Abstract
The Communicative English Program is a dream taken form
through the efforts of the Department of Information Culture at Niigata
University of International and Information Studies (NUIS). Two years since its inception, the
Communicative English Program (CEP) is starting to come into its own as
language program. This paper
introduces the present structure of CEP and suggests that the time and effort
invested in this program are reaping educational benefits for the
learners. The latter part of this
report considers the long-term viability of CEP.
Introduction
In the late 1990’s, private and national universities across
Japan instituted sweeping reforms and began experimenting with new language
curricula. In Niigata Prefecture,
several colleges and universities created innovative language programs that
have attempted to shore up the weaknesses observed in Japanese traditional
language education courses (Hadley, 1999; Oishi et al, 1996; Nozaki, 1993;
Anderson, 1993; Helgesen, 1993).
One of these courses, known as the Communicative English
Program (CEP), began in April 2000 at Niigata University of International and
Information Studies (NUIS). In two
years, CEP has developed into a distinctive semi-intensive language program
that is gaining attention throughout the region. This paper introduces CEP in its present form, highlighting
its goals, methodology, materials and organization. Statistical and ethnographic research investigating the
potential of CEP’s educational value will be discussed. A consideration of issues that may
determine the Communicative English Program’s long-term success or failure will
conclude this paper.
The Communicative English Program
The Communicative English Program is a semi-intensive course
in International English. Students
are encouraged to learn how to confidently and effectively communicate their
concerns, cultural viewpoints and personal interests to non-Japanese speakers
of English. CEP upholds clear
academic standards, is highly coordinated and is a consistent program of study
that seeks to satisfy the primary needs of the students, teachers and various
levels of administrators at NUIS.
In order to meet these needs, a departmental steering committee,
together with major stakeholders, reached a consensus in 2001 on goals for
CEP. From this foundation, a
methodology, materials and distinctive organization were formed to complement
those objectives.
Goals of CEP
CEP is unique from many language programs in Japan, in that
its guiding principles are clearly stated. Presently, CEP has five major objectives.
1. Language Instruction in CEP Concentrates on International English
For the moment, International English is roughly defined as
English that is free from the cultural and linguistic influence of any one particular
country, and which can be used to successfully communicate with other educated
native or non-native speakers of English in any country of the world (Suzuki
1999). In CEP, students are
encouraged to communicate as Japanese speakers of English on issues that are of
interest to them. Recognizing
their identity and language egos as Japanese students, they are welcomed to
take ownership of the English language as their vehicle for international
expression. Instead of expressing
the belief, “I am Japanese, so I can’t speak English”, students are reminded to
say, “I am Japanese, and I speak English.”
2. CEP’s Pedagogy Motivates Japanese Students
Following the program of instruction in CEP, Japanese
students should be motivated to actively seek out opportunities to communicate
confidently with non-Japanese. The
CEP curriculum strives to re-motivate students who associate English with the
unpleasant classroom atmosphere and grammar-based testing experiences of their
Junior and Senior High School days.
Classroom techniques, administered by professional, caring language
instructors, create a positive classroom atmosphere. Methods aimed at helping students gain self-confidence are
emphasized.
3. CEP is Based on Reliable Language Teaching Practices
CEP utilizes effective language teaching practices that draw
from the latest developments in Second Language Education research. To those ends, CEP Instructors are
encouraged to attend language teacher conferences as a form of continuing
professional development. The goal
is to maintain skilled teachers that can help students raise their overall
language proficiency. In addition,
learners in CEP also receive training in study skills such as regular
attendance, active classroom participation, asking questions in class and
completing homework assignments on time.
4. CEP Provides a Healthy Environment
CEP provides an environment where students and instructors
alike receive the resources for success.
Students are given the chance to excel through intensive language study,
and are regularly observed and encouraged in class. Because CEP is staffed by instructors who may change every
few years, considerable attention needs to be given to their working
conditions. For years, many
colleges in Japan have opted for a system of hiring cheaper, temporary
instructors on a contractual basis.
