Analyzing the Influence of Japanese Language Proficiency and Internship Experience on Students’ Readiness for Professional Engagement
Keywords:
Japanese language proficiency, internship experience, student readiness, tourism education
Abstract
This study explores the influence of Japanese language proficiency and internship experience on students’ readiness for professional engagement within Japanese-speaking tourism service environments. Focusing on students from the Diploma 4 Tourism Business Program and the Diploma 3 Travel Program at Makassar Tourism Polytechnic, the research addresses the persistent gap between academic language instruction and real-world communicative competence in Japanese Language Skills contexts. A quantitative method was employed, involving 124 students who had completed internships and enrolled in elective Japanese language courses. Data were analyzed using SmartPLS version 4.1.1.4, incorporating outer and inner model assessments such as convergent validity, discriminant validity, composite reliability, R², f², and hypothesis testing for both direct and indirect effects. The findings indicate that internship experience has a significantly strong influence on students’ readiness to interact with Japanese partners (f² = 0.8398; p < 0.001), while general Japanese language proficiency exerts a moderate yet meaningful impact. Conversely, basic text mastery and formal Japanese communication skills show weak and statistically insignificant effects. These results underscore the vital role of experiential learning in enhancing functional language application in professional settings. The study recommends integrating practical language activities into internships and strengthening collaboration between academic programs and industry. Future research should examine the quality of internship placements and evaluate ESP outcomes across different hospitality and tourism programs
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References
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Yahya, M., Rahmayanti, F., Widianto, A. T., & Ridwan, M. (2025). Impact of Fieldwork on Students’ English Communication in Hospitality Services. LETS: Journal of Linguistics and English Teaching Studies, 6(2), 141–153. https://doi.org/10.46870/lets.v6i2.1556
Allen, T. J. (2025). Experiential learning in an intercultural communication class in Japan: doing and reflecting on linguistic landscape group projects. Language, Culture and Curriculum, 38(2), 274–292. https://doi.org/10.1080/07908318.2024.2449076
Annisa, S. Z., & Karnawati, R. A. (2024). An Analysis of the Use of General Japanese and Tourism Japanese in the World of Work in the Hospitality Field in Hiroshima. KIRYOKU, 8(2), 691–704. https://doi.org/10.14710/kiryoku.v8i2.691-704
Aririguzoh, S. (2022). Communication competencies, culture and SDGs: effective processes to cross-cultural communication. Humanities and Social Sciences Communications, 9(1). https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-022-01109-4
Baker, W. (2022). From intercultural to transcultural communication. Language and Intercultural Communication, 22(3). https://doi.org/10.1080/14708477.2021.2001477
Beaudin, B., & Quick, D. (1995). Experiential learning: Theoretical underpinnings. Colorado State University.
Bilgihan, A., Okumus, F., Nusair, K., & Bujisic, M. (2014). Online experiences: Flow theory, measuring online customer experience in e-commerce and managerial implications for the lodging industry. Information Technology and Tourism, 14(1), 49–71. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40558-013-0003-3
Fantinelli, S., Cortini, M., Di Fiore, T., Iervese, S., & Galanti, T. (2024). Bridging the Gap between Theoretical Learning and Practical Application: A Qualitative Study in the Italian Educational Context. Education Sciences, 14(2). https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci14020198
Frost, J. (2023). Cronbach’s Alpha: Definition, Calculations & Examples. Jim Frost.
Hair, J. F., Hult, T. M., Ringle, C. M., & Sarstedt, M. (2022). A primer on partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM). In Sage.
