iibc newsletter vol · 2020. 11. 29. · red bull air race pilot yoshihide muroya p8 ippei inoue...

Vol.138Jul. 2019

組み合わせシステム（２）縦組み　スローガンなし英文

Special feature

Initiatives to fosterbeginning and intermediate

English learnersp2

Ippei Inoue, professor at Keio University’s Faculty of Letters

p4Masaki Makino, lecturer at Kindai University’s

Faculty of Law

p6Akihiro Ebata, Human Resource Department,

Yasaka Limousine & Taxi Service Corp.

My Turning Point Brought About by EnglishRed Bull Air Race pilotYoshihide Muroya　p8

Ippei Inoue

Masaki Makino

Akihiro Ebata

United World College ISAK Japan　p12

IIBC ENGLISH CAFÈ 2019 (in Tokyo)　p14

Published in June 2019

Just a little push from a university or company can suddenly lift English ability

ManyJapanesearesaidtoviewthemselvesasbeingbadatEnglish.SomelaytheblameonthewayEnglishistaughtuptohighschool,butIthinkthattheEnglishwelearninjuniorhighorhighschoolcertainlydoesnotgotowaste.

It seems tome that the reasonsomanyJapaneseareunable touseEnglisheffectively, remainingstuckat thebeginningor intermediate level, isnot that thecontentofEnglisheducationbutthereisnotadequatetime.

TheconventionalwaytoteachEnglishat juniorhighandhighschoolhadbeentoemphasizegrammar.Thebasicideais that once students have attained a certain stageofgrammaracquisition, thenextstep is tomakeuseof thatknowledgetoimprovetheirabilitytocommunicate,butgiventhelimitedclassroomtimetheyusuallyreachtheendwithoutreaching thatgoal.And thishas invited thecriticismthatJapanesestudentsspendsixyearsstudyingEnglishbutstillcannotspeakthelanguageatall.

In response to this situation, junior and senior highschoolsarenowtryingtoadoptawell-balancedapproachthataimsfor learnerstoacquirethefourskillsof listening,reading, speaking, andwriting. It does seem that youngpeoplethesedayshavebetterspeakingand listeningskills

than theoldergeneration,but Ihave the impression thattheirreadingandwritingskillshavedeclined.Thisseemstohave resulted from theadditional timededicated in theclassroom to speakingand listening,whichhaswatereddowntheinstructionofreadingandwriting.

Anotherwayofdescribingthesituation is tosimplysaythatthelimitedtimeforstudyingEnglishistheculprit,soifastudent takesa relativelydiligentapproach to learning injuniorhighandhighschool,heorsheshouldhave inplacethefoundationforlearningEnglish.Ifsuchlearnerscanjustgetapushfromtheiruniversityorcompany, thenthere isthepotentialforthemtomakerapidprogress.

TherearealsosomeEnglish learnerswhodidnotstudymuch in juniorhighorhighschoolbecausetheyconvincedthemselvestheywerebadatEnglish.ThekeyinsuchcasesistoprovidethemwiththeopportunitiesandenvironmenttotrylearningEnglishagainandrealizethattheycansucceed.

Study methods and goals change when the the reasons for learning English are different

WhatsortofEnglisheducationnecessaryforbeginningorintermediate learners, concretely speaking? For adultstudents, it isparticularly important tobeclearlyawareoftheirownpurpose for learningEnglish.Dependingon thegivenreasonforlearningEnglish,thecontentoftheEnglish

Along with his teaching duties as a professor at Keio University’s Faculty of Letters, where he specializes in and English and social linguistics, Ippei Inoue is an instructor who appears on NHK Educational TV’s program “Omotenashi no Kiso Eigo” for beginning learners of English. We talked to him to find out more about the best starting points for teaching beginning or intermediate learners, as well as effective ways to encourage students’ progress and maintain their motivation.

2 IIBC NEWSLETTER Vol.138 July 2019

Special Feature

Raising the overall level of English ability is vital to fostering outstanding human resources capable of being active on the global stage. To do so, it is important to improve the four english skills of listening, reading, speaking, and writing for beginning and intermediate English learners. In this issue’s special feature, we interviewed three people involved with English

education at universities and companies to hear their suggestions on how to improve all four skills for

students at those levels, as well as the specific methods they are using to cultivate English learning.

outline

Ippei Inoue, Professor at Keio University’s Faculty of Letters

Clarifying the goals for acquiring English and raising motivation through steady progress

Initiatives to foster beginning and intermediate English learners

to learnaswell as thegoals topursuewill alsonaturallydiffer.

Oneeasy-to-understandexample is thecaseofEnglisheducation forcabinattendants. In theircase, thesortofEnglishthattheywillneedtouseforsituationsduringaflightis limited tosomeextent. If theycanacquire thesortofEnglishabilityneededforsuchsituations,theycanperformtheir dutieswithout toomuch trouble. So there is notnecessarilyaneedfor themtohaveahighoverall levelofEnglishability.Thesameistrueofotherprofessions.

WeestablishthelearningcontentandachievementgoalsinlinewitheachworkplaceafterclarifyingthetypeofEnglishand levelof abilitymostcommonly required for agivenbusiness,occupation,ororganization.Inthisway,thesortofEnglish that isacquiredcanmoredirectlymatch the job,whichinturncanraisethemotivationtolearn.

In addition,with regard to training forbeginningandintermediate learners, I think that themethodofhavingateacherstandat thepodiumandone-directionallyconveyknowledgeisalreadyoutdated.Nowadays,asaresultofthespreadofthe InternetandSNS, ithasbecomecommontoobtain information in amore reciprocalway. Forpeopletoday, theoldone-directionalstyle lectureshavebecomepainful toendure.Classesat juniorhighandhighschoolsthese days stress active learning, and it has becomecommon to incorporategroupandpairwork aswell asdiscussions.Ithinksuchdevelopmentsarearesponsetothechangingtimes.

The joy of getting your point across can raise motivation for beginning and intermediate learners

For thosebeginningand intermediate learners thathaveconvinced themselves that theyare “bad”atEnglish, it isimportanttolowerthepsychologicalbarrierstolearning.

Forexample,oneoftenhearspeopletalkabouthowyoucanlearnEnglishbyjustlisteningbeingexposedtoit,butinfactthereisnowaytobecomeproficientthroughthatalone.However,itcanbeeffectiveasastartingpointforbeginningand intermediate levelEnglish learnerstotell themtostartoffbylisteningtoEnglish.Thepointistogivethemaneasystartingpoint,andthengraduallyraisethelevelofdifficulty.

Anothereffectivemethod is tobegintheir learningwiththememorizationofkeyphrasesoftenusedineverydaylifeorwork-related situations.HidetoshiNakata, the formerprofessionalsoccerstarwhoplayedoverseas in ItalyandEngland, iswell known forbeingproficient in Italianand

English,buthismethodwas to first learn thephraseshewouldneedtouseduringamatchandafterthatbeginthemorefundamentalstudyofgrammar.

Bymemorizingsimplephrases, itbecomespossible tocommunicatewithlocalpeople.Beingabletoexpressoneselfinaforeignlanguagecanbeasourceofjoyforabeginningor intermediate learner,andthatexperienceofsuccesscanleadtoamorepositiveattitudetowardlearning.

Withregardtothis,IthinkthatonlineEnglishconversationclassescanbehelpful.Sincesuchclassesareonetoone,thelevelcanbetailoredtolearners’needssothattheycanbuildupatrackrecordofsuccessinexpressingthemselvesinEnglish.Thisisaformoflearningthatsuitstheneedsofourinteractiveage.

