| College English Courses (required; 1st year) |
Intermediate Courses (electives; 2nd~4th year) |
Advanced Courses (electives; 3rd~4th year*) |
|---|---|---|
| Skills-based | Skills-based Content-based Test Preparation |
Content-based Test Preparation |
| *Students become eligible after completing 8 Intermediate credits. |
The courses are further organized according to course type (e.g. Speaking) and then by level. The information below includes broad goals shared by all course levels as well as other details specific to individual levels.
Both speaking courses aim to improve students’ ability to:
| （1） understand and appropriately use English in a variety of situations |
| （2） clearly express their own opinions, ideas, and feelings/td> |
| （3） participate in discussions on topics ranging from the simple and familiar to the complex and controversial |
The following offers a more detailed description of the weight given to these goals at each level and includes information about additional course objectives.
The main purpose of this course is to enable students to participate in basic conversations in a variety of situations. Some practice with talking about personal experiences and expressing ideas and opinions is also included. In this course, students will:
| ・get used to using English to communicate with their classmates and teacher |
| ・practice and perform a large number of basic conversations in a variety of situations |
| ・begin to practice expressing their own ideas, feelings and opinions on a variety of familiar topics |
| ・review the English they have studied before, but also learn new vocabulary and useful expressions |
| ・practice using language fluently, accurately, and appropriately (including grammar, vocabulary, idiomatic expressions, pronunciation and intonation) |
| ・practice basic skills that are necessary for successful language learning (for example, using a dictionary and taking notes) |
This course continues to develop the skills acquired at the introductory level. However, more emphasis is placed on improving students’ ability to express ideas and opinions about a variety of topics. In this course, students will:
| ・improve their ability to participate in longer, more complex conversations in a variety of situations |
| ・express their ideas and opinions about topics that are familiar and related to personal experience and interests, and begin to talk about more complex issues of social and global interest. |
| ・practice using language fluently, accurately, and appropriately (including grammar, vocabulary, idiomatic expressions, pronunciation, and intonation) |
| ・learn new vocabulary, structures, and useful expressions |
| ・practice skills for becoming successful, independent language learners (for example, using a dictionary, taking notes, and using the Internet and other materials) |
Both listening courses, which are held in multimedia classrooms, aim to improve students’ ability to:
| 1) understand English as it is spoken at natural speeds |
| 2) identify the main idea and most important information of a spoken text |
| 3) listen for specific information |
| 4) understand the differences between the sound system and prosody of Japanese and English |
| 5) recognize and produce the major characteristic features of English pronunciation, including rhythm and intonation |
| 6) recognize and understand some of the major varieties of English that are spoken around the world |
The following offers a more detailed description of the weight given to these goals at each level and includes information about additional course objectives.
The main purpose of this course is to improve students' ability to understand conversations spoken at natural speeds. Students will also begin to listen to additional types of spoken messages such as short news stories or documentary reports. In this course, students will use a multimedia classroom to:
| ・learn listening strategies that will help them follow conversations in order to understand the main idea and important information of spoken messages |
| ・practice listening for specific information |
| ・recognize and produce the English sounds that are especially difficult for Japanese learners |
| ・practice major features of English intonation and rhythm |
This course develops the skills learned at the introductory level. However, more emphasis is placed on understanding spoken texts such as news reports, interviews, documentary reports, and dramas. In this course, students will use a multimedia classroom to:
| ・improve their ability to understand the main ideas and important details in longer, more complex spoken texts |
| ・improve their ability to catch specific information in longer spoken texts |
| ・refine and expand on listening strategies that will improve their ability to understand various kinds of spoken messages |
| ・listen to a variety of English accents, pronunciation patterns, and intonation styles |
| ・refine their ability to recognize and produce the English sounds that are especially difficult for Japanese learners |
| ・practice the major features of English intonation and rhythm |
Each level of the reading course aims to improve students’ ability to:
| 1) understand a variety of texts, both of general interest and those more closely related to their academic needs |
| 2) acquire the various skills and strategies that are needed to be effective readers |
| 3) read both extensively and intensively |
| 4) read without over-relying on their dictionaries or on translating texts directly into Japanese |
The following offers a more detailed description of the weight given to these goals at each level and includes information about additional course objectives.
