Japanese students choose U.K. less

The number of Japanese and other East Asians coming to Britain to study English has fallen in recent years as more young people are opting to study the language at home.

The numbers from Japan are decreasing for several reasons -- a weak Japanese economy, the falling birthrate, the growing popularity of Chinese and more chances to study English at home.

This is one of the findings of a report commissioned by the British Council and presented recently in London.

The study says English language teachers and schools in Britain need to diversify their services to keep up with the changing needs of students.

JWT Education, the market research company that wrote the report, describes the global market as a "growing, changing, volatile and challenging creature."

According to figures provided by the British Council, the number of weeks spent in Britain by Japanese studying English fell between 1997 and 2001. In 1997, Japanese spent a combined 170,100 weeks in Britain. By 2001, the number had fallen to 123,626 weeks.

In 2002, the figure started to rise slightly and in 2004, Japanese spent 135,347 weeks in the United Kingdom.

The trend for Japanese students was similar to overall figures. The English-language sector registered growth every year from 2001 to 2004, following a four-year decline. Preliminary data for 2005 show mixed results and a potential modest decline based on the number of weeks spent by students in Britain, according to the report.

Japan is the second-biggest source of English language students for schools here, although the report says demand from Japan is slowing.

China, South Korea and Italy are some of the other big sources of students. There has been huge growth in the number of South Koreans and Chinese studying in the U.K., although the number of Chinese decreased substantially in 2004.

Despite the slowdown, Britain continues to attract the most international English language students.

The report says that while Britain remains the leading destination for English-language students, its dominant position has "lessened somewhat."

The United States, which is the second-most popular destination also saw a decline between 2000 and 2003, but experts put this down to security fears and the country's tightened control of its borders.

Australia recorded strong growth in the number of students from 1997 to 2005. The country attracts a large proportion of its students from Japan and other parts of Asia.

Emma Parker, education promotion officer at the British Council in Japan, said all of the large English-speaking countries -- Britain, the United States and Australia -- had seen reductions in the number of Japanese students.

Parker said the number of Japanese going to overseas universities appeared to be falling and this has had an impact on the number applying for English courses. Many students take English language courses to prepare for studying at a British university.

She said one reason for Britain's declining numbers is that there are "more and more potential study destinations, and so increased competition."

There are several Japanese-owned English-language schools located in neighboring parts of Asia, she said, and people are choosing to study other things.

"Although English skills remain very important in Japan, people's interests and employers' requirements are diversifying," she said. "Chinese, in particular, is growing in popularity as a language to learn."

Parker echoed the JWT report, saying British courses are quite expensive, with the pound's current strength against the, yen this could be a deterrent.

Parker and her team promote Britain as a study destination with exhibitions, leaflets and a Web site. They also work with local agents who arrange study trips to Britain.

The British Council in Japan is trying to encourage more Japanese undergraduates to study in Britain. The ratio of graduates to undergraduates is currently 50-50. The hope is that the students will enroll for a year of English before beginning their university studies.

The report gave suggestions for ways language-course providers can increase their business in Britain. The ideas include offering exams to international corporations, establishing more links with overseas institutions, increasing English-language teacher training and teaching high-level English for business purposes.
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