This paper presents the prototype of a Mobile Language Learning Environment (MLLE) allowing learners of German at a Japanese university to map classroom learning content onto the pathways of their everyday lives, turning places they come by into mnemonic "loci", and thus changing their daily commute into a learning trail. Even though the…

For the last two years the author has used Repeated Reading (RR) to teach reading fluency in English as a Foreign Language classrooms in colleges and universities in Japan. RR is a method where the student reads and rereads a text silently or aloud from two to four times to reach a predetermined level of speed, accuracy, and comprehension. RR…

This report discusses the evaluation of the academic English language program at the International University of Japan (IUJ), focusing on some common evaluation problems and approaches taken at IUJ to solving them and drawing on recent theory. The first of these techniques is a systematic approach to program data collection using varied kinds of…

Describes one Japanese university's program to train English-as-a-Second-Language teachers in content-based language instruction methodology. Drawing on four years' experience, authors make a number of suggestions for addressing challenges of implementing a content-based approach in higher education. (Author/MSE)

Describes a movement in Japan that is taking English teaching from an out-of-context grammar and vocabulary emphasis to a conversational and contextual emphasis. Shows specific approaches that feature student-centered work as opposed to teacher-imposed exercises. (TB)

English language instruction, which is considered very important in Japan, is offered in 90 percent of all secondary schools and is studied by almost all students, even though it is an elective subject. English is considered a cultural and commercial link with the western world and has been taught in Japan since the mid-nineteenth century. Most…

Three reports present identification and analysis findings on a business language program offered at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University for the learning of French, German, and Japanese, sponsored by the Department of English. The goal was to teach students the languages so that they may function in foreign company representative offices in Hong…

Describes curricular changes in a private Japanese university's English department, and explores the curricula typical of such programs. The new program's three major features, including a freshman English program, a content study, and graduation papers and theses are highlighted. (12 references) (Author/CB)

This paper describes the development and implementation of an intensive summer course in English as a Second Language (ESL) designed for children aged 4-5. Planning included development of a curriculum and instructional materials based on theory and practice in the teaching of young children, English language learning and instruction, and…

Reports on the views of 73 secondary school Japanese students toward the United Nations. Finds that most tend to think of the UN as relevant to conflicts. Describes how the hunger issue was used in an English-as-a-Second-Language class to teach about the United Nations. (CFR)

Describes a team-taught immersion-style, content-based program in English as a foreign language (EFL) in a Japanese college liberal arts curriculum. The collaborative model of content-based instruction differs from the typical theme-based, sheltered, and adjunct models in its educational goals and instructional format. Suggestions are made for…

The Center for Japanese Study Abroad (CJSA) is a Japanese immersion and study abroad program implemented as a magnet program at inner-city Brien MacMahon High School in Norwalk, Connecticut. The program is supported by a grant from the state department of education. Attended by 60-70 students from high schools in southern Fairfield County…

The collaborative curriculum development process in a postsecondary language education program in Japan is described, looking specifically at the work of five curriculum development teams, or focus groups: needs assessment; curriculum aims, goals, and objectives; cognitive development and learner strategies; materials development; and learner…

The process of revising the second language curriculum in a Japanese postsecondary vocational school is described, focusing on the collaborative approach taken. The school provides second language instruction and vocational training in several occupational areas. A number of research teams or "focus groups" were established, each with a…

Currently, the Federal Government provides funds to a variety of postsecondary foreign language and international studies education programs authorized under Title VI of the Higher Education Act (HEA). Elementary and secondary foreign language and international studies programs are authorized under Title II of the Elementary and Secondary…