Committee Activities in the English Language Program (ELP) at the Center for Foreign Language Education and Research (FLER)
英語教育研究室（English Language Program)
2024/10/15
カリキュラム
OVERVIEW
The English Language Program (ELP) at the Center for Foreign Language Education and Research (FLER) organizes several committees to support our instructors in faculty development, including professional growth, research support, and effective teaching. Below are introductions to selected committee activities for the 2024 academic year.
英語教育研究室のコミティー（委員会）活動のご紹介
The Teacher Development Committee
FLER stands out as a workplace that strongly supports professional development and offers a wealth of opportunities. As a complement to regular workshops by the various committees in charge of courses in the unified curriculum, the Teacher Development (TD) Committee serves the purpose of organizing regular sessions in which FLER instructors can network, share information, showcase their own areas of expertise, and reflect upon their professional practice. With such a large faculty and busy teaching schedules, it can be challenging to form connections with colleagues. All of us come to FLER with a range of experience and a variety of valuable skills. Thus, a key characteristic of our activities is that TD is a completely grassroots, internal effort. Committee members organize regular “Bento Talk” workshops, usually during lunch period. These sessions are informal and always lead to lively discussion and the formation of strong professional relationships among FLER instructors. Topics in 2024 so far have included technical skills such as how to make better use of the Canvas LMS, practical ideas such as how to teach the required first-year classes more effectively, and more theoretical ideas such as defining the CLIL approach to teaching language and content courses. 10 sessions were offered during the Spring Semester, and we look forward to an active Fall. We hope to hold at least one longer workshop, and we will also produce a committee newsletter highlighting our activities. All FLER instructors are welcome to contribute.
The Researcher Development Committee
The Researcher Development Committee is an important administrative committee which supports faculty in FLER with their research output. The 11 members of our team are all experienced researchers with a wide range of interests related to CLIL topics, corpus linguistics, discourse analysis, and teacher education, among other areas. Our members have expertise in both qualitative and quantitative research, allowing us to support research in all its forms.
One of the most important ways that we assist our department is through the organization of research training seminars. In the spring of 2024, we held two seminars on applying for external funding, with a particular focus on the Grants-in-Aid for Scientific Research (KAKENHI) system from the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS). In the first of these seminars, we provided a detailed overview of this system, the types of funding offered, and the benefits of applying for and receiving this form of grant. Attendees were given the opportunity to ask questions, seek advice, and share information about their current projects. In the second seminar, we targeted grant writing skills. Topics that were discussed included the differences between grant writing and traditional academic writing, rhetorical considerations, and budget planning. We are hopeful that these two seminars will lead to increased funding success for members of the FLER faculty over the next few years.
Our team is also responsible for disseminating information to the department. To that end, each semester we collate opportunities for conferences, publishing, and funding, and share these with the faculty. In addition, we like to celebrate the output of FLER members by circulating presentation and publication success stories with members of the department.
One of the most important ways that we assist our department is through the organization of research training seminars. In the spring of 2024, we held two seminars on applying for external funding, with a particular focus on the Grants-in-Aid for Scientific Research (KAKENHI) system from the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS). In the first of these seminars, we provided a detailed overview of this system, the types of funding offered, and the benefits of applying for and receiving this form of grant. Attendees were given the opportunity to ask questions, seek advice, and share information about their current projects. In the second seminar, we targeted grant writing skills. Topics that were discussed included the differences between grant writing and traditional academic writing, rhetorical considerations, and budget planning. We are hopeful that these two seminars will lead to increased funding success for members of the FLER faculty over the next few years.
Our team is also responsible for disseminating information to the department. To that end, each semester we collate opportunities for conferences, publishing, and funding, and share these with the faculty. In addition, we like to celebrate the output of FLER members by circulating presentation and publication success stories with members of the department.
The Guidance and Administration Committee
The Guidance and Administration Committee plays an important role at FLER, particularly in fostering a supportive environment in teaching and supporting Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) Electives. Our responsibilities are multifaceted, encompassing both student engagement and faculty support.
One of the primary tasks of the Guidance and Administration Committee is to organize guidance sessions for students several times a year, specifically in July, January, and March. The purpose of these sessions is to familiarize students with the idea and advantages of CLIL Electives and motivate them to sign up for these classes. We emphasize the dual focus on language skills and content, outlining the objectives, structure, and advantages of these programs. By introducing the variety of courses from which students may choose from, helping them select the right classes, and presenting sample materials, these sessions highlight how CLIL Electives differ from regular courses. In addition, we invite previous students to share their experiences and respond to their queries and concerns. By doing so, we hope to demystify CLIL Electives and instill confidence in students to enroll in our classes.
In addition to supporting students, the Guidance and Administration Committee also plays an essential role in assisting faculty members who teach CLIL Electives. The dual focus of these courses requires instructors to be adept not only in their subject matter but also in integrating language learning strategies into their teaching. As such, we provide faculty with the support to excel in their CLIL teaching roles by providing information and disseminating resources and personalized advice to instructors who may need help with specific aspects of their courses.
By supporting both students and educators, the Guidance and Administration Committee aims to contribute to the broader goal of fostering an integrated and engaged learning environment at Rikkyo University.
