高度外国人材のビジネス日本語を経産省が学習支援

経済産業省はエンジニアなど「高度外国人材」がビジネス日本語や商習慣を学ぶのを支援する。まず2業種を選び各業界の専門用語などを習得する教材を作る。国内の日本語教育は留学生向けが中心で、仕事で必要な会話力を身につけられる場が少ない。深刻な人手不足が続くなか高度外国人材の雇用拡大や定着につなげる。

26年度はまず2業種で試行する。専門的な言葉が必要な業界・職種、企業が求める日本語レベルと外国人材の能力の差が大きい分野を選ぶ。

教材は業界特有の専門用語や頻出表現を具体的な場面を交えてまとめる。商習慣などを盛り込むことも想定する。

日本語学校の講座や企業の社内研修で使ってもらい効果を検証する。業界内での横展開や普及をめざす。27年度以降は2業種以外でのテキスト作成も検討する。

高度外国人材は、専門的な知識や技術を持ち、企業や研究機関に勤める人を指す。在留資格のうち「高度専門職」や「技術・人文知識・国際業務（技人国）」などで、エンジニアや通訳、マーケティングに携わる人などが該当する。

高度専門職と技人国を合わせると25年6月末時点で約49万人にのぼる。大半を占める技人国を業種別でみると製造業が最多で、卸売・小売業や宿泊・飲食サービス業などサービス業も多い。

企業は業務で支障がないレベルの日本語力を求める。一方で、国際交流基金などが運営する日本語能力試験で上から2番目の「N2」を取得していても、ビジネスの現場で不十分な場合もあるという。日本語学校の授業や試験が主に進学者を対象にしており、ビジネスで必要なコミュニケーション能力の育成に軸足を置いていないのが一因だ。

働いている外国人が学べる場は少ない。文部科学省による24年度の日本語教育実態調査によると、日本語学習者29万4000人のうち65.4%は留学生で、ビジネス関係者などは6.6%にとどまる。

政府は高度外国人材はイノベーションをもたらしたり労働市場の効率性を高めたりするとして、積極的に受け入れるべき存在と位置づける。人口減少が進むなか専門知識やスキルをもつ外国人材の取り込みは欠かせない。活躍の場を広げるために、日本語力を高める環境整備が求められている。

METI to Support Business Japanese Learning for Highly Skilled Foreign Professionals

The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) will support “highly skilled foreign professionals,” such as engineers, in learning business Japanese and commercial practices. The ministry will first select two industries and develop educational materials to help learners master industry-specific terminology. Currently, Japanese language education in Japan is primarily geared toward international students, leaving few opportunities to acquire the conversational skills necessary for the workplace. Amid a persistent and severe labor shortage, this initiative aims to expand the employment of highly skilled foreign professionals and encourage their retention.

A pilot program will be launched in two industries in fiscal year 2026. The selection will prioritize industries and job types that require specialized terminology, as well as sectors where there is a significant gap between the Japanese language proficiency required by companies and the actual capabilities of foreign professionals.

The teaching materials will compile industry-specific terminology and frequently used expressions, incorporating concrete scenarios. They are also expected to include business customs and practices.

The effectiveness of the materials will be evaluated through their use in Japanese language school courses and corporate in-house training programs. The goal is to expand and popularize their use across the industry. Starting in fiscal year 2027, the creation of textbooks for industries beyond the initial two will also be considered.

“Highly Skilled Foreign Professionals” refers to individuals with specialized knowledge or technical skills who work for companies or research institutions. This category includes those holding residence statuses such as “Highly Skilled Professional” or “Engineer, Specialist in Humanities, or International Business (Tech-Human-Int'l),” and encompasses engineers, interpreters, and marketing professionals.

As of the end of June 2013, the combined total of Highly Skilled Professionals and G-JIKU holders stood at approximately 490,000. Looking at the G-JIKU group, which accounts for the majority, manufacturing has the highest number of workers, followed by a significant presence in service industries such as wholesale and retail, as well as accommodation and food services.

Companies require a level of Japanese proficiency sufficient to perform their duties without hindrance. However, even those who have attained the second-highest level, “N2,” on the Japanese Language Proficiency Test administered by organizations such as the Japan Foundation may still find their skills insufficient in actual business settings. One reason for this is that Japanese language school classes and exams are primarily geared toward students planning to pursue higher education, rather than focusing on developing the communication skills necessary for business.

There are few opportunities for working foreigners to learn Japanese. According to the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology’s 2024 Survey on the Status of Japanese Language Education, 65.4% of the 294,000 Japanese language learners were international students, while business professionals and others accounted for only 6.6%.

The government views highly skilled foreign professionals as essential to fostering innovation and enhancing labor market efficiency, and thus advocates for their active acceptance. As Japan’s population continues to decline, attracting foreign talent with specialized knowledge and skills is indispensable. To expand their opportunities, there is a growing need to create environments that support the improvement of Japanese language proficiency.

经济产业省为高素质外国人才提供商务日语学习支持

经济产业省将支持工程师等“高素质外国人才”学习商务日语和商业惯例。首先选定两个行业，制作帮助掌握各行业专业术语等的教材。国内的日语教育主要面向留学生，能够掌握工作所需会话能力的渠道较少。在劳动力严重短缺持续的情况下，此举旨在扩大高素质外国人才的雇佣规模并促进其稳定就业。

2026年度将首先在两个行业进行试点。选定需要专业术语的行业及职位，以及企业要求的日语水平与外国人才实际能力差距较大的领域。

教材将结合具体场景，汇总行业特有的专业术语和高频表达。同时计划纳入商业惯例等内容。

将通过日语学校的课程及企业的内部培训进行试用，以验证效果。目标是在行业内推广并普及。2027年度起，还将考虑制作其他行业的教材。

所谓“高素质外国人才”，是指具备专业知识或技术，并在企业或研究机构任职的人员。在居留资格中，持有“高度专业职”或“技术、人文知识、国际业务（技人国）”等资格的人员，如工程师、口译员及从事市场营销工作的人员等均属此类。

截至2013年6月底，“高度专业职”与“技人国”合计约达49万人。其中占比最大的“技人国”按行业划分，制造业人数最多，批发零售业、住宿餐饮服务业等服务业也占相当比例。

企业要求具备足以保障业务正常开展的日语能力。另一方面，据称即使通过了由国际交流基金等机构运营的日语能力考试中第二高的“N2”级别，在商务现场仍可能存在不足。原因之一在于，日语学校的课程和考试主要面向升学者，并未将重点放在培养商务所需的沟通能力上。

在职外国人可学习的场所很少。根据文部科学省2024年度日语教育实态调查，在29.4万名日语学习者中，65.4%为留学生，而商务相关人员等仅占6.6%。

日本政府认为，高素质外国人才能够带来创新并提高劳动力市场的效率，因此应将其定位为应积极接纳的对象。在人口持续减少的背景下，引进具备专业知识和技能的外国人才势在必行。为了拓宽他们的施展空间，亟需完善提升日语能力的环境。