times co-create newopportunities. This paper considers this issue somewhat retrospectively throughan investigation of university students’ engagement with the target language andparticularly campus-related learning opportunities after returning from study
abroad.
Overview of the Study Aims, Research Site and ParticipantsThis study developed from dual concerns about whether learners returning fromstudy abroad were actively trying to maintain and further improve their language
skills in general, and whether they were using opportunities on campus to do this.
The author starts with the presumption that the university where the research was
conducted offers opportunities to learn and use the target language English and toengage in intercultural activities that are open to all students, regardless of studyabroad experience. The study investigates whether students returning from oneor two-semester study-abroad programs to institutions providing English-based
instruction made use of these opportunities and whether they felt they could
maintain their English ability post-study abroad. There were no interventions inplace to systematically encourage participation in the campus-related activities.
Through considering the reasons for engagement and nonengagement withboth campus-related and other learning activities, the study aims to gain a better
understanding of learner agency and to suggest ways that home institutions can
support students who have returned from study abroad.
The research site is a single-faculty economics university in regional Japan92

Post-Study Abroad Experiences, OCJSI 1, pages 90-106

that in 2018 had 2,219 students in total. Depending on their department,
students take 10 to 16 foreign language credits out of a total of 124 credits
needed for graduation, and for their main foreign language they can choose
from English, Chinese, and Korean; international students are required totake Japanese. In addition to these languages, French and German are offered
as languages that can be studied as a second foreign language. One- and twosemester study-abroad programs are available to institutions in Australia,
Canada, China, Germany, South Korea, Taiwan, Turkey, and the United States,and short-term study abroad programs are offered during vacation periods. The
language of instruction at the institutions in Germany and Turkey is English.
This study reports on the experiences and perspectives of 13 students
who completed a one- or two-semester study abroad at an institution offering
instruction in English. The type of institution where they studied (university,community college, university-affiliated ESL institution, or a combination ofthese), the subjects they took (ESL, non-ESL subjects related to their major,
non-ESL subjects not related to their major, or a combination of these), and their
type of accommodation (homestay, room share, dormitory, or a combination ofthese) differed greatly. Background information for the respondents is shown in
Table 1.
The research site does not have a specific program for students returningfrom study abroad. However, it offers a number of opportunities to learn or
use English and engage in international exchange which are available to allstudents and thus can be used by students returning from study abroad to extend
their study-abroad experiences (Table 2). For example, in addition to optional
English language classes and humanities and specialized courses that involvethe use of English, students can conduct a research project in English throughan Independent Research unit or participate in an international internship thatinvolves the use of English.
In addition, there are opportunities to interact with international students
and exchange students. The home institution has a small annual intake ofinternational students mainly from China, South Korea, and Vietnam and also
hosts exchange and auditing students from partner universities and through93

Sullivan
Table 1
Background Information About the Respondents (n = 13)
Criteria

Details

CountsMale

6

Female7

Australia

6

Germany

4

The United States

3

Study Abroad

4

Exchange

9

1 Semester

3

2 Semesters

10

2nd Year3

3rd Year7

4th Year3

1 Semester

2

2 Semesters

2

2 Semesters (Including 1 Deferred Semester)2

3 Semesters

5

4 Semesters

2

Yes

4

No

9

No Previous Experience

5High School Only

2

University Only

4

High School & University

2

Yes (International Internship)

2

No

11

GenderStudy Abroad Destination

Study Abroad or Exchange

Length of Study Abroad

Grade when Commenced Study
AbroadTime between Return and Graduation

Delayed Graduation Due to Study
AbroadPrevious Study Abroad Experience
Prior to Study Abroad

Additional Study Abroad Experience
Post-Study Abroad

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Post-Study Abroad Experiences, OCJSI 1, pages 90-106
Table 2
Potential On-Campus Opportunities to Use English or Engage in International Exchange
Credit-Bearing Courses

International Exchange

Other

English language courses

Being a tutor for international
students

Engaging with English
teaching staff

Non-language courses(Humanities: Foreign
Studies; Specialized Courses:
English for Commerce;
English for Economics;
Guided Reading)Engaging with international
students

Helping students interested
or selected to participate instudy abroad

Career education courses

Engaging with other study
abroad returnee students

Attending study abroad
information sessions(International Internship;
Project-Based Learning)

Visiting the International
CenterTaking English courses run by
the university co-op

Independent research project

Participating in events run by
the International Center

Clubs

Short-term study abroad

scholarship arrangements. Interaction with international students can occur
informally through classes or club activities or on a more official basis as a tutor
who is paid by the university to provide academic, social, and language support
to new international students. Approximately 30 students work as tutors or
unpaid tutor supporters each semester.