One of the primary tasks of the Guidance and Administration Committee is to organize guidance sessions for students several times a year, specifically in July, January, and March. The purpose of these sessions is to familiarize students with the idea and advantages of CLIL Electives and motivate them to sign up for these classes. We emphasize the dual focus on language skills and content, outlining the objectives, structure, and advantages of these programs. By introducing the variety of courses from which students may choose from, helping them select the right classes, and presenting sample materials, these sessions highlight how CLIL Electives differ from regular courses. In addition, we invite previous students to share their experiences and respond to their queries and concerns. By doing so, we hope to demystify CLIL Electives and instill confidence in students to enroll in our classes.
In addition to supporting students, the Guidance and Administration Committee also plays an essential role in assisting faculty members who teach CLIL Electives. The dual focus of these courses requires instructors to be adept not only in their subject matter but also in integrating language learning strategies into their teaching. As such, we provide faculty with the support to excel in their CLIL teaching roles by providing information and disseminating resources and personalized advice to instructors who may need help with specific aspects of their courses.
By supporting both students and educators, the Guidance and Administration Committee aims to contribute to the broader goal of fostering an integrated and engaged learning environment at Rikkyo University.
The Global Studies Committee
The Global Studies Committee is working to support teachers in the development and teaching of the new content and language integrated learning (CLIL) seminar courses. These Global Studies courses cover a broad range of subjects, including: Tourism, History, Psychology, Gender Issues, Health and Wellness, and Language Learning, and focus on teaching academic content with appropriate language support. Teachers have significant flexibility to select and adapt materials to fulfil the course objectives and provide a nurturing and productive learning environment. We aim to support course development through seminars, interactive workshops, and encouraging collaboration between teachers.
The committee has hosted seminars at the end of each semester focusing on different aspects of developing the courses. In January 2024, we managed a seminar which introduced the curriculum, the approach, and specific examples of how teachers had designed and implemented their courses. We also surveyed teachers for frequently asked questions to provide an answer session, as well as facilitating small group discussions between those teaching the same courses. This provided an opportunity for teachers to share their plans and experiences for each course. In July 2024 the seminar focused on demonstration lessons to give instructors ideas for practical in-class activities and also an insight into the students point of view. We feel that providing multiple perspectives on the courses can stimulate teachers' creativity and support effective pedagogy.
In addition to the end of semester seminars, the committee has provided lunchtime workshops to give teachers the chance to chat informally about key issues and challenges. In June we held two workshops teaching to be inclusive of learner differences, which included discussing ideas for getting to know students and differentiating the contents, processes, and products of instruction. We hope to address topics such as formative assessment and recruiting learner agency in future workshops. The committee also aims to continue encouraging collaboration and the sharing of materials by connecting instructors and providing shared resource folders. By stimulating creativity and fostering collaboration, we believe we can support the development of engaging and effective CLIL courses.
The committee has hosted seminars at the end of each semester focusing on different aspects of developing the courses. In January 2024, we managed a seminar which introduced the curriculum, the approach, and specific examples of how teachers had designed and implemented their courses. We also surveyed teachers for frequently asked questions to provide an answer session, as well as facilitating small group discussions between those teaching the same courses. This provided an opportunity for teachers to share their plans and experiences for each course. In July 2024 the seminar focused on demonstration lessons to give instructors ideas for practical in-class activities and also an insight into the students point of view. We feel that providing multiple perspectives on the courses can stimulate teachers' creativity and support effective pedagogy.
In addition to the end of semester seminars, the committee has provided lunchtime workshops to give teachers the chance to chat informally about key issues and challenges. In June we held two workshops teaching to be inclusive of learner differences, which included discussing ideas for getting to know students and differentiating the contents, processes, and products of instruction. We hope to address topics such as formative assessment and recruiting learner agency in future workshops. The committee also aims to continue encouraging collaboration and the sharing of materials by connecting instructors and providing shared resource folders. By stimulating creativity and fostering collaboration, we believe we can support the development of engaging and effective CLIL courses.
The Global Communication Committee
The Global Communication committee exists to support the teaching of Global Communication electives offered by FLER. The electives are Academic Communication, Current News, Intercultural Studies, Reading for Pleasure, Multimodal Communication, Self-Directed and Reflective Language Learning, and Study Abroad Preparation (SAP). SAP classes also prepare students for TOEFL and IELTS.
Global Communication Elective is part of the Global Electives in FLER that seeks to prepare students to be a global citizen as effective and culturally sensitive communicators. The Global Communication electives use the content and language integrated learning (CLIL) approach to teach the classes. What this means is that language is taught alongside the content in class. They serve as a bridge to learning content classes taught in the English language at Rikkyo.
The Global Communication committee organises faculty development sessions to help teachers familiarise with the teaching of these electives. These are usually held during the semesters. Resources such as syllabuses, guidelines, and teaching materials are made available to teachers as references. The committee also attends to queries and issues that teachers face during the semester. As part of continuous improvement, the committee collects feedback from teachers and students on its courses.
Global Communication Elective is part of the Global Electives in FLER that seeks to prepare students to be a global citizen as effective and culturally sensitive communicators. The Global Communication electives use the content and language integrated learning (CLIL) approach to teach the classes. What this means is that language is taught alongside the content in class. They serve as a bridge to learning content classes taught in the English language at Rikkyo.
The Global Communication committee organises faculty development sessions to help teachers familiarise with the teaching of these electives. These are usually held during the semesters. Resources such as syllabuses, guidelines, and teaching materials are made available to teachers as references. The committee also attends to queries and issues that teachers face during the semester. As part of continuous improvement, the committee collects feedback from teachers and students on its courses.