The main purpose of this course is to give students the basic reading skills necessary for reading successfully both in their major field of study and for general interest. In this course, students will:
| ・read a large number of short passages, from single paragraphs to brief, multi-paragraph essays |
| ・read a variety of expository text types (e.g. description, cause-effect, comparison/contrast) |
| ・identify the main idea and the most important information of a passage |
| ・learn the techniques of skimming (quickly identifying the main idea of a passage) and scanning (quickly finding specific information) |
| ・learn basic reading skills such as predicting, making inferences, and using the context to understand unknown vocabulary |
| ・learn how to outline and summarize a passage in English |
| ・improve reading speed |
| ・increase vocabulary |
This course continues to develop the skills learned at the introductory level, but students will read longer, more sophisticated passages. In addition, emphasis is placed on helping students express their reactions to and opinions about what they have read. In this course, students will:
| ・read a large number of passages and full texts varying in length and difficulty |
| ・read a variety of text types, especially expository writing (e.g. description, cause-effect, comparison/contrast) |
| ・refine their ability to identify the main idea, most important information, and supporting details of passages |
| ・continue to practice skimming (quickly identifying the main idea of a passage) and scanning (quickly identifying specific information) |
| ・improve the skills needed to read successfully, such as predicting, inferencing, and using the context to understand unknown vocabulary |
| ・refine English outlining and summarizing skills |
| ・improve reading speed |
| ・increase vocabulary |
| ・evaluate a writer’s ideas and opinions |
| ・express their own opinions about and reactions to the passages they read, both in writing and in discussion |
(Although some primarily sentence-level writing instruction and grammar practice is provided in this course, it’s main focus is on reading skills. Please see the objectives listed in the previous section.)
Briefly introduced at the College English level and then carried on at the Intermediate level, our writing courses aim to improve students ability to:
| 1) write fluently and accurately in English |
| 2) approach writing as a multi-staged process that involves planning, writing, and revising |
| 3) view writing as a collaborative activity that involves sharing, discussing, and evaluating |
| 4) understand and produce the rhetorical conventions of a variety of text types (e.g. description, comparison/contrast, cause and effect) and genres (e.g. letters, essays, summaries) |
| 5) understand the importance of the reading-writing connection |
The following offers a more detailed description of the weight given to these goals at the Intermediate level and includes information about additional course objectives.
The main purpose of this class is to develop students’ ability to write various kinds of texts. Students begin by writing paragraphs, and then short, multi-paragraph essays. In this course, students will:
| ・egularly practice the three steps involved in writing: planning, writing, and revising |
| ・read and write a variety of text types (e.g. description, cause-effect, and comparison/contrast) and a variety of genres (e.g. letters and short essays) |
| ・learn about the major features of paragraphs and essays (e.g. topic sentence, supporting details, concluding sentence) |
| ・improve the grammatical accuracy of their writing |
| ・learn how to connect sentences and paragraphs smoothly |
| ・work with classmates to develop and discuss writing topics |
| ・learn to evaluate their classmates’ assignments and advise each other about improving their writing |
| ・revise their writing based on advice from their teacher and classmates |
This full-year course aims to develop students’ confidence in speaking in front of an audience and to improve their ability to organize and present a variety of speeches. In this course, students will:
| ・focus on sentence-level units of pronunciation (patterns of English stress, rhythm, pitch, and intonation), on the meanings these elements convey, and on their effective usage |
| ・learn the globally recognized symbols of the International Phonetic Alphabet (国際音声記号) and the sounds they represent |
| ・refine their pronunciation of English consonants, especially the ones that are typically difficult for Japanese English learners |
| ・practice the full range of English vowel sounds, particularly those that are not found in Japanese |
| ・listen repeatedly to and mimic the pronunciation of models, then compare their own pronunciation to them |
| ・develop greater awareness of the role that speech organs and air flow have on pronunciation |
| ・become more confident and effective communicators through mastery of the English sound system |
Both levels of the Global Topics and Life Topics courses aim to improve students' ability to:
| 1) apply the four macro-skills (reading, writing, speaking, and listening) in various combinations in order to meet the learning goals of the course content |
| 2) think critically in English about important and timely issues that affect themselves and the world, and express their informed opinions on those issues both orally and in writing |
| 3) assess their own English strengths and weaknesses and work toward bringing their skills into overall balance |
| 4) handle English situations beyond the classroom for purposes in which language skills tend to be used in more integrative ways |
| 5) view English not merely as a subject to be studied but as a means to learn more about themselves, their society, and the world |
The following offers a more detailed description of the weight given to these goals in each course and at each level and includes information about additional course objectives.
