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| The Department of English Language and Cultures (previously the Department of English and American Literature) has a history spanning 60 years. While cherishing tradition, we now offer new curricula to meet the academic abilities and interests of each student. Through classes on specialized English skills separated by skill level and meticulous instruction at seminars, we provide students with opportunities to enjoy and deepen their learning of not just English and American literature and the English language, but cultures and societies in the English-speaking world and practical English that can be used in the international community as well. After admission, students take a unique class, “Cultural Background: Seminar,” which combines text, image, and audio learning materials to thoroughly build basic English skills. A compulsory subject starting in the first year, “Academic Writing: Seminar” and a compulsory subject starting in the second year, “Academic Presentation: Seminar” are designed to nurture the gradual acquiring of practical English skills. In addition, the Department of English Language and Cultures is composed of the following three courses: Contemporary Studies, English-Language Cultures, and Language and Education. By taking part in the Introductory Course of each course in the first or second year, it is possible to acquire extensive knowledge and understand the characteristics of each of the courses. The Department of English Language and Cultures has 12 faculty members in total (2 of which are native English speakers): 5 for Contemporary Studies, 4 for English-Language Cultures, and 3 for Language and Education. All of them are active at the forefront of their respective fields, as teachers and through the publication of their own books and translations. More information can be found on the Faculty Member introduction page. In addition, more than 40 part-time instructors, including a number of native speakers, offer various classes to meet the diversified interests of students. In their third year, students choose one of three courses to deepen their study. The objectives and contents of each course are as follows: Contemporary Studies: This course mainly covers modern cultures in the English-speaking world from the 20th century onward. The objective is to understand globalized modern cultures from a broad perspective by focusing not only on the U.K. and U.S., but also on Ireland, India, South Africa, etc., and by utilizing various media including movies and the Internet. English-Language Cultures: This course covers the cultural and historical background of English and American Literature. The objective is to deepen historical understanding of cultures in the English-speaking world by dealing mainly with literary works up to the 20th century and cultural matters. The study of children’s literature and the teaching of translation are also emphasized. Language and Education: This course covers English as a language and its teaching methods. The objective is to deepen the understanding of the English language and apply that understanding to education by studying English grammar from a linguistic perspective, or by studying children’s language acquisition and English education. |