Often these schools have little in the way of expectations for these
teachers than their filling their teaching posts for the prescribed period of
time. In CEP, we understand that
term-limit work can be very demotivating for teachers unless they are working
towards certain professional goals.
Recognizing the damaging effect that teacher demotivation could have on
the success of the entire program, instructors are hired who see CEP as a step
in their career development; these teachers are also given time for research
and rest in order to avoid stagnation on one end and burnout on the other. The hope is that instructors will find
permanent positions on the tertiary level upon finishing their contract period.
5. CEP Upholds Clear Academic Standards
Fair and achievable academic standards are decided by the
CEP Steering Committee for the learners, based upon their levels of language
proficiency. Special exceptions to
these standards are considered extraordinary, because a standard, which is
created and then regularly compromised, is in fact no standard at all. This effectively demotivates both
students and teachers alike. An
aim in CEP is to maintain secure and lasting criteria for the students to
achieve. The result is an
increased level of stability in program and greater effort on the part of the
students.
CEP instructors and students are given these goals at the
beginning of the first semester, and are encouraged to internalize them over
the space of the academic year. In
the days ahead, the CEP Steering Committee will form concrete tasks that will
work towards the further realization of each of these goals. The power of having clearly defined
objectives lies in the fact that any innovations proposed are measured against
the existing vision of the program.
They have been, in effect, the first major step in forming CEP’s
identity and focus.
Methodology and Materials
CEP relies on the following to facilitate improved language
learning: Placement of students
according to their level of language proficiency, materials to complement the
goals of CEP, and a system of cyclical instruction and testing.
Placement Test
In the first semester of the academic year, all first year
students (and students who failed CEP in the previous year) are given a
standardized placement test measuring the students’ level of general language
proficiency (Turner, et al., 1997).
Based on their scores, students are placed in a class
roughly at the same proficiency level as 20 other students. The levels range from “A” through “F”,
with the “A” class being the most challenging level, and the “F” class being
the most basic level. These levels
have nothing to do with the students’ grade. An “F” level student does not automatically get an “F” for a
grade. The more challenging levels
are not viewed as better than the more basic classes. Different levels in CEP simply allow students to study in a
class that is not too easy or too difficult. In this way, it is believed that motivated students will
feel less inhibited in class, knowing they are with students who are their
equals in language proficiency.
The placement makes classes easier for the CEP Instructors to teach, and
students appear to learn more quickly.
Learners in CEP can move to more challenging or more basic classes later
in the school year based upon their progress.
Materials
New Interchange: English for International Communication (NIC)
– the Student’s Book as well the Video Activity Book (Richards, et al 1997) are
used the base texts for the homework, listening and speaking activities.
However, the Atlas 2 Video (Wholey, 1996) materials are used for the higher
proficiency levels – as upper level video materials are not yet available in
the NIC series. NIC is used
because its underlying philosophy is consistent with the objectives of CEP, and
because it lends itself to the facilitation of “meaningful conversation” and is
not limited to any one country, region or culture” (1997, iii). Other texts and
teaching materials that deal with Japan-specific/international issues are also
used to further complement the goals of the CEP curriculum.
CEP Class Cycles
The
CEP Cycles are at the heart of the program’s methodology, and are similar in
function to the class cycles employed in language study programs found in
England, Canada, and the US, among others. These three-week lesson cycles were designed to meet the
needs of our students and achieve many of the goals of CEP. The cycles are repeated four times
during the first semester (called CEP 1 for first year students and CEP 3 for
upper level students) and four times during second semester (called CEP 2 for
first year students and CEP 4 for upper-level students). During a cycle for first year CEP 1 and
2, students complete two chapters from the core textbook and are exposed to
Japan-specific issues. For CEP 3
and 4 (C and D levels), the same objectives are accomplished with Interchange 3
and the limited use of other texts, which may be used to teach presentation
skills or debate. CEP 3 & 4 (A
and B levels) uses the most advanced texts, Passages One and Passages Two
(Richards and Sandy, 1999).
