Transcript English in the Faculty of Social Innovation

English in the Faculty
of Social Innovation
•Motivation
- Your purpose in learning English in
21st. Century Japan.
•How to learn – New ways of thinking about
English study.
Motivation - Is it really
necessary to learn
English?
For over 50 years people have spoken a
great deal about the importance of learning
English, but in fact most Japanese people
have been able to live easily and succeed in
their careers without it.
It was just a matter of tatemae, wasn’t it?
Perhaps, but look at what has changed in
recent years…
This man may
be your future
boss.
He doesn’t
speak
Japanese, and
he doesn’t
have to.
A picture speaks 1,000 words.
The picture of Howard Stringer says a lot
about how Japan is changing. The
economic crisis of the 1990’s forced Japan
to look to the outside world for new ways
of doing business, and the traditional ways
are disappearing.
 Just look at this recent news editorial…


The beginning of the end for Japan Inc. Jeff Kingston.
International Herald Tribune – 2005/04/01

TOKYO If you still believe that it's business as usual in
Japan, consider several developments over the past
year. The government strictly applied new accounting
rules that forced Japan's fifth-largest bank, Resona, into
bankruptcy; creditors pulled the plug on the retailing
giant Daiei, the nation's largest "zombie" debtor; and a
business icon, Yoshiaki Tsutsumi, was arrested on
suspicion of fraud and insider trading. More recently, an
upstart Internet company undertook a hostile
takeover battle - a rarity in Japan - and found
unexpected support in the courts and among investors…
Sony, once a symbol of Japanese business prowess,
appointed a foreigner, Howard Stringer, as its chief
executive with a mission to rescue the foundering giant.
So, this time the change is real.
 Japanese
workers will travel more
and have more contact with the world
outside Japan. English really is more
important now than it was for previous
generations.
How to learn – New
ways of thinking
about English study.
English is the language of the
classroom



Leave the Japanese language outside the
classroom.
English is not only an object to be studied from a
distance. It is also your means of study – the
thing which you use to succeed in the course.
English must be used to communicate with
everyone in the room. Get used to speaking
English to Japanese people.
In a usual lecture, the pattern of communication
looks like this: Students receive information from
the teacher.
In a language classroom, the pattern of
communication should be like this: Small groups
talk to each other and the teacher.
Whether you speak or not, you are
communicating a message to everyone in
the room.
It is wrong to believe you can succeed
here by staying on the sidelines.
 Participate. Each person in the room
changes the atmosphere of the classroom,
whether he is the most talkative or the
shiest person in the group.

Ears and Voice, or Eyes and Hands?



Humans began to speak languages about
100,000 years ago.
Humans began to write languages only about
3,000 years ago.
In this sense, we can say that the way you have
learned English is extremely unnatural and
difficult. You have learned it mostly by reading
and writing – with your hands and eyes. From
now on you should be learning with your ears
and voice.
A few words about TOEIC and TOEFL



It is wrong to speak of “studying TOEIC” or
“learning TOEFL.” These are tests, not subjects
of study.
The tests are intended to measure your English
ability after a period of study. The best way to
improve your scores is by learning English in
various ways, not by thinking only of these tests
as your goal.
Test preparation can improve your score only to
a certain point. After that, you need to be
learning English in other ways. Remember too
that many people score high on these tests
without learning to speak at even a basic level.
Two kinds of TOEIC:
TOEIC and TOEIC Bridge
Later this year you will do the TOEIC Test,
but in your Oral Communication class we
will prepare for the TOEIC Bridge Test. It is
shorter and easier, a step to the more
difficult TOEIC Test.
 Please buy the Oral Communication
textbook Barron's How to Prepare for the
TOEIC Bridge Test before your first class.

Comparing the two tests





TOEIC Bridge
Time: 1 hour
Level: Beginner to
Intermediate
(recommended for
people who cannot
score above 450 on
TOEIC)
Listening questions: 50
Reading questions: 50
TOTAL:
100





TOEIC
Time: 2 hours
Level: Advanced
Listening: 100
questions
Reading: 100 questions
TOTAL: 200
How long does it take to learn a foreign
language?



To achieve a basic level of ability, it takes about
600 hours of study in a six month period.
For the next two years you will have 4.5 hours
per week, 26 weeks per year, with a summer
vacation between the 13th. and 14th. week. Total:
234 hours in a 24 month period.
Obviously, you can succeed only if you do extra
work.
Suggestions:





Read and listen to English materials in your free
time. The Internet, cable TV, DVD’s and other
technology have made it very easy to access
English resources.
Make good use of your time on the train.
Travel during vacation time. Study abroad.
Visit your teachers on campus and speak
English to them. Check their office hours.
Get your own ideas for more suggestions. After
all, it’s up to you to find a way to succeed.
The End