ignite
Institute for Global Network Innovation in Technology Education

Toyohashi University of Technology,
Institute for Global Network Innovation in Technology
Education

News from Penang–Looking back over the past year–（Vol.11 2016/3/15）

Takumi Ohnuma, NIT, Numazu College

Yuko Ichikawa, NIT, Tokyo College“I’m going to study English so that I can speakThis global FD program gave me chances to meet

English within two years.” I made up my mind andmany people. The most impressive experience was astarted learning English hard in May 2013. When I

friendship with Nicolas who was one of thefound the application information of this trainingclassmates at ELI. Before we went to New York, I

course, I believed it was arranged for me and applied

could not keep up with the others in teaching lessons

it. Finally I was accepted one year later.

at TUT. In the class, the instructor gave me an advice,My mecca New York City never betrayed my“Be more confident! More passion!” but I could notexpectation; it was miscellaneous, chaotic, dirty, lively

have them enough at that time. In and out of the classand exciting. It was also free and tolerant. I met a lotat ELI, Queens College, Nicolas always encouragedof people there, they helped me and sometimes I

me in conversation in English. After finishing the ELI,helped them. I had a lovely six months in NYC.

we started a seminar and I taught engineering to him

As for me, I devoted myself to NYC so I had notfor two hours every week. He earnestly listened to me

had much expectation for Penang. But it was also aand actively learned about my subject. I realized that

great time. I found that Malaysia has the diversity instudents are the most important motivation for me toPenang which is different from the one in NYC. I

manage a class. After that, I tried to focus my mind ontouched people’s welcome and warmth. I fulfilled thestudents more than teaching. In addition to Nicolas,

mission that I had some lectures in English. In Penang,

many students and faculties at TUT and QC, myI realized that every country has the history and thefriends,

country as it is is as the result of it. It is nothing

encouragement during the program.

special but I expanded my horizon. I might find theandmyfamilygavemealotofIn the last part of the program, the lectures instanswer of the question that we were asked on Apr. 1 ,Malaysia, I understood my strong point and I thought“What is GLOBAL?”

how I contribute to the students who attend my class,

By the way, I think what I can do after go back toand I managed the classes in English with confidence.

Japan. I will keep in touch with not only my partners

I appreciated the importance of interaction withbut professors and students in TUT, Queens College,students in class and I have all the students to thank

USM and faculties of NIT who I never met in myfor my satisfaction with this results. I met many greatschool. I will find something I can do based on mypeople through this journey and have looked into myexperience in this course. Although my English is still

inner self. Now I am feeling that these experiences

terrible, I got a confidence that I can survive with mycultivated my skills in global education.

English. I’m going to keep on studying to improve myEnglish.
Last of all I sincerely appreciate all people whorelated to this Global FD course. Thank you.

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Mio Kobayashi, NIT, Anan College

Tomoki Takezawa, NIT, Maizuru College

It was only one year, but it gave me invaluable

I think that I could reach the starting point ofexperiences in my life. The reason why I applied toglobal education through the faculty development

this FD program was that I wanted to improve myprogram.

English speaking skills as a teacher and researcher.

lectures in English at the Universiti Sains Malaysia

When I learned about the offering for the FD program(USM) and the Politeknik Seberang Perai (PSP) infrom our institute, I had just returned from anMalaysia.

international conference held in Poland, where I could

that I gave these lectures in the end of the FD program

not satisfactorily communicate with people frombecause I could evaluate my skill of the teaching indifferent counties and felt isolated. At that time, I

English accurately.

realized that I had to study English more and wanted

Malaysian students attended my lectures although I

to go abroad to study English. I hadn’t stayed abroad

was not good at English. Before the participation inlonger than one month, so I was excited about joining

the FD program, I didn’t clearly know even which

the FD program when I got the notice which told meskills I should train to give a lecture in English. Butthat I was chosen to be a member and I got thenow, I find those and can improve those by my own

opportunity to study English for a year.

effort.

I was given the opportunity to give

It is the most valuable experience for me

I really appreciate that the many

Although I have to further develop my skills

Honestly, I have focused on studying Englishof the teaching in English if I hope that I give arather than teaching in English during the program. Inhigher-quality lecture, I can begin the teaching inQueens College, I took the subject “College Writing”

English and give a lecture while improving the skills.

for a whole semester and tried to take time talking

I was also given the opportunity to consider

with language partners, instead of observing many

globalization during my stay in United States anddifferent subjects. In the class of TiE, which is theMalaysia.