Methods
Data Collection and Analysis
In March of 2017 and 2018, 22 students who had gone on study abroad to one of
the university’s partner institutions that provide instruction in English and who
were scheduled to graduate in those months were contacted by the researcher by
email or SNS and asked to respond to an open-ended survey written in English
about their experiences and perspectives on several study-abroad-related topics.
95

Sullivan

The survey questions were written in English rather than Japanese to indicate thatthe researcher saw them as peers and users of the target language. The students
were informed that participation was voluntary and that the researcher may
request their participation in a follow-up survey. Permission was sought to use all
responses in an anonymized form for research purposes by the researcher.
Students who agreed to participate wrote their responses in either English or
Japanese and emailed them back to the researcher. The researcher then created alist of follow up questions specific to each student based on their responses withthe aim of clarifying responses or seeking further information; this also helped
deal with short or unclear responses. Of the 22 students who were contacted, 13
responded, including nine who responded to both survey requests and four toonly the first; data from all 13 respondents are used in this paper. Responses wereread over several times before being coded by hand and summarized in Wordand Excel. The survey itself was wide ranging; however, this paper will consider
responses to the following five questions which are most relevant to the study
aims:
Question 1: After coming back from study abroad, did you take any English
classes or classes that involve English at our university? Why/why not?
Question 2: After coming back from study abroad, have you had muchcontact with international students or exchange students studying at ouruniversity? Why/why not?
Question 3: Do you think you have had enough opportunities to use English
or engage in international exchange activities since returning from study abroad?
Why/why not?
Question 4: Do you think you have been able to maintain or further improveyour English ability after returning to Japan from study abroad? Why/why not?
Question 5: After coming back from study abroad, what kind of things haveyou been doing to maintain or improve your English ability?

96Post-Study Abroad Experiences, OCJSI 1, pages 90-106

Results
Question 1: Enrollment in English or English-Related Classes

Post-Study Abroad
Out of the 13 respondents, six (46%) reported that they did not take English
language or English-related classes after coming back from study abroad. The
reasons given were being busy with job hunting, needing to prioritize enrollment
in other courses to meet graduation requirements, timetabling issues, and having
already received credit for available courses. Wanting to use and not learn English
was also mentioned.
For the seven students (54%) who did take classes, needing the credit tograduate and the fact that the class involved the use of English were the main
reasons given. It is worth noting that two of the respondents who said they tookForeign Studies A/B, an English Medium Instruction course, because it involved
the use of English had already taken the classes and received credit for them
before commencing study abroad. These two students audited the classes simply
for the opportunity to use English and interact with other students in the class,including exchange students from partner universities.
Question 2: Contact with International Students Post-Study

AbroadIn all, eight respondents (62%) reported having contact with international
students after returning from study abroad. These students primarily met andengaged with international students through opportunities available on campus
such as the tutor system or classes. For the five students (38%) who did not havecontact with international students, not having the chance due to being awayfrom university for long periods of time for job hunting, not taking many classes
in general due to already fulfilling graduation requirements, and not knowing
any international students were given as reasons. Many of these students seemedto spend little time on campus, and it is possible that this general absence fromuniversity is connected to their lack of contact with international students. A
lack of engagement due to the perception of there being few English-speaking
international students on campus was also mentioned.
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Sullivan

