A Report on the Japanese Language Ability of Undergraduate International Students : Trials and Proposals for Intermediate Level Students

During the 2003 academic year, the Japanese language division of this Center conducted a number of trials in an effort to reconsider the ideal form of Liberal Arts Japanese language courses that fit the realities of undergraduate students' language abilities. First, we conducted a Japanese language ability evaluation test at the time of enrollment. For those judged to be intermediate level, we conducted an oral interview to measure their oral communication ability. We also conducted guidance for the study of Japanese language and observed the students', progress after enrollment. As a result, we found that there were students whose Japanese language ability was insufficient to enroll in undergraduate courses and that there were instances where students did not have the needed time for Japanese language learning. This paper reports these trials and the problems that became apparent from them. It also proposes some measure's to catch the problems in their early phases in order to maintain the quality of undergraduate education