After two weeks, all students are given listening and speaking
tests. The students are tested
every week during the first two weeks of the cycle in the reading course. The whole process, if maintained, is
systematic, semi-intensive and academically sound. A sample of a typical cycle can be seen in Figure 1.
Regular Instruction and Testing
During the 2000-2001 academic year, a battery of three
surveys was administered in the beginning, middle and end of the year to
discover the interests and language learning needs of the students (Hadley,
2001). Based upon those results,
the regular instruction of CEP was developed with the needs of the students in
mind. Instruction in CEP centers
on oral and listening skills that utilize video. Regular homework assignments keep students on-task,
extrinsically motivated, and prepared for each day’s lesson. Students are constantly exposed to new
ideas and vocabulary through graded reading.
There are two types of classes in CEP: A class which focuses mainly on
Speaking and Listening class, and another focusing on Reading and study
skills. Each class is run
differently, but all are based on the concepts of regular attendance and a
system for encouraging in-class participation.
Speaking/Listening Class (50 Minutes/Four Days a Week)
When the class begins, the student receives a participation
point for coming to class on time.
The students’ homework is checked to see if it is has been finished
before class. Students who
brazenly complete their homework in the classroom minutes before the start of
class do not receive credit.
The homework comes from the pre-task activities of the
student book. It is designed to
help students develop the proper foundational knowledge and vocabulary needed
to speak with others and to understand the focus of the lesson. During in-class speaking activities,
instructors go around the class and award participation points to students who
are speaking or who are asking questions in English. After 45 minutes, class instruction will finish. The next homework task is assigned, the
participation points are collected and students leave the class quickly,
because another group will be waiting outside to take their CEP class. The reason behind this is to cause
students to do as much of the preparatory work for language study outside of
class, so that when they do come to class, the students are putting into
practice what they have studied.
This allows the instructors to work with the students proactively and
maximize class time for language use instead of language study.
Reading Class (90 minutes/One Day a Week)
On the first day of the reading class, students take a short
placement test designed by the makers of the Science Research Associates (SRA)
Developmental Reading Laboratory (Parker, 1987). This is followed by an orientation session to introduce the
students to the methodology of the materials. After that, class often begins with a short reading quiz
from their readings in New Interchange. Following that, the students begin
working in the reading lab, where they assessed weekly by the classroom
teacher.
The basic process in the reading class is simple. Students choose from a wide variety of
small booklets to read in class.
At the end of each booklet are questions about the reading. Students write their answers in their
student record book. Afterwards,
the students find the answer key and check their answers. Finally, students record their scores
on a Progress Chart in the back of the Student Record Book. The teacher also checks their progress
every two weeks. When they
improve, the teacher asks them to go to a more challenging level of reading. Over the year, students can see how
much they have improved. Students
feel encouraged and motivated after seeing their progress in CEP.
Attendance and Participation
Regular attendance and participation are vital in CEP. Students are expected to come to every
class on time, and when they do so, they receive one participation point to
encourage punctuality. Students
who have more than 20% unexcused absences cannot pass CEP without taking an
Intensive Course. Students with
more than 30% absences will fail the class.
CEP uses a point system for participation. Every time a student asks questions in
English, participates in class activities in English, or answers questions that
the Instructor asks the class, the student will receive points in the form of
coins. White coins are worth one
point, blue coins are worth two points, and red coins are worth three
points. Students can receive up to
five points per class. Because
some students may switch off, or try to manipulate the system by not participating
after getting a certain level of points, instructors are free to take points
away. However, they are instructed
to do this sparingly, as it can demotivate some students who have unresolved
emotional and academic issues in their lives.