Haryanti, P., Suryadimulya, A. S., Dienaputra, R., & Nur, T. (2024). Evaluation of internship programs abroad at universities in Indonesia: A case study of Indonesian intern students in Japan. International Journal of Innovative Research and Scientific Studies, 8(1), 116–125. https://doi.org/10.53894/ijirss.v8i1.3577
Hora, M. T., Parrott, E., & Her, P. (2020). How do students conceptualise the college internship experience? Towards a student-centred approach to designing and implementing internships. Journal of Education and Work, 33(1). https://doi.org/10.1080/13639080.2019.1708869
Iwata, Y., & Okada, M. (2018). Teaching Japanese language in tourism and customer service skills. Journal of Global Tourism Research, 3(2). https://doi.org/10.37020/jgtr.3.2_75
Kurniawan, Y., Septiani, F. A. N., Halim, E., & Bhutkar, G. (2022). An Idea of Japanese Language Learning for Indonesians via Mobile Application Development. Proceedings of 2022 8th International HCI and UX Conference in Indonesia, CHIuXiD 2022. https://doi.org/10.1109/CHIuXiD57244.2022.10009690
Liashenko, I., & Hnapovska, L. (2020). Esp online course as a means of enhancing graduate students’ employability opportunities-case of Sumy state university. Journal of Teaching English for Specific and Academic Purposes, 8(3). https://doi.org/10.22190/JTESAP2003215L
Miguel, B. (2024). Effects of Cultural Diversity and Intercultural Communication on the Quality of Service and Customer Satisfaction in Hospitality and Tourism Settings in Brazil. International Journal of Modern Hospitality and Tourism, 4(1). https://doi.org/10.47604/ijmht.2377
Nishizawa, H., Isbell, D. R., & Suzuki, Y. (2022). Review of the Japanese-Language Proficiency Test. In Language Testing (Vol. 39, Issue 3). https://doi.org/10.1177/02655322221080898
Pianda, D., Hilmiana, H., Widianto, S., & Sartika, D. (2024). The impact of internship experience on the employability of vocational students: a bibliometric and systematic review. Cogent Business & Management, 11(1). https://doi.org/10.1080/23311975.2024.2386465
Plonsky, L. (2017). Quantitative Research Methods. In The Routledge Handbook of Instructed Second Language Acquisition (pp. 505–521). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315676968-28
Prasetya, D. B. Y., Setiawati, A. S., Asrini, D. P., & Puspitosari, D. (2025). Improving Students Dokkai (Reading Comprehension) Performance Through Correlation Analysis of Cognitive Anxiety and Japanese Reading Understanding. Jurnal Pendidikan Dan Pengajaran, 58(1), 12–26. https://doi.org/10.23887/jpp.v58i1.85459
Renold, R., Marannu, E. B., Wijaya, D. H., & Usman, O. (2022). Interpretation of Tourist Attracion in Japanese Language at Penglipuran Village, Bali. Pusaka: Journal of Tourism, Hospitality, Travel and Business Event, 4(1). https://doi.org/10.33649/pusaka.v4i1.131
Rong-Da Liang, A. (2021). Examining the factors of experiential learning and teaching style: A case study of a hospitality and tourism program. Journal of Hospitality, Leisure, Sport and Tourism Education, 29. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhlste.2021.100332
Sarstedt, M., Ringle, C. M., & Hair, J. F. (2021). Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling. In Handbook of Market Research. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-57413-4_15
Seaton, P., & Yamamura, T. (2015). Japanese Popular Culture and Contents Tourism – Introduction. Japan Forum, 27(1). https://doi.org/10.1080/09555803.2014.962564
Su, Y. L., Manjet, K., & Tengku-Sepora, T. M. (2020). The Importance of Japanese Language Skills Proficiency among Malaysian Graduates in Japanese-based Companies. Pertanika Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities, 28(2).
Suryawati, C. T., Ainie, I., Sarmi, N. N., Mustofa, A., & Pasopati, R. U. (2023). The Implementation of Omotenashi and Experience of Internship Students in Hotel and Ryokan in Japan. Kiryoku, 7(1).
Takona, J. P. (2024). Research design: qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches / sixth edition. In Quality and Quantity (Vol. 58, Issue 1). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11135-023-01798-2
Thomason, P. (1991). Using Japanese Language and Japan Skills in the Inbound Tourism Industry: Tour Guiding. Japanese Studies, 11(2). https://doi.org/10.1080/10371399108522140
Vo, N. T., Le, L. H. P., & Lam, V. T. T. (2022). Challenges for Student Satisfaction of Internship Program in Hospitality and Tourism Industry in Vietnam. Journal of Quality Assurance in Hospitality and Tourism, 23(5). https://doi.org/10.1080/1528008X.2021.1964414
WAGNER, A. (2021). An Analysis of Curriculum and Materials Design in ESP for Tourism Courses in Japan and Thailand. … of Humanities Research, St. Andrew’s University.
Wolinsky-Nahmias, Y., & Auerbach, A. H. (2022). Evaluating the Design and Benefits of Internship Programs. Journal of Political Science Education, 18(4). https://doi.org/10.1080/15512169.2022.2109481
Yahya, M., Rahmayanti, F., Widianto, A. T., & Ridwan, M. (2025). Impact of Fieldwork on Students’ English Communication in Hospitality Services. LETS: Journal of Linguistics and English Teaching Studies, 6(2), 141–153. https://doi.org/10.46870/lets.v6i2.1556
Published
2025-09-30
How to Cite
Renold, Taqdir, Alghifari, M. F., Gosal, S. W., & Muhammad Salim, M. A. (2025). Analyzing the Influence of Japanese Language Proficiency and Internship Experience on Students’ Readiness for Professional Engagement . Eduvelop: Journal of English Education and Development , 9(1), 249-268. https://doi.org/10.31605/eduvelop.v9i1.5345
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