Butevenifabeginningorintermediatelevellearnerstartsoffenthusiastically,heorshecanreachaslumpsomewherealong the learning process. At such times I think thatJapanese instructorsofEnglishcanplayan importantrole.SincetheyarealsonotnativespeakersofEnglish,theyhavepersonallyexperiencedthedifficultiesthatcomewithEnglishlearning.Preciselybecausetheyhavehadsetbacksoftheirown that theyovercame, theycangive learnerseffectiveadvice.

Of course, native instructorshaveanadvantagewithregardtotheirwealthofexpressionsandpronunciation.Butweshouldbearinmindthatit isnotalwaysthecasethatanative speakerwill be thebest teacher for aparticularlearneratagiventime.

IIBC NEWSLETTER Vol.138 July 2019 3

Roadmap for fostering beginner and intermediate English learners

HOP STEP JUMP

Step up to the next stage

First, determine the English level of a beginner (A or B?)

Clarify the objective of acquiring English and establish the content of learning and goals

When the learner goes through a slump in the learning process, a Japanese instructor can give advice based on his or her own experiences of struggling to learn English

Acquiring simple phrases that can be used often in everyday life

Create a situation where learners can successfully communicate with others, thereby boosting motivationNeed a little push

from the university or company

Provide situations and environments that foster an interest in studying English

One effective way is to use the score from a test that measures all four skills, like the TOEIC Bridge® Tests

Studied English hard in junior and senior high school

Acquired a negative self-image as an English learner at an early stage of junior or senior high school and did not study so much

A B

More and more universities these days are offering remedial education to bolster the fundamental knowledge that students need for their regular courses. We interviewed Masaki Makino, a lecturer in the Faculty of Law at Kindai University, to learn more about the nature of remedial English education, and also find out what concrete measures are being taken in the classroom to build students’ confidence on the ability to learn English and improve their English skills.

First give students the experience of enjoying to learn English

Recently,moreuniversitiesareofferingremedialeducation.This targetsstudentswho lack thefundamentalacademicabilityneededtoattenduniversityclasses,withtheaimbeingtolifttheirabilityuptothelevelrequired.Thesedaysmoreand mo re s t uden t s a r e en t e r i ng un i v e r s i t y v i arecommendationsorAO (admissionoffice) examinationsratherthanthenormaluniversityentranceexaminations,sothere isanoticeablediversity inacademic levelswithinthesame university or even within the same faculty ordepartment. This is one of themain factors that hasincreasedtheneedforremedialeducation.

MasakiMakino,alecturerintheFacultyofLawatKindaiUniversity, emphasized the following points regardingremedialEnglisheducationclasses:

“Manyofthestudents intheremedialeducationclassesviewthemselvesasbeing‘bad’atEnglish,whichhascausedthemtolosethemotivationtolearn.Ifyoujusttrytocraminthefundamentalknowledgetaughtuptohighschool, theirmotivationwillonlysink lower.Sofirst I focusonchanging

theirmindset so that English can become somethingenjoyableandtheycanexperiencethejoyofachievement.”

Incorporating many activities into the classroom

MakinohasresearchandteachingexperienceinthefieldofearlychildhoodEnglishforkidsranging inagesfromone-year-oldstosixthgraders.Forherclasses,sheincorporatedmanyactivitiessuchasgamesandsongssothatthechildrenwouldstayinterestedinlearningEnglish.Butevenuniversitystudentsandadultsalsoenjoysuchactivities.

Forher90-minuteuniversityclasses,Makinomakesapointofalwayssettingasidetimeforactivities.Forexample,whenteachingpronunciation,shewilldivideaclassintopairsandhave thestudent filmeachother’spronunciationandmouthmovementsusinga smartphone.She thenoffersadviceonwhatwasgoodorcoulduseimprovement,andthestudentspractice somemore.By comparing the videosbeforeandafter thepractice,studentscanseehowtheirownpronunciationhas improved.This isnotonly funbutalsogivesthemarealsenseofhowtheycansucceed it iftheytry.

For listeningaswell,sheaskstudents listentoWesternsongs and thenhas themcompete in a quiz about thecontentofthelyrics.Studentsgetreallyintotheclasswhengamesare involved.Shesays thatmanyof thestudentsbecome interested inWesternmusic throughthatactivity,whichinturnimprovestheirlisteningskills.

In order to positively carry out such activities, it’simportant toput inplaceaclassroomenvironment thatlowersstudents’concernsaboutmakingmistakesandbuildsrelationsbetweenthem.

“If studentswill feel embarrassedor stupid tomakemistakesinfrontofothers,theywon’tbeeagertotakepartin activities. So I convey themessage to them that thisclassroom isaplacewhere it’sOK tomakemistakesandthatwecanlearnthroughourmistakes.”

Using nicknames between teacher and students isanotherwaytobridgethepsychologicalgapbetweenthem.Atthesametime,adoptingrulessuchasbanningwhisperingbetweenstudentsisawayraiseawarenessamongstudentsthattheclassroomisaplacetonotonlyhavefunbutalsostudyEnglishintensely.

“Onecharacteristicofmyclasses is thatthere isnotso


Case1

Remedial english education that helps students gain confidence in their English and increased motivation

●A teacher they can trust●Study methods that make sense●A variety of classroom activities●Classroom content will be useful to students in the future●Students have opportunities to do things they like in the class●Goals of learning are easy to understand　Conversely, some factors that undermine the motivation to learn include: Rehashing the same content taught in junior and senior high school, too many quizzes, and using the same teaching methods as junior and senior high school.

As for the content that students want to learn most in the English classroom, listening and speaking skills are the most in demand, followed by vocabulary and grammar.

Source: “ASurveyof theAwarenessofEnglishLearningAmongUniversityStudentsWhoRequiredRemedialEducation”(inJapanese),MasakiMakinoandJunyaHirano.

Key factors to raise students’ motivation to learn English

Masaki Makino, a lecturer at Kindai University

much time spentwithme teaching to the entire class.Instead,wehavemanyactivitiesinvolvinggroupwork.Beingable to do that depends on building the classroomenvironmentandrelationsbetweenstudentsandteacher. Idivide the class based onmyobservation of students’personalitiesandtheirinteraction.AndeachtimeIappointaleader for eachgroup to give the students a sense ofresponsibilityregardingtheirownlearningandteam.

Alongwith fostering this feelingamongstudents thatEnglishfunandthattheycanlearnitiftheymakeaneffort,Makino sets concretegoals for improvementofEnglishabi l i ty using theTOEIC ® Listening & Reading Test(hereinafterTOEIC®L&R).Althoughall of the resultsofEnglisheducationcannotbemeasuredwithTOEIC®L&Ralone, itprovidesstudentswithabenchmark forgaugingtheirlevelofprogressinEnglishlearning.”

In usingTOEIC® L&Rquestions in her class,Makinoemphasizesgivingstudentsmanyopportunities to reviewtheiranswers.Studentswith lowerscoresonthetestoftenfocustoomuchonthescore itselfandendupneglectingthe taskofclearlyunderstandingwhatquestions theygotwrongandwhytheywerewrong.Inaimingforherstudentstomakesteadyprogress in improving theirEnglishskills,Makinohasthemmemorizethepartsofthetest thattheycouldnotanswercorrectly.

Sharing teaching methods on how to improve student motivation and achievement

Makino’saim isforasmanyofherstudentsaspossibletobeginenjoyingEnglishandtowant tocontinuetostudy itevenaftergraduation.This isbasedonherbelief that thegreatest force formaking improvement inEnglish is themotivationofwantingtolearn.

