Needs of Japanese as a Second Language (JSL) Program for Foreign National Students in Japanese Schools in Japan

Japanese-national students benefit from extensive internationalization programs; however, foreign-national students may not always share equitable access to similar educational programs as Japanese students. While Japanese students take advantage of gaining their English proficiency from the current Japanese educational reform, foreign-national students in Japanese schools encounter challenges. When foreign-national students are unable to speak Japanese and lack Japanese literacy, these students encounter a major language barrier in Japanese schools. As a result, the barrier hinders foreign-national students learning lessons in schools. Bilingual education supports foreign-national students in their Japanese proficiency in schools in Emerging Educational Scholars in order for them to understand daily school lessons. Therefore, it is crucial to examine what types of bilingual education programs are implemented in current Japanese schools. This paper analyzes the strength and weaknesses of Japanese as a Second Language (JSL) programs and evaluates the future direction of the second language programs for the academic development of foreign-national students in Japanese schools in Japan.