Students bring their participation points to the instructor
at the end of each class, who records how many points they have earned that
day. Students who have come to
class late but have absolutely no points (including the one point awarded only
to students who came to class on time) are counted as absent. This is to insure that students who
come to class remain active and participate. It is firmly believed in CEP that language study stands
somewhere between academic subjects requiring cognitive skills (e.g. Cultural Studies)
and those that require physical skills (e.g. Physical Education). We believe that no student, no matter
how gifted, can learn a language studying one day a week for 90 minutes. Like sports, s/he must practice at
short intervals on a regular basis.
Even a few absences will severely affect one’s performance. It is for this reason that students are
not allowed simply to come to class and sleep. CEP is committed to providing students with a quality
language education, so students who attend must use their minds and participate
in class.
The system of attendance and participation has its critics,
who accuse the method of merits and demerits is Pavlovian or Behaviorist in
nature. However, this methodology
works in modifying the passive behavior that many students have employed in
previous language courses. It is a
means for students to see in a concrete manner that their attendance and
participation are rewarded, and that their actions visibly count towards their
grades. It should be mentioned that
the participation points system is not used in the CEP 3 and 4 classes. By this time, students are older, more
mature, and usually able to participate in class on their own without extrinsic
rewards. However, the low
tolerance for absences is strictly upheld in all CEP Classes
Tests
Students take listening and speaking tests every three
weeks. Listening tests, which are
based on the video and other class materials, differ little from those found in
classes worldwide. The speaking
test, however, is unique to CEP, and requires some explanation.
On
the day of the speaking test, groups of three students are chosen at
random. They enter the testing
room and sit at a small table. One
of the evaluators chooses one test question at random from a set of test
questions, which have been written on cards and placed face down on the
table. Without showing the card to
the students, the students must discuss this question in English with each
other for about three minutes. The
CEP Instructors and Evaluator will listen and will give each student a
grade. The students’ score is an
average of all three teachers’ grades (see Figure 2). In this way, the speaking test is fairer for the
students. After the three minutes
are up, the students are asked to stop.
A new group of students will be called to the room, and the process
continues until all the students have been tested. It usually takes two days to test about 130 students.
Grades
Students’ grades are figured from tests, homework,
participation and in-class assessment from the SRA class. The scores are tabulated using a large
database file (affectionately known as the Super Giant Monster File, or SGM
File). Because of the goal to
maintain a good atmosphere and to give students as much personal attention as
possible, it is necessary for CEP Teachers to keep their data updated on a
weekly basis. In this way, instructors know almost immediately the progress of
all the learners, and can work with those who are having difficulties before it
is too late (see Figure 3). An
appealing aspect of the grading scheme is that everything is
interconnected. Students who
attend regularly and excel in one area tend to well in other areas also. Students who, for example do not
participate in class will see a ripple effect throughout their grade, as
homework, speaking and listening tests are affected by the students’ work in
class.
Summer/Winter
Intensive Course
This is a special intensive course lasting for one school
week after the first and second semester.
It is open to motivated students wanting further English study, but it
is mainly intended for students who are on the borderline of failing CEP, and
are in need of more practice. The
materials used in the Intensive Course are known as the Talk Tools (Junge,
2000). A video orientation for
teachers is held a week before the Intensive Course so that teachers can
understand how to use the materials.
A similar orientation is used with the students on the first day of the
Intensive Course.
The following CEP students can or must attend the Intensive
Course:
Students who have passed CEP
with a score of 60% or above, and who want to study English in a more relaxed
atmosphere.
Students who had over 20%
unexcused absences (but no more than 30%).
Students who had a total
grade of 59% to 50%.
Students with grades lower than 50% or more than 30%
unexcused absences (approximately equal to one month of absences) cannot take
the Intensive Course. They will
receive an “F”, cannot move to the next level of CEP, and must start again next
year. Students taking the
Intensive Course for credit must pass a speaking test at the end of the
week. Upon passing the test,
students receive 60% that semester’s CEP class. Those who fail the test receive an “F” and cannot continue
to the next level of CEP until they pass the class next year.
