論文・翻訳コンテスト

日本語課題 → 英語訳　吉川 迪

Until now there were was no such curriculum like the one stated above. Unlike the American approach, Japanese universities English classes consist of reading and translating literary works. Except for the English conversation classes, the Japanese curriculum mainly focused on liberal aspects of English. However, recently Japanese universities have begun evaluating students in various ways measuring their global abilities instead of by their grade point average. Not only is English used in language studies and linguistics classes, English has become more and more important in other classes as well.

In order for university students to succeed in more than just research, they should have a deep understanding for the world and they must be able to communicate their ideas internationally. Using American universities as a model, Japan should create an ideal curriculum by 1. ensuring high level classes to attract students from all over the world, 2. using teaching materials that are not lacking in quantity or quality, and 3. making sure that the classroom is a setting where a diverse group of students can comfortably exchange opinions. If universities are conscious of the world around them, then we will not be able to avoid the fact that English will become just as important an element as Japanese is in classes.

As students advance in knowledge and in level it will become necessary to use the most recent essays and papers from around the world, therefore making seminars proceed at a fast pace. In situations where internet is used to communicate with overseas universities, regardless of whether information is being sent or received, there is a necessity for English levels to be reasonably high in order to communicate smoothly.