English 2 follows English 1 to solidify the foundational skills for effective communication in English as well as to foster international awareness, as both are typically required in the globally expanding domain of scientific and technological research activities. It also prepares students to study or do research abroad in the future. Students are assigned training exercises that cover the four language skills — reading, writing, listening, and speaking. The reading and listening materials include topics such as international and intercultural issues as well as the fundamentals of science and technology. Practice exercises in writing and speaking are provided so that students can develop communication competence to participate in discussions and conferences where opinions are exchanged through both text and speech. TOEFL-type exercise problems are also used in the course.
This course aims to establish a solid base on which students can build toward a higher level of communication competence specifically in an English language environment. The base is, as mentioned in "Course description and aims" of English 1, composed of three elements: (1) identifying relevant information accurately, (2) exercising fair judgement to form a valid opinion, and (3) stating opinions clearly and persuasively.
Each student is assigned to a group led by an instructor. Instructors for each group conduct the course using the "Course description and aims" and "Student learning outcomes" as the basic framework. "Class direction," "Course schedule," and other information below explain the features of each class.
By the end of this course, students will:
・Strengthen practical English abilities that are required for learning at university and for research activities both in Japan and abroad
・Be able to accurately grasp the main ideas and arguments of written and spoken materials in diverse areas including international and intercultural issues, science, and technology
・Have increased their knowledge of effective vocabulary and expressions to actively communicate their ideas and opinions in English
・Be able to write their own short paragraphs with a clear purpose
・Be able to state their opinions with good organization
Four language skills, fostering international awareness, communication skills, studying abroad, TOEFL
Specialist skills | ✔ Intercultural skills | ✔ Communication skills | Critical thinking skills | Practical and/or problem-solving skills |
Using the textbook as the main resource, this course will introduce students to basic English skills useful for intercultural communication in academic settings. Not only will students work on improving their skills in reading, writing, speaking, and listening, but they will also engage in pair and group activities to critically explore diverse topics. TOEFL-type exercises and problems will also be used.
Usually, we will start the lesson with a short discussion of the topic. Then we will learn some key language and skills necessary to investigate the topic. After practicing these skills, you will be asked to produce a piece of work such as a short report, a presentation or a group survey.
Course schedule | Required learning | |
---|---|---|
Class 1 | Media studies-interactive games | Learn the language to express opinions about interactive games |
Class 2 | Biology-genetically modified food | Learn the language to express opinions about genetically modified food. |
Class 3 | Business-design thinking | Learn the language to express opinions about business. |
Class 4 | Public health-sleep | Learn the language to express opinions about sleep. |
Class 5 | Philosophy-ethics | Learn the language to express opinions about ethics. |
Class 6 | Technology-big data | Learn the language to express opinions about big data. |
Class 7 | Review and final exam | Review and final exam |
To enhance effective learning, students are encouraged to spend approximately 100 minutes preparing for class and another 100 minutes reviewing class content afterwards (including assignments) for each class.
They should do so by referring to textbooks and other course material.
Contemporary Topics (4th edition) Pearson Longman
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Participation in class activities: 20%
Assignments: 30%
Final exam: 50%
None
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