Informed Advice for Students Preparing for Study Abroad: How Can Language Teachers Help?

For Japanese university students committed to studying abroad, what tactical advice or studystrategies can university language teachers offer to address students’ pre-departure preparedness? Theresearch literature provides insights into typical problems faced by linguistically diverse internationalstudents (LDISs) attending credit-bearing programs at English-medium institutions (EMIs), yet thesestudies tend to focus on targeted LDIS populations within specific disciplines and/or contexts which canaffect the generalizability of findings. Additionally, since studies are often concerned with the post-arrival phase of the study abroad experience, little attention has been given to the issue of pre-departure preparedness, which begs the question: What pre-departure guidance can language teachersin Japan provide to their students? This brief paper suggests several practical preparation strategies toaddress three areas in which LDISs require support: language development, academic skills, and culturaladjustment.