Investigating the Effectiveness of CEP
It can be seen that CEP requires a high level of commitment,
both for students and for teachers alike.
In the past two years of its existence, the majority of the students
participating in CEP have demonstrated a high level of attendance, participated
regularly in class, and some have continued their language study in the
overseas programs offered at NUIS.
Regardless of the country, they find ample opportunities to use
International English with non-Japanese speakers of English.
Despite the hard work and thought that has gone into this
program, the bottom line question is – are the students learning anything? Has their English language proficiency
improved? Are they able to
communicate with non-Japanese on issues that are of interest to them? In a search for possible answers to
these questions, a two-year study was conducted using both statistical and
ethnographic research methodologies.
Statistical Research
The purpose of this study was to investigate the question of
whether the language proficiency level of CEP students had significantly
improved over a two-semester period of semi-intensive study.
Method
The study was conducted by comparing the paired means of
students in CEP 2 on a measure of language proficiency. The students who participated in first
year of CEP (CEP 1 and 2) were chosen because if there was any difference in
the level of language proficiency, it was expected to happen with learners in
these classes. Other reasons were
that a majority of the time and effort into instruction and curriculum building
went into these courses. Learners
spend significantly more time in CEP 1 and 2 than the other CEP courses (135
hours of instruction in the lower levels, as opposed to 90 hours of instruction
in the higher levels).
Subjects
In the 2000-2001 pilot study (n = 118) included all of the
students in CEP 2. This study was
replicated in the 2001-2002 academic year, again using the students of CEP 2 (n
= 113) for this research. In both
studies (n = 231), the students seem to be similarly distributed in terms of
language background, sex and academic status (Table 1).
|
Language
Distribution, Sex and Academic Status of Subjects |
||||
|
|
CEP 2 Students (2000-2001) |
CEP 2 Students (2001-2002) |
||
|
Language |
Japanese
(100%) |
|||
|
Sex |
47% |
Female
53% |
Male
53% |
Female
47% |
|
Academic Status |
Undergraduate
1st year students |
Undergraduate 1st year students |
||
Materials
The students were separated into six groups based on their
proficiency scores from a criterion-referenced placement test, which was
developed specifically for use with the New Interchange teaching materials
(Turner et al, 1997). The
placement test consists of 70 multiple-choice items measuring listening,
reading and grammatical knowledge.
It seems to be a valid measure of proficiency because of its consistent
success in placing students of similar levels, and its high reliability
coefficients using test-retest (r
= .75 and r = .79, respectively).
Procedures
In both the pilot study and the second experiment, the
learners took the pretest during the first week of April 2000 and 2001. The posttest was administered in the
second week of January 2001 for the pilot study, and the first week of December
2001 for the second group. During
the pretest, all students took the test in a large lecture hall designed for
the testing of large groups.
During the posttest, students were reshuffled into different groups, and
took the test in a smaller lecture room.
Administration of the test was identical in both tests, with the
listening section given first, followed by reading, and then by grammatical
knowledge. Students were given 15
minutes to complete the listening section, 20 minutes for the reading section
and 15 minutes to complete the grammatical knowledge section, for a total of 50
minutes of testing time. The tests
were graded and then double-checked by the CEP Coordinator and
Instructors. The results for the
listening, reading and grammar section were then entered into an Excel
spreadsheet and tabulated by computer to avoid potential human error in
figuring the scores of so many tests.
The pretest scores of any students who dropped out of the course or who
were absent from the posttest were excluded from the data analysis.
Analysis
The results were examined using a parametric matched t-test,
which studied the two means of the pretest and the posttest. It was hoped that one academic year of
semi-intensive study would result in an improvement of an average of up to 10
points on the mean score of the posttests. Consequently, the null hypothesis no difference between the
means of the group during the pretest and posttest was adopted, and the level
of significance was established at a
< .05, one directional.