In thefeedbackMakinoreceivedfromoneofheryear-longremedialclasses,astudentwhobecameveryinterestedinEnglishandlearningaboutotherculturestoldherthatshedecided to study abroad. About half a year later, shehappenedtomeetthatstudentonthewaytotheuniversityfromthetrainstationandsawthatshewas listeningtoanEnglishlessononhisearphones.ShewasthrilledtoseethatthestudenthadmaintainedhismotivationtolearnEnglish.

Whenteachingbeginnerswhohave lost theconfidenceandmotivationneededto learnEnglish, thekey ishowtheinstructor can properly support the students.Makinobelieves that the important thing insuchcases is for theinstructor tocomeupwith theappropriatequantityanddifficultyofclassroommaterialbasedonaconsiderationforeachstudent’smindset,sothatEnglishlearningwillbefun.

“When it comes to remedial education, thehistoryofresearchand implementationdoesnotgobackthatfar,sothere tend to be significant differences between themethodsusedbyteachersintheclassroom.Movingforward,Iwant to continue to focus ondeveloping and sharing

instructionmethods thatenhancestudentmotivationandimprovetheirEnglishability.”

Makino is also energeticallymakingpresentations atacademicconferencesof the resultsofher researchandclassroomactivitiesaimedat improvingremedialeducationatacademicconferences.


● Doesn’t convey a sense of passion for having students understand lessons

●Students feel that they can’t follow the content of lessons●Doesn’t show much interest in students●Conducts boring classes● Doesn’t consider the mindset of students who think they are

“bad” at English

Source: “ResearchonLoweringofLearningMotivation forEnglishRemedial EducationCausedby Instructors,”Remedial EducationResearch,2018,”(inJapanese),MasakiMakino.

Ideal instructor for remedial students

●Conducts clear lessons that facilitate students’ understanding● Able to consider the quantity, difficulty, and progress of

classroom content to enhance learners’ self-efficiency ●Comes up with ways to make English learning fun● Always aware of the students and pays attention to each

individual in the classroom●Has a tolerant attitude●Is lively

Source: “WhatUniversity StudentsWhoNeedEnglishRemedialEducationThinkaretheIdealEnglishInstructors,”RemedialEducationResearch,2015(inJapanese),MasakiMakino

Main characteristics of English instructors that lower motivation of remedial students

Increasing number of foreign customers has made English a necessary skill for drivers

Yasakaisamajortaxiandlimousineserviceproviderwithalonghistory inKyoto thatstretchesbackoverahundredyears.Alongwithmeeting theneedsof local residents,businesspersons, and tourists, the company has alsotransportedstateguestsandVIPsvisitingKyototoattendinternationalconferences.TheYasakaGroupiscomposedof17corecompanieswhosebusinesses includebusservices,automobilesales,andrealestatetransactions.

Amidst the rising number of foreign tourists visitingKyoto,manyofwhomusetaxiand limousineservices, theYasakadriversoftenencountersituationswheretheyneedtorespondinEnglish.

AkihiroEbata,ofYasaka’sHumanResourceDepartment,explains thecurrentsituationas follows: “Aroundthe timethat theglobal economywas recovering from the2008financialcrisis,itstartedbecomingclearthatthenumberofforeign tourists visitingKyotowas increasing.Alongwithtourists fromChina,SouthKorea, theUnitedStates,andEurope,therehasalsobeenariseinrecentyearsofvisitorsfromSoutheastAsia.

We want to increase the number of drivers whose English is good enough to communicate with state guests

In response to the increasingnumberof foreign tourists,

YasakahasbeenexplainingtothetaxiindustryasawholeinKyoto itsmeasures toaccommodate foreignpassengers,suchasachecksheetthecompanyintroducedinorderforthe driver to confirm with passengers the intendeddestinationusingsimpleEnglish.ButYasakaalsobelievesthatitisnecessaryfordriverstoaimforanevenhigherlevelofEnglish.

Atpresent,wecertifycertainofour staffas “Englishconversationdrivers” if their languageability reachesacertainlevel,andputthesedriversinchargeoftransportingforeignpassengersandhandlingsight-seeingtaxiservices.Thesedriversarealsoresponsible fordrivingstateguestsandotherVIPs that visitKyoto. The companywants toincreasethenumberofdriverswithEnglishcommunicationskillsthataresolidenoughtohandlesuchsituations.

Evenifsomedon’treachalevelthathigh,wewanttoaimtofosterdriverswhoareabletohandlebasiccommunicationinEnglishwhentheypickupaforeignpassengerinthecity.”

Toward that end , the company in 2015 beganimplementing theTOEIC® Listening & Reading Test(hereinafterTOEIC®L&R）to improvedrivers’Englishability.In2017,thecompanyalsoaddedtheTOEICBridge®Test※asaconvenientwayforbeginnerand intermediateEnglishlearnerstoaimforimprovingtheirability.

Anotherpurposeof introducingthescores istousethescoresasatoolforobjectivelyevaluatingtheactualEnglishabilityofdrivers


Case2

WashedandcleanedYasakataxisreadytogo

※TOEICBridge®TestwasrelaunchedonJune2019astheTOEICBridge®Listening&ReadingTests.

Yasaka Limousine & Taxi Service Corp. (hereinafter Yasaka) has been in business for over a century and is now one of the largest taxi and limousine companies in Kyoto Prefecture, providing services for a clientele that ranges from local residents and tourists to state guests from overseas and other VIPs. Yasaka is responding to the changing business climate resulting from a rising number of foreign visitors to Japan by taking initiatives to raise company-wide English ability. We talked to Akihiro Ebata of Yasaka’s Human Resource Department to find out more about the environment the company has put in place to raise the motivation of drivers to learn English and what changes have resulted.

Creating an environment to promote autonomous learning and aiming for company-wide English improvement

Yasaka Limousine & Taxi Service Corp., Human Resource Department, Akihiro Ebata

Connecting efforts to improve English ability with changing the mindset of drivers

Atpresent,YasakaisholdingamonthlyEnglishconversationclassforthoseseekingtobeEnglishconversationdrivers.Intheclass,participantstakepart inanactivity inwhichtheyplay theroleofadriveror foreignpassenger.Thetaskofthedrivers in theactivity is toexplain famoussightseeingspots inKyoto to thepassengersusingonlyEnglish.Thispracticalactivity isachanceforsharingusefulexpressionsneededforeachparticularsituation.

Theclassisalsoanopportunitytoshareideasonhowtorespond in English to commonquestions from foreigntourists, such as explaining thedifferencebetween theEmperorandtheShogunorwhytherearemoundsofsaltoutsidesomestoresandrestaurants.

Inaddition,priortotakingtheTOEIC®L&RandtheTOEICBridge®Listening&ReadingTests,aYasakaemployeewhowasaformercram-schoolteacher,holdsastudysessiontopreparedriversforthetest.

Driversparticipate in thestudyclass take theTOEIC®Program testsonavoluntarybasis.The reason it isnotmandatory,explainsEbata, is that thecompanywants tofosterdrivers’self-learning.

“OurcompanywantstofosterthesortofdriverswhoarecapableofimprovingtheirownskillswhenitcomesnotonlytoEnglishcommunicationbutalsoknowledgeofsightseeingspotsandhospitality.Ifwecanincreasethenumberofsuchdrivers,wewillgetpositivefeedbackfromthecommunityasa companywith high-level employees,which in turnwillincreasethenumberof importantbusinesswecanreceive.Andthiswillhavetheeffectofbringingevenmoredriversintoourcompanywhoare lookingforrewardingworkthat

willencourageolderdriversaswell tochangetheirwayofthinking.Thisisthesortofsynergyweareseeking.”