Both of these single-semester integrated skills courses aim to improve overall language proficiency while placing a special emphasis on the micro-skills associated with English for General Academic Purposes. The content addresses issues of global importance and allows for comparative analyses. In these courses, students will:
| ・examine issues related to globalization from various perspectives while developing cross-cultural awareness and basic problem-solving skills |
| ・improve the speaking skills needed for making oral presentations and participating in discussions |
| ・practice the writing skills needed for taking notes, citing sources, summarizing, and producing basic academic prose |
| ・refine the listening skills needed to identify the main ideas and supporting details of short lectures and presentations |
| ・practice the reading skills needed to understand major arguments and supporting details in mainly academic texts of various lengths and at a roughly intermediate level of complexity |
| ・view English as a tool for effective global citizenship |
Both of these single-semester integrated skills courses aim to further improve overall language proficiency while placing a special emphasis on the micro-skills associated with English for General Academic Purposes. The content addresses issues of global importance and allows for comparative analyses. In these courses, students will:
| ・think deeply and critically about issues related to globalization while further developing cross-cultural awareness and problem-solving skills |
| ・further improve the speaking skills needed for making oral presentations and participating in discussions |
| ・practice the writing skills needed for taking notes, citing sources, writing comparative analyses, and producing short research papers |
| ・refine the comprehension skills needed to understand the main ideas and supporting details of lectures and multimedia presentations |
| ・practice the reading skills needed to understand major arguments and supporting details in mainly academic texts of various lengths and levels of complexity |
| ・carefully consider their role and responsibilities as a global citizen |
Both of these single-semester integrated skills courses aim to improve overall language proficiency while placing a special emphasis on reflection and self-expression. The content addresses humanistic themes and lifestyle issues that are meant to help students develop into benevolent, well-adjusted, and content individuals. In these courses, students will:
| ・examine issues related to personal growth from various perspectives while developing awareness of and respect for the great variety of individual and cultural values and ethics |
| ・improve the speaking skills needed for expressing opinions, participating in discussions, and making presentations |
| ・practice the writing skills needed for taking notes, summarizing, supporting opinions, and producing prose in a variety of relevant genres |
| ・refine the listening skills needed to identify the main ideas and supporting details of short lectures and presentations |
| ・practice the reading skills needed to understand major arguments and supporting details in a variety of text genres and lengths, and at various level of complexity |
| ・view English as a useful tool for broadening their awareness of life’s possibilities |
Both of these single-semester integrated skills courses aim to further improve overall language proficiency while placing a special emphasis on reflection and self-expression. The content addresses humanistic themes and lifestyle issues that are meant to help students develop into benevolent, well-adjusted, and content individuals. In these courses, students will:
| ・further examine issues related to personal growth from various perspectives while developing awareness of and respect for the great variety of individual and cultural values and ethics |
| ・polish the speaking skills needed for expressing opinions, participating in discussions, and making presentations |
| ・further practice the writing skills needed for taking notes, summarizing, supporting opinions, and producing prose in a variety of relevant genres |
| ・refine the comprehension skills needed to understand the main ideas and supporting details of lectures and multimedia presentations |
| ・practice the reading skills needed to understand major arguments and supporting details in a variety of text genres and lengths, and at a roughly advanced level of complexity |
| ・come to rely on English as a tool for broadening their views and enriching their lives |
Both of these single-semester courses aim to help students develop language and intercultural skills needed to function successfully in international work contexts such as international corporations as well as in hospitality and service industries that cater to non-Japanese. In these courses, students will:
| ・learn practical business English skills needed for gaining employment and working in international business contexts |
| ・increase their awareness of international business cultures and practices including specific customs and manners |
| ・learn about the field of international business and related work opportunities |
| ・start to consider their own career goals and some personal development strategies that will help achieve those goals |
Both of these single-semester courses aim to help students further develop the language and intercultural skills needed to function successfully in international work contexts such as international corporations as well as in hospitality and service industries that cater to non-Japanese. In these courses, students will:
| ・further develop practical business English skills needed for gaining employment and working in international business contexts | |
| ・increase their awareness of international business cultures and practices including specific customs and manners | |
| ・learn more about the field of international business and related work opportunities | |
| ・consider their own career goals and some personal development strategies that will help achieve those goals |
Each of these single-semester integrated skills courses aims to improve overall language proficiency and cross-cultural awareness while focusing on a specific country or region where English is either the mother tongue or the primary official language. English Regions I courses are limited to the North American region. English Regions II courses tend to focus on UK, but other English-speaking regions are also possible. (English Regions III and IV are currently reserved for transfer credit purposes for study abroad students.) In these courses, students will:
| ・develop a broad base of knowledge about the region such as basic geography, demographics, politics, economics, main religions, important historical and contemporary events and figures, etc. |
| ・follow current news and social trends of the region, especially those with strong cultural significance or international implications |
| ・consider how the region is coping locally with global issues such as the environmental crisis, human rights, immigration and migration, social and economic disparity, religious and ethnic conflicts, etc. |
| ・examine the region's bilateral relations with Japan and the historical and contemporary role of the region's Japanese community |
| ・compare the region with Japan in terms of how some of the social and political problems they both face tend to be handled |
*The typical Genbun Center curricular progression (College English→Intermediate→Advanced) does not apply to English Regions courses. Thus, teachers of these courses should expect a wider range of English abilities among students compares to other courses.