Results
The
descriptive statistics for both the pilot study and the second experiment (see
Table 2 and Table 3) show that, in both cases, there was a significant
difference in the mean performance of the students from the time they entered
CEP (Pretest) to the time the finished their first year of study
(Posttest). In both cases, the
differences are all important at below the .05 level of probability that the
differences in the means are by coincidence. It is safe to reject the null hypothesis of no statistical
difference between the two means in both experiments. The results are not only statistically significant, but the
average mean of learners in the posttest increased by six to seven points. Although this did not meet our
ambitious expectations of an average of 10 points of improvement, the increase
was nonetheless very encouraging.
Discussion
This research suggests that students’ language proficiency
may be generally improving as a result of their studies in CEP. This claim can be backed up by the fact
CEP is an EFL program in a monolingual environment (Japanese), situated in an
area of Japan were there are relatively few foreigners. The main, if not only, source of
repeated second language study and exposure, comes from the learners’
participation in CEP. It should be
noted that CEP 1 and 2 provides only 4.5 hours of class 
instruction
for approximately 30 weeks (135 hours in total), so an increase in the
students’ means of even six or seven points under these conditions is
significant. Those who have taught
in language education at Japanese schools adhering to a traditional curriculum
of one 90 minute class per week know that it is common for the students’ level
of language proficiency decrease after a year of study. With that situation sadly being the
norm in many schools, the fact that the student scores in CEP are improving is
a hopeful sign.
Nevertheless, even though this study suggests that the
majority of learners in CEP may have improved because of the structured
guidance and classroom instruction provided, it does not prove that the
learners are able to effectively communicate with non-Japanese speakers of
English. To explore that question,
another method of inquiry is needed.
Ethnographic Study
In order to find out whether CEP instruction may have a
positive influence on the students’ proficiency in communicating with
non-Japanese, an ethnographic study was conducted with CEP students who went
overseas for five weeks in the Department of Information Culture’s American
Studies Program.
Method
The first author of this paper accompanied the subjects (n =
17) to the United States and spent nearly three weeks observing them and their
behavior as they lived and studied at Northwest Missouri State University
(NWMSU) in Maryville, Missouri.
Subjects
Of the seventeen students who participated in the summer
study program at NWMSU, thirteen studied in either CEP 1-2 or CEP 3-4. The majority of the students were
female second-year students, though the two male students, who were second year
students and also participated in CEP 1-2, were very representative of the male
students taught in CEP in terms of academic proficiency (Table 4). A significant number of students who
participated in the overseas program came from the lower proficiency levels of
CEP (2 D, 2E and 2F).
|
Percentage
of CEP Students |
Sex |
Academic
Level |
|||
CEP
|
Non-CEP
24% |
Male
18% |
Female
82% |
2nd
Yr 70% |
3rd/4th
Yr 30% |
Procedures and Analysis
Field observation of the subjects’ interaction with
non-Japanese was conducted in-class, on campus, in restaurants, with native
speakers in the community and while on cultural tours to cities near NWMSU. Note taking and videotape were the main
methods of data collection. A
survey was administered to the learners about their perceived level of
interaction with non-Japanese speakers of English during their stay
overseas. Fifteen of the seventeen
learners responded to the survey.
Teachers and facilitators who worked with the students were also
interviewed to gather their insight on the proficiency of the CEP students.
Results
What
was discovered from the video footage and field observations was that the
students were uninhibited when approaching and communicating with people in
restaurants, students on campus and with service personnel in shops and in
museums. The students actively
introduced themselves to people with whom they were staying for home visits,
and quickly adopted other culturally accepted non-verbal modes of communication
common in the rural Midwest, but uncommon in everyday Japanese conversation
(i.e. physical contact such as touching and hugging).
Students who had not participated in CEP appeared to have
greater difficulty in the beginning with communicating with others, but soon
caught up with their peers. In
some cases, the CEP students helped these classmates out until they could
function on their own.
