THE ROLE OF EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING THROUGH INTERNSHIP PROGRAMS IN SHAPING CROSS-CULTURAL UNDERSTANDING (A STUDY ON STUDENTS OF THE JAPANESE LANGUAGE EDUCATION PROGRAM).

Abstract

This study explores how experiential learning through an internship program shapes the cross-cultural understanding of Japanese Language Education students at Universitas Negeri Jakarta. Utilizing a descriptive qualitative approach with methodological triangulation, data were collected from ten internship alumni via a Likert-scale pre-interview questionnaire and in-depth semi-structured interviews. Initial findings revealed a significant gap between students' theoretical knowledge of Japanese sociocultural concepts and their practical ability to interpret implied meanings in a professional setting. However, Kolb's experiential learning cycle effectively bridged this gap, enabling students to transform concrete cultural clashes into abstract conceptualizations and active communication strategies. Furthermore, students' intercultural sensitivity shifted from an ethnocentric orientation to ethnorelativism, reaching the Adaptation stage of Bennett’s Developmental Model of Intercultural Sensitivity (DMIS). The study concludes that internship experiences are crucial for mastering high-context communication concepts like honne-tatemae, thereby significantly contributing to the practical application of foreign language education.