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2026 (Current Year) Faculty Courses Liberal arts and basic science courses English language courses

English 2 再3

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)
5-6 Wed (W3-501)
Class
再3
Course Code
LAE.E112
Number of credits
010
Course offered
2026
Offered quarter
4Q
Syllabus updated
Sep 14, 2026
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

In this course, students will watch videos about various regions of North America and read related English texts to develop their listening and reading comprehension skills. They will also engage in speaking and writing practice by watching interview videos featuring local people, exchanging their impressions through group work, and summarizing their thoughts and discussions.

Course schedule/Objectives

Course schedule Objectives
Class 1

Introduction using Chapter 9

Understand the course content

Class 2

Chapter 10: Saint Jo, Texas

Develop an understanding of Chapter 10

Class 3

Chapter 11: Santa Fe, New Mexico

Develop an understanding of Chapter 11

Class 4

Chapter 12: Arizona--Grand Canyon, Route 66

Develop an understanding of Chapter 12

Class 5

Chapter 13: Los Angeles 1

Develop an understanding of Chapter 13

Class 6

Chapter 14: Los Angeles 2

Develop an understanding of Chapter 14

Class 7

Review and final exam

Students reflect on the quarter and assess their own level of understanding

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)

American Vibes: People, Places and Perspectives by Todd Rucynski and Yoko Nakagawa
Kinseido 
\ 2,800(excluding tax)
978-4-7647-4094-5

Reference books, course materials, etc.

To be announced in class

Evaluation methods and criteria

Class participation and contribution: 50%. Final exam: 50%.

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

Contact information (e-mail and phone) Notice : Please replace from ”[at]” to ”@”(half-width character).

tamura.m.b9f9[at]m.isct.ac.jp

Office hours

Contact by email in advance to schedule an appointment.

Other

None