In total, five respondents (38%) had experience as a tutor, with some working
as a tutor both before and after their study abroad, and some also helping as avoluntary tutor supporter. On average, 30 students each semester work as atutor at the research site, which is just over 1% of the entire student body; tutors
are often future or past study-abroad students, students who have participatedin a short-term study-abroad program, or international students. Given theprevalence of being a tutor among the respondents, those who had not been atutor were asked if they had considered becoming one at any point during theirtime at university. Of the six students who responded to this follow up question,
three answered yes and three no. The reasons given for not becoming a tutor can
be classified into issues of time constraint, issues to do with a lack of knowledge
or agreement with the tutor system, and the perception that there were not many
English-speaking international students, thus seemingly making the program lessattractive.
Question 3: Enough Opportunities Post-Study Abroad?
Students were asked if they had enough opportunities to use English or engage
in international exchange activities since returning from study abroad. In all, five
students (39%) responded positively. Participation in campus-related activities
was given as a reason for this by three. The remaining two students cited offcampus activities as fulfilling their needs, which suggests that proactively
searching for opportunities off campus is something some students might doinstead of or in addition to using campus-related opportunities.
One of these students became strongly involved in a local chapter ofToastmasters International, a communication and leadership skills NPO(www.toastmasters.org). He went on to participate in management roles in
the club as well as regional and national-level competitions. This student also
became involved in the English Speaking Society (ESS) club at a university in aneighboring town, as he was unsatisfied with the ESS at his own university. It is
worth noting that this student learned about Toastmasters International from aposter on campus and about the ESS club through Toastmasters.
The other student moved back to her hometown some 150 kilometers away98

Post-Study Abroad Experiences, OCJSI 1, pages 90-106

after coming back from study abroad and rarely visited the university during
her last semester prior to graduation. This student had friends studying at auniversity in her hometown which had a large international student population.
Her hometown also had an active community-based international exchange
center holding events and other meetings which she regularly attended. In thisway, this student could find opportunities to meet her needs by making use ofher personal networks and environment made available in her hometown.
In contrast, eight students (61%) responded that they did not have enoughopportunities. Of these, two respondents replied that they were busy with job
hunting and other classes and were thus unable to participate in events on campus.
However, the remaining six respondents referred to a lack of opportunities totalk in English on campus, there not being enough classes that use English, anda lack of international students who can speak English as reasons for the lack ofopportunity. It is interesting to note that three of these students hedged their
responses to indicate that while they were not satisfied with the opportunities on
campus, they had found their own ways to maintain their English skills or they
believed students need to proactively look for opportunities themselves.
Question 4: Maintenance of English Ability
Being able to maintain one’s proficiency in the target language after returningfrom study abroad is something that most study-abroad returnees worry about,and the ability to do this can be perceived as being connected to the frequencyof opportunities to use the target language. When asked if they felt they havebeen able to maintain or further improve their English ability after returning toJapan, five students (39%) answered positively. These students made comments
such as “I have been continuing to use and study English as much as possible”
and “I am always looking for chances to maintain my skills”, which suggests they
are proactively engaging with their post-study abroad environments to make themost of available affordances. In contrast, the eight students (61%) who answered
negatively gave reasons such as “there are fewer chances to use English” comparedto the study abroad environment and “it is difficult to recreate the study abroad
environment.”99

Sullivan

Question 5: Activities to Maintain and Improve English Ability
Regardless of their perception of their ability to maintain or improve theirEnglish skills, all respondents reported engaging in multiple activities to achievethese aims (Table 3). These activities can be roughly divided into three categories:
on-campus activities, off-campus activities, and other language learning activities.
The third category consists of a wide range of activities including the use ofcultural artefacts such as movies, television shows, and music, with many of thesebeing accessed by students via the internet.
Keeping in touch with friends, particularly through SNS, was a common
activity again emphasizing how the internet is being used by learners to facilitate
their language use and learning. Connections made during study abroad are
extremely valuable for students, and SNS has made it much easier to maintainthese relationships. In her research on life post-study abroad for Japanese
language learners, Campbell (2015) found that most of her informants’ Japanesespeaking contacts were first made during study abroad and that they “continued
to draw upon the valuable linguistic affordances provided by their networks
developed during study abroad” (p. 258) after returning to their home countries.
Connections made with friends around the world are valuable, and maintaining
these connections can be considered an investment in one’s language using
future.
The use of member-based internet services not specific to language use orlearning but which students used to create opportunities to interact with others
in English face-to-face offline also stands out as worthy of attention. For example,
one student registered with a couchsurfing software application and occasionally
hosted travelers from around the world with whom she would talk mainly inEnglish. Another student made use of Airbnb to find cheap accommodation
while job hunting, specifically choosing this service as he felt it was often usedby foreigners and would thus give him opportunities to use English, which hereported were many. Another student used the Meetup service to find a café
which hosted English speaking events in a neighboring town. These examples all
demonstrate the creative agency of these students in seeking out opportunities
to engage with people potentially through the target language and how these100Post-Study Abroad Experiences, OCJSI 1, pages 90-106
Table 3
Activities Engaged in to Maintain or Improve English Ability Post-Study Abroad
On-Campus Activities