Interviews with teachers and administrators revealed that,
based upon their experiences with past Japanese students, their expectations
for the students coming from NUIS were low. Many admitted they were expecting a group of shy,
introverted students who would not speak in class. However, all were surprised with the active, outgoing group
dynamic of the students. The
students were, in most cases, spontaneous in communicating their wants and
needs (Hadley, 2001).
In one incident, a student experiencing a severe case of
homesickness called one of the teachers at NWMSU at home on the telephone in
English in order to get help and counseling. Her ability to successfully communicate in English during a
time of stress and get help was only one of several examples of how students
who had finished CEP instruction appeared to overcome passivity and engage in
successful communication with non-Japanese speakers of English.
The students’ response on the survey showed that a vast
majority felt they had interacted with native speakers of English, made friends
with non-Japanese, and experienced many opportunities to engage in
cross-cultural communication (see Appendix).
Discussion
The ethnographic study suggests that constant interaction
with native English speakers, together with regular speaking and listening
tests in CEP may be helping some of its students with gaining the confidence
needed to interact with others in an English-speaking environment. For those teachers who personally know
the students who went overseas, and remember what they were like as EFL
students a year earlier as they entered CEP, the video footage provides
compelling evidence that the effort put into this program may be paying rich
education dividends for many of its participants.
The Future of CEP: Important Factors to Consider
The early signs from CEP lead us to believe that promising
developments are taking place.
However, can the innovations started through CEP survive in the days
ahead?
In his research on language curriculum innovations and
reforms, White (1995) notes that several dynamics must be considered for an
innovative curriculum to survive.
These are external support for reforms, internal support for reforms,
the clarity of the innovation, and resources and incentives for participating
in reform. Curriculum designers
will ignore these at their peril, because if other cultural and political
spheres of influence perceive the English Language Teaching (ELT) innovations
as disruptive to their agendas, the reforms will be resisted, abolished, or
severely curtailed to fit within existing norms (Figure 5). The remainder of this paper will
reflect upon these factors as they apply to CEP’s present development.
External Support for CEP
External support refers to the backing that given by
organizations that are isolated from the regular operation and scope of CEP,
but who are nevertheless vital for the program’s long-term survival. This would include to many of the
institutions mentioned in Figure 5, specifically, corporations and businesses
that hire NUIS graduates, political and educational organizations that define
the guidelines and bring in extra sources of funding for the university, and
the families of students living in the region who support the school.
At present, external support for CEP is decidedly
mixed. Ministry officials,
politicians and business leaders have been calling for years for the creation
of programs like CEP, in order to produce a creative workforce that is
globally-minded and fluent in English (Tanaka 1996, Daily Yomiuri, 1996). Numerous studies, however, continue to
reveal that most college graduates will not need English in their daily work or
lives. Even in Tokyo’s
multinational companies, English, when it is used, is mostly conducted through
e-mail, faxes or letters (Kirkwold et al., 1995). Hadley (1997) explored the sociolinguistic domains of the
English language in Japan, and found that English is only significant in the
domain of Education. Outside this
domain, Japan remains a firmly monolingual society. These and other findings suggest that the actual external
support for the goals of CEP is not strong.
However, while the real external societal support for CEP’s
goals may be muted, support for the results that CEP seeks to bring about in
the learners is far stronger. Many
students who successfully finish CEP are more active, expressive and
communicative than when they entered the program. In our private conversations with business leaders and
members of the local community, these are qualities that many in society would
like to see more of in today’s graduates, many of whom are described as “dyeing
their hair yellow, wearing rings in their noses and crying into Kirins on the
fringes of society” (Roche, 1999, p. 23).
Quite often, personnel managers have shared with us that the
English language proficiency level of students working in Niigata is
unimportant. What is important, we
are told, is whether the students are outgoing, have a positive attitude, and
are able to communicate with others.
CEP strives to teach these things though the medium of English.