Theresultsarealreadybecomingclear,apparently,suchastheincreaseinthenumberofnewdriverswhoenterthecompanybecause theywant tomakeuseof theirEnglishskills.

There isalsothecaseofanemployeewhowasshockedtoonlyscore500onTOEIC®L&Randresolvedtoraisehisscore.Afterstudyinghardforhalfayear,heraisedhisscoreto850.

Thedriverwentontogaincertificationasaspecializedinterpreterguide forKyoto.Currently, he is oneof thecompany’sleadingEnglishconversationdrivers.

Yasakaaimstocontributetochangingtheattitudeof itsstaff towardworkbymeansof initiatives to raisedrivers’Englishability.


The headquarters of Yasaka Limousine&TaxiServiceCorp.AYasakadriverexplainingasightseeingsighttoaforeigntourist

Yasaka limousine (secondvehicle from left) transportinga foreignVIPamidstapoliceescort

My English wasn’t even good enough to check in at a hotel

IamoneofthecompetitorsontheRedBullAirRacecircuitinwhichpilotsof smallpropeller-drivenaircraftcompeteagainsteachother tonavigatea regulationcourse in thefastesttime,withtopspeedsreaching370km/h.Currently,Iamalsooneof thecompetitors in “theRedBullAirRaceWorldChampionshipraces”hostedincountriesaroundthatworld thatbring together toppilots. In2017, Iwas thenumber-onepilotfortheyear.Andin2019,I’vegottenofftoagodstart,winningthedebutraceoftheseason.Englishisanessentialskillforcompetinginanairrace.SinceairracingisstillarelativelynewsportinJapan,allofthemembersofmyteam—fromtheteamcoordinatorandflighttacticiantotheraceengineers—arenon-Japanese.Beingabletospeak

Englishisamustwhenitcomestocommunicatingwithteammembersaswellasforeignreporters.

NowIhavenoproblemusingEnglishwiththemembersofthe teamor reporters, but itwasn’t always thatway. Inelementaryschool,Ialreadydreamedofbeingapilotandinhighschoolbecameseriousaboutpursuingthatcareer. Inresearching the skills needed for the job, I learned thatEnglishabilitywasessential, but still I didnot study thelanguagemuchatall.Inhighschool,mylevelwassolowthatIcouldnotevenpassGrade3testof theTest inPracticalProficiency[laughs].

WhenIwenttotheUnitedStatesasauniversitystudenttogetmysmallaircraft license,myEnglishwasnotevengood enough to check into a hotel or order food at arestaurant.Fortunately, the test for thesubjectofEnglishwasoptionalatmyuniversity, so Icouldgetbysomehow


Speaking, even if my English is not so good, to clearly express myself

ProfileRedBull Air Race pilot, Born in 1973.Flightexperiencebeganasan18-year-oldupon jo in ing the g l ider c lub at h isuniversity.ReceivedhispilotlicenseintheUnitedStatesattheageof20.HasbeencompetingintheRedBullAirRaceWorldChampionship since2009, andwonhisfirstracevictoryin2016atacompetitioninChiba. In2017,becamethefirstAsianpilottobecomeaRedBullAirRaceWorldChampion.HisenergeticactivitieswithinJapan inc lude not on ly rac ing butparticipating inairshowsandconductingaviationworkshopsforkids.

●Red Bull Air Race Pilot

Yoshihide Muroya

Yoshihide Muroya is active on the world stage as a Red Bull Air Race pilot. In his student days he was not good at English, but as a pilot he had to learn the language. And thanks to hard work studying on his own, he’s now able to communicate without any problem with his foreign staff. He is also using English to actively convey information to the world about the situation in Fukushima, where he lives.

My Turning Point Brought About by English: Part 6

withoutstudyingsomuch.Aftergraduation, Ibecameabletocommunicatesomewhat inEnglish through training inaerial acrobatics in theUnitedStatesand takingpart incompetitionsthere,but insteadofstudyingseriously Iwashappytojustgetmypointacross.

Speak as much as possible, even if your English is not good

In2006,however, theexperienceofhelpingoutwith therunningofaflighteventhostedbyRedBull inJapanmademe realize that I needed toget serious about studyingEnglish.Nearlyallofthesponsorsandstaffwereforeigners,and Iwas theonlyJapaneseperson.Themeetingsaboutcontracts and other instructions all had to be doneaccurately in English. Justmanaging tomakemyselfunderstoodwasnotenough.Andthefollowingyear,after IbecamesponsoredbyRedBull, Iparticipated inoverseasraceswhereeverythingwasinEnglish.ThismotivatedmetostartreallytryingtoimprovemyEnglishability.

OnemethodIadoptedwastoimitateothers.Iwouldlistentowhatsomeonewassaying,andthentrytousethesameexpressions.And Iwouldaskmanyquestionsabout themeaningofexpressions Iheard. Ialsopaidattentionwhenotherpilotswere interviewed to try topickupphrases Icoulduse.

Another thing Ididwas tospeakasmuchaspossible.Whenaskingquestions,Ioftenhadtorequestthattheotherpersonrepeattheirexplanationso Icouldunderstand.ThetruthisthatIusedtohesitatetospeakEnglish,butmanyofmyfellowpilotsandfriendstoldmetojustspeakup,evenifmyEnglishwasnotsogood,andthatadvicechangedmywayofthinking.

The reason I needed to speak up, despitemy poorEnglish,wasnotjusttoimprovemyabilityinthelanguage.Itwasalso importanttoclearlyexpressmyopinions,becauseotherwiseproblemscouldoccur,given thedifferences inculture andways of thinkingbetween Japan andothercountries.

Ifyoujustassumethatotherpeoplehavethesamesetofvalues, unexpected things canoccur. For instance, onememberofmyteamwasaBrazilian,andinthemiddleofaracingeventhesaidhehadtogobacktohiscountry.Hisreasonwas thathewanted toattend thecarnival inRio.Normally,Iwouldassumethatapersonwouldputworkfirst,but ifyoudon’tmake itclear inacontractapersonreallywouldgohome[laughs].

Toavoidsuchproblems,it’scrucialtomakeeverythingas

clearaspossible, insteadofsayingthatyourEnglish isnotgoodenoughtodothat.Otherpilotsandteammemberswillinterrupt anotherperson tomakeapoint, even if theirEnglish isnotperfect.When Isawthat, Idecided Ishouldalsospeakup.

Through interactingwith foreigners I realized that theimportantthing isnothowgoodyourEnglish is,butratherhaving your ownway of thinking. If your thoughts areunclear, theotherpersonwon’t understandwhat you’resayingeven ifyourEnglish is fluent.But ifyour ideasareclear,youcangetyourpointacrosseveninclumsyEnglish.

If you work hard, one day a door of opportunity will open for you

ImprovingmyEnglishhas increased thescopeof things Icantalkaboutwithforeignreporters. IhavebeenmakingapointofdiscussingthecurrentsituationinFukushima,wheretheFukushimaSkyPark—knownasthe“airstripinthesky”—is located.OutsideofJapan,peoplehavethemistaken ideathatFukushimahasbecomealmostuninhabitableafter thenucleardisasterof2011,so I tell themedia that inmostareaspeopleare livingnormal lives. I think thatcorrectlyconveying informationabout the situation isoneway tosupporttherecoveryeffort.

