2020年4月、先進的な外国語教育・研究活動を担う機関として、立教大学外国語教育研究センター（Center for Foreign Language Education and Research：FLER）を開設しました。私たちはこれまでの方法を踏襲するだけでは正解が得られない、困難でチャレンジングな時代の只中にいます。こうした複雑で不確実性の高い時代の中で、FLERでは、「3つの交流」を大切にしています。

1. 多様な分野間の交流
   外国語教育研究は「分野超越的な」（transdisciplinary）な領域です。学び始める年齢、興味、モチベーション、性格など、異なる様々な要因が複雑に絡み合い、私たちの外国語能力やアイデンティティの形成に影響を与えます。この難しい課題に取り組むには、多様な学問分野の知見を結集する必要があります。言語に関わる分野である言語学、第二言語習得、文学はもちろん、人間の思考や行動を理解するためには、心理学、社会学、生物学、脳科学などの理解も求められます。
   
   
2. 多様な言語間の交流
   現代のグローバル社会において、英語はリンガフランカとして国際コミュニケーションの重要な役割を担っています。しかし英語圏文化の考え方・価値観だけで、この複雑で不確実性の高い時代を生き抜くことは難しいでしょう。FLERには、英語の他にも、ドイツ語、フランス語、スペイン語、中国語、朝鮮語、ロシア語を担当する教員が所属し、それぞれの言語は、固有の考え方、価値観、文化、歴史を内包しています。異なる言語との交流（translanguaging dialogue）は私たちの視野を広げ、人生を豊かにしてくれます。さらに、他言語との交流は、多様な人々が協働する現代社会に不可欠な、他者への尊厳と寛容性も育ててくれます。
   
   
3. 理論と実践の交流
   グローバル化の進展と情報技術の発達と共に、外国語教育研究はこの10年の間に飛躍的な進化を遂げ、数多くの研究が発表されてきました。しかし、そうした研究成果は大学の外国語教育現場では十分に生かされているとは言えず、教師と研究者の間にはまだ大きな溝が存在しています。両者の距離を縮めるために、大学の外国語教育を担う専門家には、研究者と教育実践者の2つの役割を同時に担うことが期待されます。研究活動で得た成果を授業で実践するサイクルを継続的に繰り返すことで、私たちは2つの世界の架け橋となることができます。この研究と教育の融合こそが、理想的な外国語学習環境の創出につながるはずです。

FLERでは、様々な専門性・言語・バックグラウンドを持つ教員が活発に交流し互いに刺激し合うことで、現代にふさわしい言語教育の「ニューノーマル」を創って行きます。これから数多くの野心的な研究を行い、教育活動の終わりなき改善に重要な貢献を果たすことを目指します。

Mission

The Center for Foreign Language Education and Research (FLER) was founded at Rikkyo University in April 2020 as an institution to carry out advanced educational practice and to conduct cutting-edge research. We are in the midst of difficult but challenging times in which we cannot find solutions by simply following precedents. In such a period of complexity and uncertainty, we believe that a key lies in ‘three areas of interaction.’

1. Interaction between different disciplines
   Foreign language education is a transdisciplinary field where one’s foreign language learning is full of complexity and diversity; that is, various components—such as different starting ages of learning, different interests, different magnitudes of motivation and different personalities—dynamically interact and collectively contribute to one’s foreign language competence and construction of identity. Not only various language-related studies (e.g., linguistics, second language acquisition, literature) but also areas concerning human mind and behaviors (e.g., psychology, sociology, biology, brain science) help us understand the complex and dynamic nature of foreign language learning.
   
2. Interaction between different languages
   English is now recognized as a lingua franca, playing a key role in international communication; however, solely Anglophone-based values and ways of thinking are still limited and are insufficient to solve a number of global problems we are currently facing. FLER involves teachers of five other languages—German, French, Spanish, Chinese, Korean and Rossian, each of which has its own thoughts, values, culture, and history. The interaction between different language professionals, or translanguaging dialogue, helps us expand our perspectives and enrich our life. The interaction with other languages would also enhance respect for other cultures and promote tolerance in the global community where diverse people are expected to work collaboratively.
   
3. Interaction between theory and practice
   With rapid globalization and progress of information technology, research on foreign language teaching and learning has advanced and proliferated over the last decade; however, implementation of practice in the foreign language classroom based on the findings obtained from the research side has been piecemeal and gradual, and there is still a large gap between teachers and researchers. To close this gap, foreign language professionals are required to play two roles—practitioners and researchers—and to make an effort to integrate the two sides of the same coin. Through continuous cycles of engaging in research activities and putting the findings into practice in the classroom, we could serve as a bridge between the two separate worlds. We believe our attempt to exercise researched pedagogy would contribute to creating an ideal foreign language learning environment for students.

FLER is aiming to achieve this ‘new normal’ of foreign language teaching at university through three areas of interaction among professionals with diverse expertise, languages and backgrounds. We aim to conduct a number of ambitious research projects and make a significant contribution to the lasting improvement of our foreign language teaching practice.

Bienvenidos a la página web del Center for Foreign Language Education and Research (FLER). Fundado en abril de 2020, FLER se encarga de la enseñanza de lenguas extranjeras a estudiantes de todas las facultades de la Universidad Rikkyo. Cuando pensamos en "aprender un idioma", se nos ocurre en primer lugar estudiar gramática y vocabulario, pero es mucho más que eso. Detrás de un idioma, siempre hay personas que lo hablan, una cultura que lo apoya y un mundo que respira a su alrededor. Al aprender un idioma extranjero, a veces podemos sentirnos desanimados, preguntándonos cómo pronunciar sonidos extraños, por qué existen reglas tan complicadas o por qué la gente piensa de cierta manera. Sin embargo, si superamos con esfuerzo estos obstáculos, obtendremos una nueva perspectiva. Cree en ello y lánzate a un nuevo mundo. Nuestro profesorado te apoyará en esta aventura.

Welcome to the Center for Foreign Language Education and Research (FLER) web page. Established in April 2020, FLER is responsible for foreign language education for students across all faculties at Rikkyo University. When we think of "learning a language," we might first think of learning grammar and vocabulary, but it's much more than that. Behind a language, there are always people who use it, a culture that supports it, and a world which breathes and surrounds it. When learning a foreign language, we may sometimes feel discouraged, wondering how to pronounce such strange sounds, why there are such complicated rules, or why people think this way. However, when we overcome these obstacles with effort, we will gain a new perspective. Believe in that and take the leap into a new world. Our staff will support all of you who embark on such adventures.