It appears that this message is slowly getting out, as we
are seeing more students who are coming to NUIS with the stated goal of studying
in CEP. However, in order for CEP
to garner greater external support, the benefits of the program for the outside
community needs to be targeted and marketed regularly on number of social and
political levels.
Internal Support for CEP
Support within NUIS for CEP is currently very strong. This is evidenced by the level of
financial support given for the procurement of educational materials and for
the recruitment of quality instructors.
CEP is given considerable attention in NUIS public relations campaigns
and receives a large time slot in Department of Information Culture’s class
schedule. The internal debate that
surrounds CEP is not over whether it should exist, but why the program cannot
be expanded to include students from both departments of NUIS. The paradigm for CEP at
NUIS seems to be that it is a vital part of the curriculum, and that in
principle, it should continue.
Support for this comes from influential members in all sectors of the
university. However, internal
support often depends greatly upon the interwoven professional relations that
exist in highly politicized academic environments. Things can change, and quickly, depending on the shifting
sands of political expediency in academic and administrative circles. The internal support that CEP currently
enjoys must constantly be maintained in order for the program to survive and
thrive in the future.
Clarity of the Innovation
Innovative new curricula find greater acceptance if their
goals are clearly defined.
Students and teachers alike should be able to explain what CEP is, whom
the program is for, and why it is being carried out (White 1995, p. 144). Unfortunately, the goals of CEP still
fall short of this ideal. Key
concepts, such as International English, motivating, and clear
academic standards have yet to be clearly defined. The goals as they stand also lack
concrete tasks designed to realize these goals. More work is needed within the CEP Steering Committee to
stimulate progress towards the development such tasks, and greater effort will
be needed on the part of the Coordinator and Instructors to communicate these
goals to the students. Otherwise,
the stated goals of CEP will devolve into a bureaucratic artifact that lacks any
real power for change.
Resources and Incentives
CEP has ample resources and incentives to encourage the
future success of the program.
Time and money has been dedicated to hiring and training expert
instructors, who in turn maintain the CEP curriculum as it was designed. Although on short-term contracts, the
instructors have full access and input into continuing curriculum
development. They can participate
and offer their insights at departmental level planning meetings, and are
invited to most important faculty functions where internal support for CEP can
be strengthened. Students receive
a quality language education that can motivate them to strive to do their best
in life. The language instruction
opens up new worlds of knowledge and opportunity for the students who
persevere. Incentives for could be
improved by taking away the term-limit nature of the Instructors’ contracts,
and by allowing for the possibility of yearly renewals based upon their
continued good performance. In
terms of time resources, students would benefit from setting up afternoon
classes in CEP 3 and 4 so they would not conflict with other required courses
that meet at the same time. Such
moves would allow CEP to keep quality instructors longer, and allow more
students to continue taking upper levels of CEP after the first year. Nevertheless, it seems
certain that the issue of resources and incentives is the strongest plank in
the system of support for insuring CEP’s survival in the days ahead.
Conclusion
This paper has sought to explain the goals, materials and
methodology used to create the Communicative English Program. While a considerable amount of time and
effort goes in to maintaining CEP, statistical and ethnographic research
suggests that CEP is succeeding as a language program. In order for CEP to survive, however,
more work will be needed to gather greater external support, while at the same
time maintaining the high level of internal support for CEP. More thought will be needed to better
define and realize the goals of CEP.
This will be possible because the rewards and incentives given to those
who participate in the program will continue to draw top-notch educators. These teachers, together with their
learners, will provide the impetus needed for the future success of CEP.
If these factors can be achieved, then we believe that the
encouraging developments seen in the Communicative English Program are a sign
of things to come. As we seek to
create an effective, innovative English language program at Niigata University
of International and Information Studies, we can look forward to becoming a
showcase to other Japanese colleges and universities as to what is possible
when educators work together in a spirit of cooperation and international
understanding.
Appendix: Survey Results of CEP Students Overseas
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