CountsBeing a tutor

1

Using English at the International Center

1

Speaking with teachers in English

1
Off-Campus Activities

CountsJoining Toastmasters

2

Joining another university’s ESS club

1

Part-time job using English

1

Guiding foreign friends around Japan

1

Using a couchsurfing app and hosting foreign travelers

1

Using Airbnb to find accommodation during job hunting

1

Attending an English speaking café found through Meetup app

1

Other Language Learning Activities

CountsWatching movies/TV shows

10

Keeping in touch with friends via SNS

5

Listening to English music

4

Chatting with foreign friends in English

3

Talking with friends on LINE/Skype

3

Watching YouTube in English

3

Taking English proficiency tests

2

Studying for TOEIC

2

Reading English novels

2

Listening to the radio in English

1

Vocabulary practice with vocab book1

Using TED Talks

1

Using SNS for writing/making friends

1101Sullivan

online services can open up these possibilities. It is also useful to consider wherestudents learn about these services and come up with these ideas. For example,
the student who used the couchsurfing application was introduced to it by afriend on the home campus. Thus, even though these are activities conducted off
campus, the ideas for them may have on-campus sources.

Discussion

The results show a range of experiences and perceptions. There were a numberof creative examples of learners finding and creating chances to use the target
language in ways not necessarily connected to the campus. There also seemed
to be several cases of missed opportunities and perhaps a resignation to theinferiority of the home institution environment for the purposes of language
learning and use. In order to consider ways to encourage more students to makeuse of potential opportunities connected to the campus, some of the reasons
given for nonengagement and dissatisfaction will be explored in further detail inthis section.
Considering a Lack of Opportunities
A lack of opportunities to use English on campus was mentioned by several
students. This perceived lack of opportunities can be understood in various ways:
there may simply be a lack of opportunities in terms of quantity, the opportunities
available may not meet the needs of students, or information about opportunities
may not be adequately communicated to students. Another way to understandthis issue is that there may be a lack of support or intervention to encourage
participation in available opportunities. Students may not see the relevance inparticipating in certain activities, and the benefits of this may need to be moreclearly outlined for them, and perhaps even packaged into a series of activities
that they need to be involved in as study-abroad returnees.
Helping learners see the value of activities. What may appear to one
student as a worthwhile activity may not even register as a learning opportunity
to another student. Two examples of this introduced above are the students
who responded that they did not take any English classes post-study abroad as
they wanted to use the language and not learn it, and those who did not engage
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Post-Study Abroad Experiences, OCJSI 1, pages 90-106

with international students on campus or become a tutor because they did not
see the point in doing so when there were so few obviously English-speaking
international students.
Regarding the first example, for students who have used the target languageout of the classroom to achieve self-set goals, returning to classroom-based
language learning may feel regressive. However, this is perhaps a narrow
view of what an English class has to offer. Putting aside the obvious learning
opportunities, classrooms also function as spaces to meet people, both teachersand fellow students, with whom one can build relationships and communicate
with in and outside of the classroom using the target language or not. Moreover,these relationships might lead to currently unidentified opportunities. Offering
more challenging learning opportunities is important. However, it is also
important to encourage students not to dismiss classroom-based opportunities
hastily.
Regarding the second example, while there are students who only see benefit
in speaking in English with international students, there are others who feelthere is value in engaging with students from other backgrounds, regardless of
their perceived ability to speak English. These students might remember thedifficulties they had on study abroad or the help they received and want tosupport someone in a similar situation. Or they might be interested in learning
about and developing relationships with people from different backgrounds. In
addition, these students might understand that international students have theirown social networks and that becoming part of those networks is of value andmay lead to other unexpected opportunities.
These two examples concur with Menezes’ (2011) argument that learners
may need help to recognize and utilize the various affordances that surroundthem. In response to Question 4 on maintenance of English ability, several
students responded that they felt they could not maintain their English ability
as it is difficult to recreate the study abroad environment. This kind of response
is connected to the perception of affordances. Of course, precisely recreating
the study-abroad environment is always going to be difficult if not impossible,
but students need to understand that there is still much, if not more, that they103

