2023 Faculty Courses Liberal arts and basic science courses English language courses
English 2 18
- Academic unit or major
- English language courses
- Instructor(s)
- Masatoshi Tamura
- Class Format
- Exercise (Face-to-face)
- Media-enhanced courses
- -
- Day of week/Period
(Classrooms) - 1-2 Mon (S6-109(S611))
- Class
- 18
- Course Code
- LAE.E112
- Number of credits
- 010
- Course offered
- 2023
- Offered quarter
- 2Q
- Syllabus updated
- Jul 8, 2025
- Language
- Japanese
Syllabus
Course overview and goals
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.
Course description and aims
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
Keywords
Four language skills, fostering international awareness, communication skills, studying abroad, TOEFL
Competencies
- Specialist skills
- Intercultural skills
- Communication skills
- Critical thinking skills
- Practical and/or problem-solving skills
Class flow
Students are expected to read the text and work on the problems in each chapter before each class. Instructor will share the summary and important points of each chapter in class. Students will be asked to practice their communication and presentation skills in English in whole class and small group settings.
Course schedule/Objectives
| Course schedule | Objectives | |
|---|---|---|
| Class 1 | Unit 8 Climate Change | Read and understand the content in Unit 8 and prepare own perspectives and reflections to share with the class in English. |
| Class 2 | Unit 9 Hair Donation Mini-Test 1 | Read and understand the content in Chapter 9 and prepare own perspectives and reflections to share with the class in English. |
| Class 3 | Unit 10 Homeless People Mini-Test 2 | Read and understand the content in Chapter 10 and prepare own perspectives and reflections to share with the class in English. |
| Class 4 | Unit 11 Cleaner Places Mini-Test 3 | Read and understand the content in Chapter 11 and prepare own perspectives and reflections to share with the class in English. |
| Class 5 | Unit 12 Artworks Mini-Test 4 | Read and understand the content in Chapter 12 and prepare own perspectives and reflections to share with the class in English. |
| Class 6 | Unit 13 Suicide Prevention Mini-Test 5 | Read and understand the content in Chapter 13 and prepare own perspectives and reflections to share with the class in English. |
| Class 7 | Review and Final Exam (Using Unit 14 in part) | Review the overall contents of the course. Submit Final Assignment. |
Study advice (preparation and review)
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.
Textbook(s)
Greg Goodmacher, Positive Action--People Making This World a Better Place (National Geographic Learning | Cengage Learning, ISBN 978-4-86312-396-0）
Reference books, course materials, etc.
To be announced in class.
Evaluation methods and criteria
Class participation and Assignment : 60%
Final Exam and Assignment: 40%
Related courses
- LAE.E111 ： English 1
- LAE.E113 ： English 3
- LAE.E114 ： English 4
- LAE.E211 ： English 5
- LAE.E212 ： English 6
- LAE.E213 ： English 7
- LAE.E214 ： English 8
- LAE.E311 ： English 9
Prerequisites
None
Other
None