Report on use at the Royal Institute of Technology in Sweden
We spoke with Ms. Akiko Shirabe, who has been leading the Japanese language program at KTH Royal Institute of Technology for over twenty years.
She shared her insights on the current state of Japanese language education in Sweden and her expectations for our Japanese-language MOOCs.
In her own classes, Ms. Shirabe actively uses our MOOCs “Let’s Read! Learning Japanese through Science & Technology Part 1” and “Part 2.”
＊＊＊＊＊ Usage at KTH (KTH Royal Institute of Technology) ＊＊＊＊＊
At KTH, approximately 100 students study Japanese each year.
Students pursue language learning with clear goals in mind—primarily to prepare for studying abroad in Japan or to apply Japanese in their future professional fields.
Since around the year 2000, Sweden has experienced a “Japan boom.” While initial interest was sparked by admiration for Japanese technology and by pop culture such as anime and music, people today also value the high quality, cleanliness, and safety associated with Japan.
Many are especially impressed by the remarkable quality for the price of Japanese products.
When Ms. Shirabe taught Japanese at Stockholm University, a humanities-oriented institution, she belonged to a department offering Asian languages such as Japanese, Chinese, and Korean.
Japanese had long been by far the most popular. However, around the time of the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of Japanese learners declined to about half, while the number of Korean learners increased dramatically.
She notes that for humanities students, studying Japanese may not lead directly to clear career prospects.
In contrast, for science and engineering students at KTH, Japanese often serves as a meaningful asset for their future careers—so the number of learners has remained stable.
“Students in Sweden tend to study foreign languages with their careers in mind,” Ms. Shirabe explains.
“But that doesn’t mean they only want to learn technical vocabulary. They also find enjoyment in discovering the culture behind the language.”
That is why a course like “Let’s Read! Learning Japanese through Science & Technology”—which introduces research activities at Japanese universities while also conveying the cultural and social background behind them—is so appealing to students.
For example, Ms. Shirabe sometimes brings a disposable paper apron to class and asks, “What do you think this is used for?”
When she explains that Japanese people use it to prevent ramen broth from splashing, students are astonished and often remark, “I’ve never thought about that before!”
They are surprised by the Japanese sense of cleanliness and consideration for detail.
“When such discoveries connect to the background of Japanese technology,” she says, “it becomes one of the most inspiring Japanese lessons for them.”
The MOOC course is used in coordination with classroom instruction, tailored to students’ individual learning pace and goals.
Among the course components, the karaoke-style animated videos are particularly popular, and students often pause and replay the laboratory interview segments to check their understanding carefully.
＊＊＊＊＊ Expectations for the Upcoming Course
“Careers and Job Hunting for International Students in Japan” ＊＊＊＊＊
The Japanese-language MOOC “Careers and Job Hunting for International Students in Japan,” scheduled for launch next year, focuses on job hunting in Japan.
Ms. Shirabe hopes the course will go beyond teaching application writing and interview skills, to include opportunities for students to discuss what Japan is really like as a society and explore cultural perspectives on work.
In her own classes, she assigns three career-related projects:
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Writing an entry sheet – “The new MOOC could be used very effectively here as a reference,” she says.
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Creating a self-promotion video – Even quiet students often surprise her with impressive presentations. “I would love to use the MOOC as a model material for this,” she notes.
She also hopes the course will cover practical tips, such as what kind of content to include, or whether to film in Japanese or English when applying for jobs in Japan.
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Conducting a mock interview – Students explain their own fields of study in Japanese, simulating an actual interview setting.
“After completing these three tasks,” Ms. Shirabe says,
“my students reach a level where they could attend a real job interview—even if they received an offer the very next day.
I hope the new University of Tokyo MOOC will include similarly practical and career-oriented content.”
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