2024 Faculty Courses Liberal arts and basic science courses English language courses
English 6 15-LS
- Academic unit or major
- English language courses
- Instructor(s)
- Jon Mitchell
- Class Format
- Exercise (Face-to-face)
- Media-enhanced courses
- -
- Day of week/Period
(Classrooms) - 5-6 Mon
- Class
- 15-LS
- Course Code
- LAE.E212
- Number of credits
- 010
- Course offered
- 2024
- Offered quarter
- 2Q
- Syllabus updated
- Mar 17, 2025
- Language
- Japanese
Syllabus
Course overview and goals
Based on English 5, English 6 is designed to improve students’ English language skills for academic purposes and provide them with more knowledge in relevant areas. The materials include topics such as international and intercultural issues as well as current topics of science and technology. Expectations require students to practice: reading academic articles, listening to English lectures, speaking before an audience, and developing skills to write paragraphs and short essays.
Course description and aims
By the end of this course, students will:
・be able to express their ideas and opinions in classes confidently
・be able to write paragraphs or short essays
・be able to better understand academic lectures
・practice effective reading strategies
Student learning outcomes
実務経験と講義内容との関連 (又は実践的教育内容)
An instructor with work experience as an author and editor will provide hands-on education in writing and presenting about science, based on practice in the field that features critical thinking and logical ways of communicating information to audiences.
Keywords
Four language skills, fostering international awareness, communication, studying abroad, TOEFL
Competencies
- Specialist skills
- Intercultural skills
- Communication skills
- Critical thinking skills
- Practical and/or problem-solving skills
Class flow
English 6 builds upon the concepts and approach of English 5: mutual support, respect and critical thinking. As with the previous quarter, we will often start the lesson with a discussion of the day’s topic followed by listening to an academic lecture from a particular field, such as architecture. This approach will allow us to gain a better understanding of other perspectives.
After this, we will critically explore the issue. You will be asked to produce a short piece of work based upon the class’s topic - for example a short presentation, a summary or reaction paper. Such integrated skills will also come in useful for the TOEFL exam.
Again, may I take this opportunity to remind you: This is not a lecture-style course. Please envisage this classroom as a community where everybody has different strengths and weaknesses. By cooperating with each other, together we can overcome any difficulties.
Course schedule/Objectives
| Course schedule | Objectives | |
|---|---|---|
| Class 1 | Social psychology and the importance of sports | In many societies around the world, individual and team sports developed as a way for communities to bond. This course explores the psychology of how sports function in modern societies and it provides students with the opportunity to reflect upon the role of sports within their own society. Moreover, the class will introduce students to some ways to formulate an effective opening for a presentation to attract the audience’s attention. |
| Class 2 | Architecture today and the influence of Frank Gehry | This class will feature an academic lecture from the field of architecture. Based upon the three principles of (1) intended use, (2) strength, and (3) beauty, it will encourage students to apply them to assess examples of architecture within their own communities. |
| Class 3 | Public health and what we eat | The academic lecture at the centre of today's class focuses on lifestyle-related diseases. According to the lecture, people can improve their health via better nutrition, more physical activity, and group support. Students will apply these principles and consider how they might be integrated into their own lives, their peers’ lives, and wider society. |
| Class 4 | Urban planning: 21st century cities | As members of Tokyo Institute of Technology, we are learning in the largest city in the world. This class explores the rise of urbanization around the globe, and it examines how sustainability ought to be centered in urban planning. Students will analyze some of the challenges facing Tokyo (e.g., rising sea levels, aging infrastructure) then propose how they might be overcome. |
| Class 5 | DNA and the future | Based upon a lecture from the field of biology, this class explores how experts’ understanding of human DNA has created many breakthroughs in science and technology. Using this lecture as a springboard, the class will then expand into more recent applications of DNA testing, including the fields of criminology, healthcare, and genealogy. It will also include discussion of the privacy implications of such technology. |
| Class 6 | Public administration and risk management | Communities around the world, including in Japan, face natural disasters such as typhoons, earthquakes, and tsunami. Drawing upon some of the ideas explored in Week Four, this class will apply risk management strategies to our daily lives. We will discuss how we can prepare for disasters and also how newcomers to our communities (e.g., international students) can be helped before, during, and after such catastrophes occur. |
| Class 7 | Review and final essay | After reviewing the topics explored during this quarter, students will be given the chance to reflect by writing a short, in-class essay about one of the issues. |
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)
Contemporary Topics – 21st Century Skills for Academic Success (2) (4th edition), Pearson, ISBN: 978-0-13-440080-8.
Reference books, course materials, etc.
None.
Evaluation methods and criteria
Presentation: 50%
Exam: 50%
Related courses
- LAE.E111 ： English 1
- LAE.E112 ： English 2
- LAE.E113 ： English 3
- LAE.E114 ： English 4
- LAE.E211 ： English 5
- LAE.E213 ： English 7
- LAE.E214 ： English 8
- LAE.E311 ： English 9
Prerequisites
None