Communicatingsuchinformationtothemediahasraisedmymotivationtoexplainother thingsaswell.This inspiredmeafewmonthsago,forthefirst time inmy life, tostarttakingEnglishconversation lessons,and ithasbeenquiteuseful for learning correct grammar andexpandingmyvocabulary.

It’shard tomake time forclasses, since I’m incrediblybusy. Thismakesmepainfully aware that I shouldhaveacquiredEnglishwhenIwasyoungandhadlotsoftime.IfIcouldgobackandtalk tomyyoungerself, I’d tellhim: “AtleaststudyEnglishenoughtobeabletospeakitbeforeyougraduatefromhighschool.”

When you studyEnglish andovercome the languagebarrier,youroptionsinlifeandyourviewoftheworldexpandgreatly. Itmightbefrustratingwhenyoufirststartstudyinganddon’tseeresults rightaway,but ifyouput inplaceasolid foundation itwillmakecommunicationsmootherandmore interesting. If youput in theeffort, you’lldefinitelyopenupnewdoorsof opportunity, so I hopeeveryonereadingthiswillgiveitatry.


Muroya flying to victory at thedebutof theRedBullAirRaceWorldChampionship2019series ©Andreas Schaad/Red Bull Content Pool

Muroya (secondfromright)chattingwithotherRedBullAirRaceWorldChampionshippilots ©Predrag Vuckovic/Red Bull Content Pool

IIBC has recently published the following three new books: TOEIC Bridge® Official Guidebook, Official TOEIC® Listening & Reading Items, and TOEIC® Listening & Reading Official Vocabulary Book. These official study materials were created in collaboration with the US-based Educational Test Service (hereinafter ETS), a non-profit organization in charge of development and production of the TOEIC® Program. The test items in the books as well as the answers are all provided by ETS, so English learners can use the books to practice with the same kind of questions that actually appear on TOEIC® tests. The easy-to-understand Japanese explanations of items are created from the perspective of Japanese learners of English. Along with providing preparation for the tests, the books can also serve as a useful way to improve practical English ability necessary for work or everyday situations.

The team in charge of editing Learning Products Development Team Learning Products Development Unit Business Development Division : Tanisaki, Kuwajima, Tawara (editor-in-chief), Tanigawa.

Perfect for beginner and intermediate learners preparing for the TOEIC Bridge® Tests

Access the official IIBC website for more details on official study materials.

https://www.iibc-global.org/publication.html


Price: ¥2,000 ＋ taxB5 size, 288 pages, 2 audio CDs (also downloadable)Publication date: April 23, 2019

Meeting a wide range of learner needs through official study materials created with the cooperation of ETS

Newly published official TOEIC® study materials

TOEIC Bridge® Official Guidebook

In June 2019, with the addition of TOEIC Bridge® Speaking & Writing Tests, the TOEIC Bridge® Tests now measure all four language skills. This new publication is the first official guidebook to prepare learners for this four-skill test.

The guidebook includes an introduction to the test format as well as sample items so that the reader can understand what sort of questions will appear on the test and the format in which the test is presented. In addition, the book has a sample test, identical in length to a standard test, so learners can practice under the same sort of conditions as an actual test.

Answers to the practice test are also provided, making it possible for test takers to grasp their score levels. On top of this, there are explanations and other example items for repeated practice, making the book an effective way to acquire English ability.

Some speaking and writing tests are based on the idea that the English used must be perfectly correct, grammatically speaking, but the TOEIC Bridge® Tests, as explained in the guidebook, allow for some grammatical mistakes as long as the main intention is adequately conveyed.

The structure of the book also allows the reader to understand the standpoint from which TOEIC Bridge® Tests are evaluated and scored.

First official guidebook for the TOEIC Bridge® Tests measuring all four language skills


Official TOEIC® Listening & Reading Items: Vol. 5

Special downloadable audio content newly included

Compact book with official TOEIC vocabulary that can be easily consulted during one’s free time

This is the latest in a series of official study materials to prepare learners for the TOEIC® L&R※. Along with providing sample items, the book includes two complete sets of practice tests, making it the best single book available for test preparation.

The content on the two CDs can also be downloaded to a smartphone or other device from the designated website so that learners can listen anywhere, anytime. The audio was recorded using the same speakers as for actual tests, so learners can get used to realistic test conditions.

This latest volume also provides (downloadable) audio for the reading section (Parts 5, 6, and 7). Learners can listen to this audio while reading the content as a way to enhance their reading speed. There is also a script and Japanese translations provided for the listening sections that can be consulted when listening again to difficult parts of the audio recording in order to enhance understanding.

The book also provides a list of useful words and phrases as well as expressions that are useful to test preparation and practical business situations.

The latest volume can be consulted along with the first four volumes to encounter many test items of the same quality as an actual test, thereby preparing fully for the test.

This publication meets the needs of English learners who are looking for an easy way to study vocabulary in their free time. The compact book that can be taken anywhere, offering a convenient way for learners to expand their vocabulary and also practice pronouncing words and sentences while listening to the downloadable audio content.

Vocabulary in the book are carefully chosen from the 1,000 words that have most frequently appeared in the TOEIC® L&R up to now. Learners can acquire useful, practical by consulting the visual aids and the sample sentences for each vocabulary that are like the sentences that actually appear in the test.

The vocabulary book can be effectively used along with the volumes in the Official TOEIC® Listening & Reading Items series. In little moments of free time, learners can look over vocabulary in this book, and then spend more extended time when available to study the test questions in those volumes.

IIBC also publishes the TOEIC® Test Official Vocabulary Book as an additional way to strengthen vocabulary knowledge through practice tests. That book is a great way to thoroughly study the situations and contexts for vocabulary use, while the current publication can be effectively used when a person is on the go.

Price: ¥3,000＋taxA4 size, 112 pages, 2 audio CDs (also downloadable); separate 200-page book included with answers and explanationsPublication date: June 25, 2019

Price: ¥1,400 ＋ taxB6 size, 272 pages, downloadable audio content, and red plastic sheet to conceal correct answersPublication date: June 25, 2019

TOEIC® Listening & Reading Official Vocabulary Book

A chance to experience the same kind of questions that actually appear in TOEIC® L&R

For learners who want to concentrate on common vocabulary from TOEIC® L&R

※TOEIC®L&RisanabbreviationfortheTOEIC®Listening&ReadingTest.

IIBC endorses the school’s efforts to cultivate its studentsUWC ISAK is an international boarding school thatwas foundedby LinKobayashi,whonowservesasthechairoftheboard.Theschool’smissionistofoster change-makers capable of continually developing, exploring newfrontiers,andopeningupaneweratogether.Theschoolwasthefirst inJapantobeauthorizedbythe International

BaccalaureateOrganization※1 and is also authorizedby the JapaneseMinistryofEducation,Culture,Sports,ScienceandTechnology.Theschool’s190students(asofJune2019)arefrom73differentcountriesandregions.Two of the students—LucyDabbs fromCanada andKarinaBrunellaTipismanaUrbanofromPeru—werechosenasfellowsunderthefiscal2019GCIFellowshipoftheGlobalCitizensInitiative(GCI)※2.TheGCIFellowshipisaprogramtosupportthecultivationoftheideas,abilities,andethicalvaluesneededtodevelop intoaglobal leader.A totalof28fellowsarechosenamonghighschool studentsaround theworld.Afterparticipating inasummitheldduring thesummer inTokyo, the fellowsengage inanine-monthGlocalServiceProject inwhichtheyseektosolveproblemsfacingregionsaroundtheworldfromaglobalperspective that isbasedontheSDGs.IIBCendorsesthemissionofUWCISAKandtheinitiativesofGCIandtheGCIFellowship,andon thatbasis isprovidingsupport toLucyandKarinatoparticipateinthoseactivities.

