The Impact of Outbound Exchange Programs on Japanese Dental Students

抄録

Objective: This survey was conducted to evaluate changes of students’ English competency as they progress through the academic years, and disclose the effect of outbound exchange programs (OEP) that students can visit oversea universities as an elective course. Materials and Methods: All undergraduate dental students from 1st to 6th year (n = 332), at School of Dentistry, Tokyo Medical and Dental University were invited to participate in the study, and asked to fill out a self-administered questionnaire. As an objective scale of student’s English competency, TOEFL-ITP scores were used. In total, 236 (71.1%) of students participated. Students were classified into two groups by the participation or absence of OEP. Results: Experience from OEP was associated with improved English competency. Students without the participation showed decline in English competency over time. Self-confidence in English communication coincided statistically with the objective measurement of TOEFL-ITP scores. Discussion and Conclusions: Exposure to English communication through experience in organized OEP appears to be important for improving their confidence in English communication. Greater exposure to English language for the dental students and exposure to different culture may help development of international perspectives, motivation of students for further study, and influencing their career choice.