Nepali Students in Japanese Language Schools: Investigating Motivations and Experiences of Educational Mobility

University of Malaya Press. Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia 50603. e-mail: jice@um.edu.my; Web site: http://jice.um.edu.my/

Y

14

Foreign Countries; Foreign Students; Japanese; Second Language Learning; Student Mobility; Aspiration; Student Motivation; Educational Mobility; Second Language Instruction; Student Attitudes; Cultural Influences; Family Influence; Barriers

Nepal; Japan

2232-1802
2289-2567

The rapidly growing number of Nepali students in Japan represents a significant yet under-researched student population in international education research. This paper investigates Nepali students' motivations for educational mobility and experiences in Japanese language schools (nihongo gakko), key institutions for hosting international students. Drawing on semi-structured interview narratives with eight Nepali students, this study argues that their mobility signifies a new trend and greater accessibility in educational mobility, primarily driven by non-academic aspirations. The findings suggest that the motivations behind Nepali students' mobility essentially lie in the inherent dream of upward social mobility and are strongly influenced by emerging mobility infrastructures. This study aims to enrich the current scholarship on marginal student mobility by shedding light on the mobility motivation of Japan's rapidly growing Nepali student population.

As Provided

2025

EJ1487540