Support encourages students and fuels their hopes and ambitionsLucyhad the following tosayaboutparticipation in theGCIFellowship: “IncomingintocontactwithpeoplefromalldifferentbackgroundsatUWCISAK,Imadestridestowardcooperatingwithothers,andthisgavemeafeelingthatthere ishope intheworld.UndertheGCIFellowshipIwanttolearnaboutthedifferentwaysofthinkingofmorepeopleandalsohonemyskillsasaleaderbyactuallylaunchingaprojectandmakingachangeintheworld.ThesupportwehavereceivedfromIIBCwillmakeabigdifference inour lives. Ithinkit’sreallyamazingthattherearepeoplewhoarewillingtosupportandbelieveinus.”Karinaofferedthefollowingenthusiasticcomments:“AtUWCISAKIhavebeenamazedby

allofthetalented,wonderfulclassmates I’vemet,andundertheGCIFellowship Ihopetoencounterotheryoungprogramfellowswithhighambitions. Iamexcitedtopassionatelyacquireabilitiesandskillstogetherwiththemandseewhatsortofimpactwecanhaveontheworld.ThroughthesupportfromIIBC, I learnedthatthere isanorganizationthatnotonlyexpresses interestbutactually fosters realactivities,andthishasgivenmeahugesenseofhope.”LinKobayashiexpressedhergratitudeforthesupport:“Assistanceisnecessarytoprovide

studentswithworld-classopportunities.WhenIheardaboutthepossibilityofourstudentsreceivingsupport,Ithought,‘Weareveryfortunatetohavethischance.’ IwanttoexpressmysincerestthankstoIIBC.”In theyears tocome, IIBCwill continue tosupporthighlyambitiousyoungstudents

throughourglobalhumanresourcestrainingprograms.

IIBC is focusing attention on global human sources training programs that support the fostering of personnel able to transcend boundaries to be active on the global stage. Program activities include holding events that invite leaders who are globally active, conveying the honest opinions of those who have achieved global success, and publishing articles related to the training of human resources. We are also actively supporting ambitious young students who are seeking to become global leaders, and recently provided support for high school students studying at United World College ISAK (UWC ISAK; Founder and Chair of the Board: Lin Kobayashi) in Karuizawa, Nagano Prefecture.

Global Human Resource Development


Supporting ambitious high school students seeking to be global leaders

GCIFellowshipparticipantsLucyDabbs(right)andKarinaBrunellaTipismanaUrbano(left)

StudentsfromawiderangeofbackgroundsstudyingatUWCISAK

FounderandChairoftheBoardofUWCISAK,LinKobayashi　©JunToyosaki

※1　InternationalBaccalaureateOrganization:Createsinternationaleducationalprogramsandconferstheinternationalrecognizeduniversityentrancequalification(InternationalBaccalaureate).

※2　GCI:Anon-profitorganizationestablishedintheUnitedStatesin2011.UnderthedirectionofYumiKawana,GCIseekstofoster“globalcitizens”whoaremultilingual,canunderstandothercultures,andhavethehighmoralqualitiesneededtomakesensibledecisions.

MELSA was formed to meet the needs of those who wanted to continue studying medical English

Falling illor injuringoneself inanunfamiliarforeigncountryisoneoftheworstthingsthatcouldhappentoaperson.Itis easy to imagine theanxiety a foreigner in Japanwhospeaks littleJapanesemightfeel ifheorshehadtovisitaclinicorhospitalforthefirsttime.

MedicalEnglishLearningSupportAssociation(MELSA)isa nonprofit organization formed in2013 to assist suchpeople by helping Japanese participants learnmedicalexpressions inEnglishaswell asconversationskills.Themotivationforformingtheorganizationarosefromfeedbackfromstudentswhohad learnedmedicalEnglishunderatrainingcourseofferedat aprivateeducational trainingcenter—fundedundera job-seekingsupportsystemoftheMinistryofHealth,LabourandWelfare—andwantedtolearnevenmoreafterthecourseended.Oneoftheinstructorsatthe training center,AtsukoOmori,whoholds amedicaldoctorate in health sciences, launched the activities ofMELSAtogetherwithotherinterestedpersons.

At present,MELSAoffers classes in four locations:Idabashi (Tokyo), Yokohama and Fujisawa (KanagawaPrefecture),andSapporo(HokkaidoPrefecture).

Lesson styles suite the learning experience of participants

TheprimaryactivitiesofMELSAare the “mini-lessons”onmedicalEnglishandEnglishconversationheldeverymonthat four locations. In 2018, the classes taught studentsEnglishexpressions for typical situationsencounteredatvariouslocationsinahospitalorclinic,suchasthereceptiondeskandpaymentarea,examinationoroperating rooms,hospital rooms,andemergencyoutpatientareas,aswellasbasicknowledgeandspecializedtermsrelatedtothefieldsofanatomy,physiology,andpathology. In2019, therewasalso a course to teachmedical English terms regardingvariousdiseasesrelated to internalmedicineandsurgery.Thecoursewas taughtby theorganization’sdirector,Ms.Omori.

Sheexplainsmoreaboutthe course: “Participantsspeak a lot in the classthroughpairworkandotheractivities.Thosewithmoreextensive experiencewithmedical English practicet r a n s l a t i n g E n g l i s hconversationalintoJapaneseorviceversa,whilefirst-timep a r t i c i p a n t s w i t h l e s sexperiencetakepartinrole-playing activities to readEnglishsentencesout loudand the like. So everyone

canlearninawaythatbestsuitstheircircumstances.”Participants includenotonlymedicalprofessionalsbut

alsopeoplefromotherfields, includingthosewhowant touse what they learn for work as volunteer medicalinterpreters,suchasoneparticipantwhohasworkedasaninterpreter at a local government’s vaccination site. Inaddition, there is a studentwhoworks at a real-estatecompanygearedtoforeignresidentsandwantedtobeableto respond clearly to questions fromclients related toillnessesandhospitals.

Special seminars from guest instructors　

Inadditiontothemini-lessons,MELSAoffersspecialmonthlyseminarstaughtbyguest lecturersactive invariousfields,includingphysicians,pharmacists,andmedical interpreters.Thenetworkof instructorswasbuiltupbyMs.Omoribydirectly interactingwith people shemet at academicconferences, symposiums, and seminars to gain theirunderstandingandcooperationwiththeactivitiesofMELSA

WithmedicalEnglishandmedicalinterpretationexpectedtobecomeincreasinglyimportantinthefuture,Ms.Omoriisengaged in activities everyday so that the fruit of theaspirationsandeffortsofpersonsinvolvedwithMELSAfromtheoutsetwill expand the scopeof learning related tomedicalEnglishinJapan.


MELSARepresentativeDirectorAtsukoOmori

SpecialseminartaughtbytheguestinstructorDaiyaOzaki,anorthopedicsurgeon

At theendof theseminar,nativespeakers readEnglishsentencesand thestudentsthenrecitethemoutloud.

