The purpose of this first level communication course is to develop              

students' English oral communication skills and help them gain their            

self-confidence in speaking English in front of an audience. In                 

addition, the course aims to allow students to share with each other            

ideas and information about which they themselves are genuinely interested.     

                                                                                

                                                                                

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In this course, students will take it in turns to give short                    

(approximately 10 minute) oral presentations in English on matters of           

their own choosing. The aim of the course is to break away from                 

dependence on textbooks or simulated communication organized by the             

teacher and move instead towards genuine communication organized by             

the students themselves. Accordingly, students will not be obliged to           

talk about particular topics but will be free to speak about anything           

that interests them and which they feel will be of interest to their            

classmates. Previous year's topics have included families, pets, club           

activities, part-time jobs, introductions to various parts of Japan,            

foreign travel, personal relationships, favourite books, music and              

films, famous people, important historical events, scientific                   

discoveries and even the best way to learn English. Students will be            

expected to give either two or three presentations, depending on the            

number of students who take the course. Students must prepare their             

presentations carefully and be able to give their speech using notes,           

rather than simply reading from a script. On the other hand, they will          

not be expected to memorize their presentations. While each student is          

giving his or her presentation, the other students will take notes,             

either in English or Japanese. After each presentation there will be a          

follow-up question and answer session in English and the teacher will           

provide the presenter with a detailed feedback report on his or her             

overall performance.                                                            

                                                                                

                                                                                

Students will be assessed according to the form and content of their            

speeches and the quality of their note-taking, attendance rate and              

degree of active participation in the question and answer sessions.             

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This course is entirely student-centered. Whether or not it is interesting      

and enjoyable for students will depend to a great extent on how well            

students prepare for and give their presentations and how enthusiastically      

they ask questions to the speakers.