Expert Insights

All blogs
Case Studies
Extensive Reading
Teaching Secondary University Learners
Teaching Young Learners
Visualizing the Outcomes

6 tips for Extensive Reading for Summer Holidays

June 23, 2022

read more
Case Study: Meeting and Teleconferencing Program

November 30, 2020

Course Background

The engineers at the company encounter many situations where they need to explain their products and present technical information (i.e., technical presentations). This includes describing the progress of the development of new products as part of projects that cater to the needs of customers when their fellow colleagues and global executives come to Japan. They are not only required to give presentations that convey information but are also expected to improve on a wide variety of meeting skills ranging from describing the progress of projects, handling requests, to answering questions posed by executives.
read more
Case Study: International Networking Program

November 20, 2020

Purpose of the course

The importance of using on-site networking skills in English has increased over the past few years. Results from surveys held in the previous fiscal year show that demand is quite high. In particular, this course was created so that companies can communicate and work together with teams overseas, and continue to build and improve relationships while expanding their own networks which will allow for work to become more efficient.

read more
Leadership Training Introduction Case Study

November 16, 2020

read more
Case Study: Welcome to workforce new recruits program @Skyworks Filter Solutions Japan

November 16, 2020

Course Background

The goal of this training was for employees to acquire the fundamental English communication skills needed for essential and effective relationship building in business, using a global mindset. The onsite supervisor of the assigned department stated a desire for employees to understand the way of communicating their opinions to others clearly, points to have meetings efficiently, and to learn differences in perception which occur in interaction with individuals overseas, as well as the importance of a sense of response speed in communication with people from overseas such as the U.S. and Singapore.

read more
Build active engagement with Contemporary Topics Online Classes

September 4, 2020

Content-based instruction (CBI) is a great way to increase student engagement and motivation as it allows acquiring language while learning content. In this article, Michael Rost, series editor of Contemporary Topics, explains how to utilize CBI and how to build active engagement with Contemporary Topics Online Classes
read more
5 Tips for Teaching Impact Issues Online

May 15, 2020
Online teaching can present challenges for teachers, particularly if we feel we have to create a class quickly, or in an emergency. This posting offers five concrete tips for creating a successful online language learning class:
These tips are referenced to the use of the Impact Issues series, though the advice can be adapted to other content.
read more
3 Tips for Teaching English Firsthand Online

May 15, 2020
As we move to online teaching, we may feel conflicted. We may believe that we are going to need to simplify our classes to such an extent that the students will quickly become demotivated. While there are challenges to creating motivating classes in all contexts, there are some concrete steps we can follow to make our online classes engaging and communicative. This posting offers 3 broad tips:
These tips are referenced to the use of the English Firsthand series, though the advice can be adapted to other content.
read more
Case Study: International Communication Skill Program @Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University

November 21, 2019

In October 2019, two different training programs, “International Networking” and “Project Management” were held at the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University (OIST).
read more
Top 5 tips for successfully teaching extensive reading to Secondary to college students

June 17, 2019

Extensive reading is becoming more popular in Japanese ELT industry – thanks to the growing evidence that shows benefits and necessity of extensive reading, reported in numerous publications and academic conferences. Nowadays extensive reading program (ERP) as part of the curriculum is not only offered in private schools, but also it’s being implemented in more public schools.
read more
3 teaching tips that encourage Japanese students to speak up

February 26, 2019

In the EFL classroom, it is essential to provide students with opportunities for authentic communication. What is authentic communication? It’s about asking questions that you really want to ask and saying what you really want to say, rather than memorization or role-plays. How can we, in the classroom context, create situations where students naturally feel like saying something or asking questions and enjoy conversing?
read more
5 speaking activities perfect for your first day with a new primary class

January 29, 2019

The new school year is about to start, and for many of us that means new classes with new students. The first day will set the tone for the year ahead and it is essential to start off on the right foot.

Your first lesson is a chance for you to get to know your students and show them what you expect of them.

The speaking activities below will help you find out about your students’ interests, level of English, and they also allow students to get to know each other – fostering positive relationships that will get the year off to a good start.
read more