Meeting the needs of globalized society by fostering knowledge of Medical English

Introducing English-related initiatives in various fields

New Series

A report on the English Café can be accessed on the official IIBC website.(Only Japanese available)

Interviews with past Essay Contest winners can also be found on the IIBC website

Details on the IIBC Essay Contest and workshop can be found on the IIBC website

■IIBC ENGLISH CAFÉ 2019 (in Tokyo)

https://www.iibc-global.org/iibc/activity/englishcafe/report2019_01.html

https://www.iibc-global.org/iibc/activity/essay/interview.html

https://www.iibc-global.org/iibc/activity/essay.html

■11th IIBC Essay Contest

Having fun learning English with “Hobbinglish”

Essays solicited on the theme: “A cross-cultural experience that changed me”

Hobbinglish“Japanesesakecourse”

Althoughtherearemoreopportunitiesthaneverthesedaysto communicate in English,many people still hesitatebecausetheythinktheirEnglishskillsarenotgoodenough.

AsawayofprovidingafunwayforsuchpeopletolearnpracticalEnglishandactualcommunicate, IIBChostedtheIIBCENGLISHCAFÉ2019 inTokyo.Theevent includedsix“Hobbinglish”※coursesforpeopletolearnEnglishrelatedtoahobbyorinterestlikeJapanesesakeortravel,aswellasaSpecialNightTalkeventwith twoguestspeakers.PeopletakingpartintheEnglishCafésaidthatitwasagreatwayto

learnEnglishandalsoget inspiredfromotherparticipants.※Awordcoinedbycombining“hobby”and“English.”

The11thIIBCEssayContestforhighschoolstudentsacrossJapanwill beheld this year.As in thepreviousyear, theannualcontestwillcenteronthethemeof“across-culturalexperiencethatchangedme”inordertoencouragestudentstoconsider the importanceofunderstandingpeoplewithdifferentculturesandvalues.

ContestentrantsareaskedtowriteanessayinEnglishonanencounterwithadifferentcultureofsetofvaluesthanone’sownthatchangedthemor influencedtheirpersonalgrowth.Thecontentof theessayscan includenotonly

encounterswithforeignersbutalsonearby interactionwithfamilymembersorfriends

WinnersoftheFirstPrize,SecondPrize,andThirdPrizewillbeawardedfreeparticipation inashort-termoverseasstudyprogram.Nowacceptingapplications.


■HobbinglishSix courses for participants to have fun learning English related to their hobbies and interests; organized in cooperation of We Co., Ltd.●Japanese sake course ● Smartphone camera course ● Business lunch course ●Hospitality course ● Travel course (NYC) ● Cocktail course

■Special Night TalkGuest speakers active in Japan and overseas explained methods for raising motivation to study English and responded to concerns from participants related to English learning.●Topic: “Learning business English from square-one as the only person at Facebook who couldn’t speak English”Koichi Morioka, Representative Director and President/CEO of Supership Holdings Inc. ● To p i c : “ E f f e c t i v e w a y s t o l e a r n E n g l i s h f o r b u s y businesspersons”Toshiyuki Takahashi, Editor-in-chief of The Japan Times Alpha

The workshop is for high school students who plan to enter the IIBC Essay Contest. Participants will be taught how the rules for writing an English essay differ from Japanese composition so that they can write an essay that better conveys their thoughts to readers.

Overview of program events

Essay writing workshop for high school students

■Overview of the 11th IIBC Essay Contest Organizer: The Institute for International Business Communication Support: Embassy of the United States / Sponsorship: America-Japan SocietyEntry requirements: Must be enrolled in grades 1 to 3 of a public or private high school or upper secondary specialized training school or in grades 4 to 6 of a six-year combined junior and senior high school in Japan.Language: EnglishEssay length: 501 to 700 wordsApplication period: June 3 (Mon.) to September 5 (Thur.), 2019Awards: First Prize (1), Second Prize (1), Third Prize (1), Special Prize (5), America-Japan Society Prize (3).

【Osaka】Date: July 29 (Mon.), 2019 from 10:30 am to 5:00 pmVenue: IIBC Office, Conference Room Midosuji SG Building, 3-6-1, Bakuromachi, Chuo-ku, Osaka,

【Tokyo】Date: July 31 (Wed.), 2019 from 10:00 am to 4:30 pmVenue: IIBC Head Office, Conference Room Sanno Grand Building, 2-14-2, Nagata-cho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo

In recent years, the need to cultivate global human resources has led to demand for higher levels of English ability, both from companies with regard to universities, and from universities vis-à-vis high schools. In response to this need, IIBC hosted a seminar on March 21 in Tokyo at the Akasaka Intercity Conference targeting high school English teachers on the theme: “How to teach English in a way that benefits the future of students.” The seminar was taught by Ayako Yokokawa (Associate Professor, Meiji University’s Organization for International Collaboration) and Masaru Nishida (Shizuoka Prefectural Shizuoka Johoku High School). The two instructors introduced ways to effectively use the TOEIC® Program to teach practical English skills and introduced examples of initiatives being undertaken at schools.

■TOEIC® Program seminar for high school English teachers

Examples of initiatives for fostering practical English

Excellent quality as an assessment raises reliability and versatility

MeijiUniversity has enhanced its system for providingsupporttofosteringglobalhumanresources,whichisoneofitspriorities,byestablishingascholarshipfundsforoverseasstudy, programs toenhanceEnglish skills, amongotherinitiatives.Thenumberofstudentsstudyingabroadhasbeenincreasingsteadily, reaching the levelof2,141studentsduringthe2018academicyear.

Againstthisbackdrop,theuniversityhasalsobeenutilizingtheTOEIC®Program.Forexample,newstudentsinnineoftheuniversity’stenundergraduateschoolsarerequiredtotaketheTOEIC®Listening&ReadingTest (hereinafterTOEIC®L&R)uponenrollment,withthescoresusedforplacementpurposes.Forotherstudents,thetestisusedasapplicationrequirementsforlanguageprograms,sonearlyeverymonth,TOEIC®L&Risadministeredononeoftheuniversity’scampuses.Currently,around15,000peopletakethetesteveryyear,andfrom2020theTOEIC®Speaking&WritingTests(hereinafterTOEIC®S&W)willbeadministeredatschoolfacilities.Inaddition,theSchoolofPoliticalScienceandEconomics, introducedaspecialglobalentranceexamination—startingfromthe2017academicyear—thatmakesuseofthescoresofcertifiedforeignlanguagetestssuchasTOEIC®L&R.

Ms.Yokokawaexplainsmore about the reasonsMeijiUniversityisusingTOEIC®Programtests:“AlongwithitsusetoaccuratelygaugeEnglishabilityofstudentsat the timetheyenter theuniversity, theTOEIC®Programallowsustoobjectivelyevaluatestudents’progressbycomparingandanalyzingaveragescoresover theyears,whichguaranteesthequalityofourassessments.This is connected to thereliabilityofthescores,makingthemmoreversatile.Ontopofthis, themotivationofstudentscanberaisedwhentheyareabletogaugeandmanagetheirownlearningprogress.”

High-quality English input is the key to teaching practical English skills

Meanwhile, at the international course at ShizuokaPrefecturalShizuoka JohokuHighSchool,whichaims toimproveallfourEnglishskillsinawell-balancedway,studentswhowillgraduatenextspring raised theirdeviationvaluefrom57.9as first-year, first-semesterstudents to64.1assecond-ear, third-semesterstudents,so that theiraverageTOEIC®L&Rscoreroseby244pointsinjusttwoyears.Thisis one example of the success the school has had inimprovingstudents’Englishability.

