The program helps students achieve well-rounded proficiency in reading, writing, listening and speaking by offering a variety of skills-based, content-based, and test preparation courses. Lessons follow a communicative approach and are input-rich, learner-centered, and interactive.
The program enables students to cultivate global perspectives by providing opportunities for them to carefully consider their own culture while they learning about other cultures.
The program helps students think critically, discuss and debate global issues, and use the communication strategies needed to participate in international academic, business, and social settings.
Students acquire the study skills needed to be independent learners and to pursue their studies beyond the classroom. By offering intellectually challenging and enriching learning experiences, the program motivates students to continue learning about language and culture long after graduating from Konan University.
The curriculum provides 3 levels of progressive English language study:
| College English: | A total of 3 courses (1 year-long course and 2 semester-long courses) which are required of all first-year students |
|---|---|
| Intermediate English: | Elective courses generally open to 2nd year students and above who have completed their College English requirements. |
| Advanced English: | Elective courses generally open to 3rd year students and above who have completed 8 or more credits of Intermediate level courses. |
The following is a list of all English courses offered by the Genbun Center, information about the courses, and an overview of Genbun Center policies.
| College English | Intermediate | Advanced |
|---|---|---|
| Reading & Writing (35) (EIC 20) | Reading (30) | Global Topics (20) |
| Listening (28) (EIC 20) | Listening (26) | Life Topics (20) |
| Speaking (28) (EIC 20) | Speaking (25) (EIC 25) | Career English (20) |
| *Numbers in parentheses indicate maximum enrollment targets, but actual numbers of registered students may be higher. Classes are sometimes slightly overbooked because not all who register are likely to attend. *"EIC" stands for English Intensive Course. As the chart shows, enrollment targets are somewhat different for classes in the EIC program. |
Writing (22) (EIC 20) | TOEFL (26) |
| Presentation (25) (EIC 20) | TOEIC (30) | |
| Global Topics (20) (EIC 20) | *English Regions courses are an exception. Students can enroll in English Regions courses beginning in the fall term of their 1st year before their College English requirements are completed. English Regions courses are neither Intermediate nor Advanced. | |
| Life Topics (20) | ||
| Career English (20) | ||
| TOEFL (25) (EIC 28) | ||
| TOEIC (30) |
| College English | Students are assigned to classes according to their department, so students in any given class all belong to the same department. |
|---|---|
| Listening and Speaking are single semester courses. The Reading & Writing course lasts a full year. | |
| All College English classes are streamed into three levels. | |
| Students who submit a sufficient TOEFL or TOEIC score automatically receive credits for the College English courses and begin studying from the Intermediate level. |
| Intermediate English | In principle, students who have passed all three College English courses can register for any Intermediate course. |
|---|---|
| Students choose the day and time of their class, so each class includes students from various departments. | |
| All Intermediate level courses (except Pronunciation) are streamed into three levels: pre stream (PS), main stream (MS), and top stream (TS). |
| Advanced English | In principle, students who earn 8 or more credits at the Intermediate level can register for any Advanced class. Generally, a single-semester Intermediate course awards 2 credits, while a full-year course awards 4 credits. |
|---|---|
| Students choose the day and time of their class, so each class includes students from various departments. | |
| Due to the limited number of sections, classes are not streamed at the Advanced level except for the TOEIC course. |
| Upon entering Konan University, students at our Okamoto campus can choose to enter Genbun Center's English Intensive Course (EIC). The main purpose of this intensive program is to prepare students to study abroad. Unlike many similar programs at other universities, students do not need to demonstrate a particular level of English proficiency in order to join. Each year up to 240 students can choose this intensive track, amounting to roughly 1/8 of the entire freshmen class. |
| The EIC is "intensive" mainly in the sense of being accelerated: namely, courses that meet once/week in the regular track are held twice/week for EIC students. These students are thus able to complete their freshmen College English requirements during their first term, and move on to intensive Intermediate level classes in the fall of their freshmen year. EIC classes are offered through the spring term of the sophomore year, and then roughly half of these EIC students elect to study abroad either in the fall of that year or in their junior year. |
| Teaching Method: | Teachers are generally free to plan their own lessons, but a communicative approach that is learner-centered, interactive, and maximizes use of the target language is expected. Teachers are also requested to offer an appropriate balance of work on fluency and accuracy. Although many classes focus on a single skill such as listening or writing, activities involving other skills are encouraged as long as they support the main focus of the class. |
|---|---|
| Texts: | Teachers are expected to use textbooks in their classes and to choose them from a recommended list that is reviewed every year based on teacher input. |
| Homework: | Teachers are expected to review and extend class activities with regular homework assignments, provide feedback, and include the assignments in the final grade. |
| Grades and Grade Point Average (GPA): | Teachers are generally free to determine how they assess students, but grading guidelines should be clearly defined, included on the syllabus, and consistently applied. |
For the Konan GPA system, each department decides whether grades for its courses are criterion-referenced (aka, "absolute" grading) or norm-referenced (aka, "relative" grading). All of our Genbun Center are criterion-referenced. (If you teach courses in other Konan departments, please check with those departments about their grading policies.)
