In recent years, against a backdrop of labor shortages and global expansion, an increasing number of companies have been actively recruiting foreign talent. At the same time, however, it is not uncommon for practical mismatches to arise after hiring due to language barriers and differences in business customs.
Japanese language schools, too, cannot remain unaffected by these changing times. There is still a gap between “being able to speak Japanese” and “being able to thrive in Japanese society.” ISI Career and Language Academy has taken on the challenge of bridging this gap and continues its “Future Classroom” initiative.
Objectives and Activities of the “Future Classroom”
The “Future Classroom” is a year-long career education program designed to help students understand Japanese society, learn about companies, gain self-awareness, and proactively envision their own futures. Through research into their target industries, company visits, lectures by guest speakers, and presentation of proposals to companies, students progressively deepen their learning throughout the year. The name embodies our aspiration for this program to be a classroom where students themselves can envision their futures and connect those futures with society.
In August 2026, students from the Shibuya-Harajuku Campus conducted company visits with the cooperation of a total of 19 companies and organizations, including The Asahi Shimbun, JETRO, Tokyo Star Bank, and the Tokyo Stock Exchange. Over the course of about a month and a half, the students researched the companies they would visit, independently considered “what they wanted to know” and “what they wanted to ask the people working there,” and prepared for the day by learning business etiquette and how to ask questions.
They put the Japanese they learned in the classroom to use in real business settings. Through conversations with employees, they gained insight into the mindset and work styles of Japanese companies. They also reflected on how they themselves would like to work in Japan and what value they wish to provide. The program is designed as a single learning cycle encompassing preparatory study, hands-on experience, reflection, and the articulation and sharing of insights.
The Value Created by “Future Classroom” — A “Learning Environment” for Both Students and Companies
The goal of “Future Classroom” is to foster a two-way relationship where schools and companies learn from one another.
International students have many things they do not know about Japanese companies. On the other hand, Japanese companies rarely have opportunities to learn how young people from overseas view Japanese companies, or what concerns and expectations they have.
On this occasion, Tokyo Star Bank hosted a panel discussion featuring foreign employees, an office tour, and a roundtable discussion, where students and employees exchanged views on future careers and working in Japan. The bank commented that it was “a valuable opportunity to hear the candid opinions of international students.”
We believe that fostering such exchanges will not only help foreign talent “adapt” to Japanese society, but will also lead to mutual understanding and shared growth between students and companies.
Beyond “Being Able to Speak Japanese”
For international students studying in Japan, improving their Japanese language skills is one of their key goals. However, we do not believe that simply being able to speak Japanese is enough to thrive in Japanese society.
In the real workplace, skills that are difficult to acquire from textbooks alone are required—such as the ability to understand others’ intentions, convey one’s own thoughts, collaborate with people who hold different values, and proactively identify challenges and take action. Furthermore, for companies hiring foreign talent, it is crucial to foster mutual understanding not only of language but also of work practices, communication styles, and differences in corporate culture.
That is why at ISI Career and Language Academy, we place great importance on an educational approach that bridges the gap between “school” and “business.” Students interact with Japanese companies and their employees while still enrolled, put the Japanese they’ve learned in the classroom into actual use, and grow through both successes and failures. This is the philosophy behind our “Future Classroom.”
This philosophy also reflects the values cherished by the ISI Japanese Language School Group.
The “Global Leader” Profile Sought by the ISI Japanese Language School Group
The ISI Japanese Language School Group aims to nurture individuals who can understand people with different cultures and values, convey their own ideas in Japanese, and bring about positive change in society and organizations while collaborating with those around them. This is directly linked to the vision championed by WEWORLD: “to nurture and produce global leaders who transcend borders and thrive on the world stage.” For international students, finding employment in Japan is merely the starting line. Beyond that, we hope each individual will be able to demonstrate their abilities in their own unique way and thrive as a member of Japanese society. We believe that designing Japanese language education with this long-term goal in mind is the role expected of Japanese language schools in the future.
Details regarding the “Future Classroom” initiative are also provided in our press release.
https://www.weworld.co.jp/en/news/1376/