The TOEIC courses aim to prepare students for the Test of English for International Communication, an English language proficiency tests given in many countries around the world. In TOEIC classes, students will:
| 1) become familiar with the form and content of the TOEIC test |
| 2) improve their language skills in the areas covered on the test |
| 3) learn test-taking strategies that will help increase their test score |
The following offers a more detailed description of each level of the TOEIC course:
The Intermediate TOEIC course is divided into three levels. The PI section is for students with little or no experience with the TOEIC test and aims for a score of at least 400-450 points by the end of the course. The IM section aims for a score of at least 450-500 points. The AV section aims for a score of at least 500-600 points. In each level, students will:
| ・become familiar with the format of the TOEIC exam |
| ・learn what kinds of questions regularly appear on the exams |
| ・become more comfortable and confident about taking the exam |
| ・improve their proficiency in the areas tested on the exam: listening, grammar, and reading |
| ・practice answering questions for each of these areas ( listening, grammar, and reading) in every class |
| ・regularly take practice TOEIC tests |
| ・learn what kinds of mistakes students often make on the exams and how to avoid those mistakes |
| ・learn how to use their time efficiently and effectively |
The Advanced TOEIC course is intended for students who are familiar with the TOEIC exam and wish to improve their score to at least 600-700 points. In this course, students will:
| ・refine their knowledge about what kinds of questions regularly appear on the exams |
| ・improve their proficiency in the areas tested on the exam: listening, grammar, and reading |
| ・regularly practice answering questions for each of the areas ( listening, grammar, and reading) |
| ・regularly take practice TOEIC tests |
| ・review the kinds of mistakes students commonly make on the exams and how to avoid those mistakes |
| ・improve the ability to use their time efficiently and effectively |
The TOEFL courses aim to prepare students for the Test of English as a Foreign Language, an exam that is required of foreign students by many universities in English-speaking countries. In these courses, students will:
| 1) become familiar with the form and content of the TOEFL test |
| 2) improve their language skills in the areas covered on the test |
| 3) learn test-taking strategies that will help increase their test score |
The following offers a more detailed description of each level of the TOEFL course:
The Intermediate TOEFL course is intended for students with little or no experience with the exam and aims for a score of at least 500-530 (173-197 CBT) by the end of the course. The course is divided into four levels. In this course, students will:
| ・become familiar with the format of the TOEFL exam |
| ・learn what kinds of questions to expect on the exams |
| ・become more comfortable and confident about taking the exam |
| ・improve their proficiency in the areas tested on the exam: listening, grammar, reading, vocabulary, and writing |
| ・regularly practice answering questions for each of the areas (listening, grammar, reading, vocabulary, and writing) |
| ・regularly take practice TOEFL tests |
| ・learn what kinds of mistakes students commonly make on the exams and how to avoid those mistakes |
| ・learn how to use their time effectively and efficiently |
The Advanced TOEFL course is intended for students who are familiar with the TOEFL exam and wish to increase their score to at least 550 (213 CBT). In this course, students will:
| ・refine their knowledge about what kinds of questions to expect on the exam |
| ・improve their proficiency in the areas tested on the exam: listening, grammar, reading, vocabulary, and writing |
| ・regularly practice answering questions for each of the areas ( listening, grammar, reading, vocabulary, and writing) |
| ・regularly take practice TOEFL tests |
| ・review the mistakes students commonly make on the exams and how to avoid those mistakes |
| ・improve the ability to use their time effectively and efficiently |
For a limited number of students, we offer a 1.5-year intensive English program. The program prepares students for studying abroad, and the course of study is as follows:
1st year
| Spring | Intersession #1 | Fall | Intersession #2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| College English Reading & Writing | TOEFL Preparation | Int. Presentation | TOEFL Preparation |
| College English Speaking & Listening | Int. Writing |
2st year
Students choose from the following courses according to their needs and goals:
| Int. Speaking | Int. Global Topics I&II | Int. TOEFL |
| ■ Enrollment target has been raised from 200 to 240 students in 2019. |
| ■ Target enrollment per class is approximately 20 students. |
| ■ In spring and fall semesters, EIC students take 2 courses, both of which meet twice a week. |
| ■ EIC Students are strongly encouraged to take the roughly 10-day intensive intersession courses. |
| ■ EIC Students are expected to study overseas during their time at Konan; they are free to choose the length of study (1 month, 3 months, 6 months, or 1 year) and the timing. |
| ■ The curriculum is based on our present course offerings; however, the objectives of the intensive courses undergo regular revision. |