Sullivan

can achieve at home if they think creatively. Indeed, students will not be able
to make the most of the opportunities available back home if they believe thatthe home environment is innately inferior. In this way, universities need to help
students returning from study abroad to see and value opportunities available on
campus, and to recognize that the campus is a space within which they can create
their own communities and affordances.
Ideas for universities. The results and previous discussion suggest thatsome kind of intervention is necessary to support students’ continued learning
post-study abroad. Given the potentially different aims, interests, and needsof learners, perhaps the first step should be to provide learners a structured
chance to reflect on and process their experiences, formulate post-study abroad
goals, and consider what opportunities exist on and off campus to help themachieve these goals. This could be done through a credit-bearing course thatstudents take after returning from study abroad or in a fully or partially online
mode that learners are encouraged or required to engage with toward the endof their study abroad. Alternatively, or in addition, more informal debriefing
sessions conducted in person or online could be used. If existing opportunities
are found to be unsatisfactory or inappropriate, new ideas can be co-created.
Students can be encouraged to participate in activities individually, in groups
with other returnee students, with students who plan to study abroad, and withinternational students, and in this way a study-abroad alumni community might
be established.
There are more obstacles to offering support to study-abroad returnees
compared to students just about to start their study abroad. For example, students
return from study abroad at different times of the year, at different stages of
their university curriculums, and with differing degrees of credit recognition for
their studies at the host institution. Moreover, some do not return to university
immediately due to job hunting or difficulties with securing accommodationnear the campus. Nonetheless, as study abroad is something that students do
as part of their university studies and is something that universities encourage
students to participate in, universities should have a responsibility to actively
support students through all phases of their study abroad. How to support
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Post-Study Abroad Experiences, OCJSI 1, pages 90-106

students during the post-study abroad phase is something that more universities
should actively think about.

References

Brubaker, C. (2017). Re-thinking re-entry: New approaches to supporting
students after study abroad. Die Unterrichtspraxis/Teaching German, 50(2),109-119. https://doi.org/10.1111/tger.12036
Campbell, R. (2015). Life post-study abroad for the Japanese language learner:
Social networks, interaction and language use. In R. Mitchell, N. TracyVenura, & K. McManus (Eds.), Social interaction, identity and language
learning during residence abroad (pp. 241-262). EUROSLA Monograph
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Jackson, J., & Oguro, S. (2018). Introduction: Enhancing and extending study
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tou ni motozuku nihonjin gakusei ryugaku jyokyo chosa kekka. [The resultsof the 2013 report into the situation of Japanese students’ study abroad
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tou ni motozuku nihonjin gakusei ryugaku jyokyo chosa kekka. [The resultsof the 2017 report into the situation of Japanese students’ study abroad
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Kinginger, C. (2009). Contemporary study abroad and foreign language
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Sullivan(pp. 59-71). Basingstoke, England: Palgrave Macmillan. https://doi.
org/10.1057/9780230306790_6
Plews, J. L. (2016). The post-sojourn in study abroad research—Anotherfrontier. Comparative and International Education, 45(2), 1-13.
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Author bio

Kristen Sullivan is an associate professor at Shimonoseki City University where she isalso involved in managing the university’s study abroad programs. She is interested instudy abroad, student exchange between Australia and Japan, internationalizationof regional universities, learner-oriented assessment, curriculum design and thedevelopment of learner autonomy. kris@shimonoseki-cu.ac.jp
Received: December 9, 2018
Accepted: July 1, 2019106