Lookingback,Mr.Nishidaexplains the reasons for thesuccess: “Wehavebeenemphasizingreadingout loudandshiftedfrompreparationtoreview.Aboveall,amajorfactorhasbeentheimplementationofclassesthatmakeuseofthe

TOEIC®program.”Mr.Nishidaalsoexplainswhy theTOEIC®Programwas

chosen:“Inmyowncase, IhadtheexperienceofimprovingmyEnglishskillsthroughuseoftheprogram,andinrecentyears not only companies but universities aswell aredemandinghighscoresontheTOEIC®Program.Thismademefeelthatthemomenthasarrivedwherehighschoolswillalsoneedtobe involved.Also, thesortofEnglishusedontheTOEIC®Programishighlypractical,soitisofbenefittohighschoolstudentsaswell.Moreover,theevaluationscoresareaccurate,sotheycanhelpraisestudents’motivation.”

SomeofthespecificwaysthatthetestsarebeingusedintheclassroomaretohavestudentsbreakintopairsandreadoutloudtheconversationalsentencesfromtestitemslistedintheOfficialTOEIC®Listening&Reading Itemsbook.Thestudentsmighteachtakeoneofthepartstoreadoutloud,oronemightreadtheJapanesetranslationwhiletheotherreads theEnglishsentence,etc.Havingstudents readthesame passage out loud in a variety of different waysprovidesthemwithinput.

TheschoolalsomakesuseoftheTOEIC®SpeakingTesttohavestudentsdescribeaphotographused in the test.This is away for students topractically useEnglishbyprovidingoutputof thesentencestheyhad input throughreadingoutloud.

“The key is to thoroughly input high-quality Englishsentences,”Mr.Nishidaemphases, “andthebestwaytodothat is through the officialpublications of theTOEIC®Program.”

The I IBC seminar was auseful opportunity for theparticipating teachers togethe l p fu l h i n t s on Eng l i s heducationthatcancontributetotheirstudents’futures,suchas actually seeing how theymightmakeuseoftheTOEIC®Programintheirclasses.


Studentsreadingoutloud,whichisaneffectiveway to inputEnglishsentences

Teacherslisteningdiligentlytotheseminarpresenter

242nd July28(Sun.),2019 May17(Fri.)toJune18(Tue.),2019 August27(Tue.),2019

243rd September29(Sun.),2019 June21(Fri.)toAugust6(Tue.),2019 October29(Tue.),2019

244th October27(Sun.),2019 August9(Fri.)toSeptember10(Tue.),2019 November26(Tue.),2019

245th November24(Sun.),2019 September13(Fri.)toOctober8(Tue.),2019 December24(Tue.),2019

246th December15(Sun.),2019 October11(Fri.)toOctober29(Tue.),2019 January14(Tue.),2020

247th January12(Sun.),2020 November1(Fri.)toNovember26(Tue.),2019 February11(Tue.),2020

248th March8(Sun.),2020 November29(Fri.),2019toJanuary14(Tue.),2020 April7(Tue.),2020

72nd September1(Sun.),2019 May13(Mon.),2018toJuly25(Thur.),2019 October4(Fri.),2019

73rdNovember17(Sun.),2019 July29(Mon.)toOctober104(Thu.),2019 December20(Fri.),2019

74th March15(Sun.),2020 November5(Mon.),2019toJanuary30(Thur.),2020 April17(Fri.),2019

September8(Sun.),2019 July26(Fri.)toAugust23(Fri.),2019 August26(Mon.)toAugust30(Fri.) October11(Fri.),2019

November24(Sun.),2019 October11(Fri.)toNovember8(Fri.),2019 November11(Mon.)toNovember15(Fri.)December27(Fri.),2019

March1(Sun.),2020 January17(Fri.)toFebruary14(Fri.),2020 February17(Mon.)toFebruary21(Fri.) April3(Fri.),2019

July7(Sun.),2019 May24(Fri.)toJune21(Fri.),2019 August6(Tue.),2019

August4(Sun.),2019 June21(Fri.)toJuly191(Fri.),2019 September3(Tue.),2019

September1(Sun.),2019 July19(Fri.)toAugust16(Fri.),2019 October1(Tue.),2019

October6(Sun.),2019 August16(Fri.)toSeptember20(Fri.),2019 November5(Tue.),2019

November3(Sun.),2019 September20(Fri.)toOctober18(Fri.),2019 December3(Tue.),2019

December1(Sun.),2019 October18(Fri.)toNovember15(Fri.),2019 December31(Tue.),2019

Test number

Test number

Test date

Test date

Test date

Test date

Application period＊1




Scheduled date for sending test results


Additional application period Scheduled date for sending test results


TOEIC® Listening & Reading Test

TOEIC Bridge® Listening & Reading Tests

TOEIC Bridge® Speaking & Writing Tests

TOEIC® Speaking & Writing Tests

TOEIC® Speaking Test

*Theapplicationperiodsaboveareforapplicationsbyprivateindividuals.Forinformationontheapplicationperiodforgrouptesting(excludingtheTOEICSpeakingTest),pleaseconsulttheofficialIIBCwebsite.Pleasenotethatthepublictestingscheduleissubjecttochange.Thelatestscheduleinformationisavailableontheofficialwebsite.(*1)Internetapplicationperiod.Pleaserefertotheofficialwebsiteforinformationontheapplicationstartingtimesanddeadlines,aswellasapplicationsviaconveniencestoreterminals.(*2)Internetapplicationperiod.Pleaserefertotheofficialwebsiteforinformationontheapplicationstartingtimesanddeadlines.

【Inquiries】Sanno Grand Building, 2-14-2, Nagata-cho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 100-0014 TEL: 03-5521-5901Nishiki Park Building, 2-4-3, Nishiki, Naka-ku, Nagoya-shi, Aichi, 460-0003 Phone: 052-220-0282Midosuji SG Building, 3-6-1, Bakuromachi, Chuo-ku, Osaka, 541-0059 Phone: 06-6258-0222

【Media inquiries】Public Relations DepartmentSanno Grand Building, 2-14-2, Nagata-cho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 100-0014 TEL: 03-3581-4761

ETS, the ETS logo, PROPELL, TOEIC and TOEIC BRIDGE are registered trademarks of Educational Testing Service, Princeton, New Jersey, U.S.A., and used in Japan under license.Portions are copyrighted by Educational Testing Service and used with permission.

IIBC official website: https://www.iibc-global.org

IIBC information

Public testing schedule

I IBC launched a fiscal 2019 program to train outstanding interpreter guides in the Hiroshima prefectural area, which has seen an increase of foreign tourists in recent years.

In order to become an interpreter guide in Hiroshima Prefecture, it is necessary to take part in the Hiroshima Prefectural Area Interpreter Guide Training Program.

●An overview of the Hiroshima Prefectural Area Interpreter Guide Training Program can be found at the following website:https://www.pref.hiroshima.lg.jp/soshiki/78/hiroshimatuyaku3012-3104.html

TOEIC® Tests used as application requirement for program to train interpreter guides in the Hiroshima prefectural area

● Information on the language requirements and training content can be found in the following PDF of the plan forthe Hiroshima Prefectural Area Interpreter Guide Training Programhttps://www.pref.hiroshima.lg.jp/uploaded/attachment/346390.pdf

The requirements to apply for the training course (in English) include one of the following qualifications:

●TOEIC® Listening & Reading Test: Score of 730 or higher●TOEIC® Speaking Test: Score of 130 or higher●TOEIC® Writing Test: Score of 140 or higher

組み合わせシステム（１）縦組み　スローガンあり英文

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