Because of the GPA system, teachers submit grades numerically from 0 to 100. However, grades are reported to students as kanji characters rather than as numbers following the equivalency chart below:
| Numerical Grades | Grades Given to Students |
|---|---|
| 90~100 | 秀 (Outstanding) |
| 80~89 | 優 (Excellent) |
| 70~79 | 良 (Good) |
| 60~69 | 可 (Satisfactory) |
| 0~59 | 不可 (Fail) |
| K | 欠席 (Absent)* |
| Attendance*: | Starting in 2019* an absence grade (欠席) will no longer be used, and so students must be given a failing grade (不可) if they are absent for more than one-third of the total number of class sessions. This attendance policy is standard for all Genbun Center English courses. Teachers should make sure that this policy is clear to students and consistently applied. *Note: This change to the Konan grading policy and its effect on our Genbun attendance policy are still pending final approval. Teachers will be notified of the final decision at some point before 2019 syllabus input is due. |
|---|---|
| Make-up Classes: | If a teacher cancels any number of classes, those classes need to be made up. Make-up classes can be scheduled during periods 1~3 on Saturdays, or 5th periods on weekdays during the semester. Teachers are expected to consult with students about suitable times, and them go to the Office of Academic Affairs (Kyomubu) in order to schedule make-ups. |
| Final Examinations*: | Teachers who give a final exam must schedule it through the Office of Academic Affairs (Kyomubu) and offer it during the official examination period after classes have finished. All College English classes must have a final exam. Individual teachers determine the content and grading weight of their exams. In order to provide students with the maximum number of teaching hours, final exams should not be given while the term is in session.* |
| Grades and Grade Point Average (GPA): | Teachers are generally free to determine how they assess students, but grading guidelines should be clearly defined, included on the syllabus, and consistently applied. |
*Note: It is possible that the final examinations policy will be revised for 2019 in order to allow exams to be conducted during the last week of classes (as opposed to finals week) if a teacher so chooses. This change is still pending final approval. Teachers will be notified of the final decision at some point before 2019 syllabus input is due.
| Students at the Intermediate and Advanced levels often take more than one Genbun Center English class. The same student may be enrolled in more than one class of a given level (e.g. Intermediate Speaking and Intermediate Writing), or an Intermediate and an Advanced class simultaneously (e.g. Intermediate Presentation and Advanced Life Topics I). |
| In addition to English, first-year students must take two introductory-level courses in one other language (French, German, Chinese, or Korean). |
| Students can register for a special Language and Culture Program in the foreign language of their choice with one of three concentrations: World Cultures, Global Communication, or Intensive Language Course. The program is a mixture of regular Intermediate courses and others specifically designed for this program. |
| Some other departments also offer English classes to their own students, and these classes are entirely separate from the Genbun Center’s program. The information in these guidelines does not necessarily apply to them. Teachers with classes in other departments need to discuss any questions they may have with a representative of those departments. |