Of course speaking in English andspecial program for us, I tried talking a lot and asked aproductionin

lot of questions using English.

globalization in essence. Although it is difficult toforeigncountry

don’t

mean

The experience in Queens College made me getteach the essence of the globalization correctly, I

accustomed to setting small goals and trying tobelieve that we have to give students moreachieve them every time. The custom in my mind

opportunities to meet foreign people and to come incontinued during my stay in Malaysia. I madetouch with foreign cultures to learn and consider theobjectives to archive the lecture for training each time.

globalization. It is also valuable experience for me

It was only one year, but it changed my thought

to have met the teachers of other colleges whoand strategy to overcome difficult situations. By

participated in the FD program with a high goal.

setting small goals, I come to enjoy such situations. I

They always motivated me to consider better

believe a pile of these small goals must be reached toeducation for the students in National Institute of

my dreams in the future. I really appreciate all theTechnology (NIT).

people who supported and helped me during the FDattending the FD program with me. I also greatlyprogram.

appreciate the support to the FD program by all

I would like to thank them forteachers and staffs in Toyohashi University ofTechnology (TUT) and NIT.

8Kenji Moriya, NIT Hakodate College

Jongdoc Park, NIT, Oshima College
Before starting my training at NY, I was not sure if

The goal of this program is to improve ourI could have English lectures for two hours. So I usededucational skills in order to let students possess soto collect presentation materials which are useful forcalled the global communication skills. For instance,

my lectures, and I attended an excellent lecture at QC.

teaching in English is one of the methods to achieve

In order that I could explain easily, I adopted

the aim. We have to feed back to our education theexpressions that came out in the TiE class of QC.

knowledge we got from this program, which means

However, the more I study English, frankly speaking,we have to improve our various skills continuously

the walls of the English seems even higher. Thealthough our program will be finished.

important thing is, the English exposure and training

What is the globalization? What are the global

would result to the enhancement of my English

communication skills? Is it to speak English? I

knowledge and skill, to which it would be morestrongly believe that English is just one ofbeneficial in my English lectures.

communication tools although speaking English isThinking back to the past year, I realized thatsignificantly important. To understand and to respect

English proficiency was improved through carrying

mutual personal and cultural background is the mostout lectures and student guidance in English. The

important. If we force our cultural method on

unexpected questions from the students during thesomebody without acceptance of one's culturalclasses and the spontaneous comments on researchbackground, absolutely, we will fail to work together

guidance of Final Project revealed my true knowledge

in global projects. That indicates we are required toand understanding of the English language. The

explain our culture. Can you explain "what is Shinto?",practical training in Malaysia was a great opportunity"Why Japanese people celebrate Christmas?, you areto check my English.

not Christian, right?" (these are actual questions.)

The following are future challenges: First, I want

If we understand each other, our communication

to support foreign students. That’s because they aremust become better. NY city and Malaysia are one ofgood human resources that can be utilized fordiverse and multi cultural cities/nations. Fortunately,international exchange, including the local exchange.

we could learn at such areas. I'd like to feed backSecond, I like to improve the quality of thethese things to my students by various classes, clubinternational exchange program. I am planning toactivities and so on.

provide a highly educational program to more students.

Finally, I'd like to acknowledge to persons

Third, I am going to conduct my technical subjects ininvolved in this program in National Institute ofEnglish. By conducting some of my classes inTechnology,

fundamental English, students who are not good at it

University of Technology, Queens College, Politeknik

will be able to learn and use the English language withSeberang Perai and Universiti Sains Malaysia

ease.

(especially Engineering Campus), and I'm grateful for

Lastly, to all the people who supported meNIT

HakodateCollege,Toyohashi

my wife who has been keeping everything about ourthroughout the global FD program, an endlesshouse during this program.

gratitude to you!

9Hideaki Misawa, NIT, Ube College

Hideaki Yanagisawa, NIT, Tokuyama College

I stayed in New York for 6 months and in Penang

I realized that I did not have a global mindset

for about 2 months in this program. It was the firstthrough the one-year program, Long-Term Faculty

time for me to stay for a long time abroad. I have had

Development Program for nurturing global education

an experience of knowing the differences in lifestyleand research abilities.

and the way of thinking in the different countries. IThe reason why I joined this program was tonoticed that I have the flexibility of being able to live

improve my English skills. I had wanted to giveabroad.

students lectures in English. I thought I was able toThis program offered me the greatest opportunity

give lectures in English by learning how to givefor improving English reading, listening, writing, andlectures in English. As the result, students are able tospeaking in my life. Although I feel the improvement

improve their English skills by taking lectures inof listening to English, I cannot feel the significantEnglish.

improvement of the others. Although this is due to myI concentrated on what I should do to give lectures

lack of effort, this is partly because it takes a long timein English during my stay in Malaysia. Therefore I did

to improve English skills, especially speaking. I neednot try to learn Malaysian Language and culture at all.

to continuously practice speaking English. I think that

However some GFD member tried to learn

one of my roles is to tell my various experiences inMalaysian Language and make a greeting. When I

this program to students.

saw that, I felt that making a greeting in Malaysian

I had not tried to teach my course in English and I

Language is better than in English. I realized thishad not thought that I could do that before thismeant that trying to understand and communicate with

program started. After this program, I managed toeach other was more important than speaking English

clumsily give a lecture in English when I took enoughwell.

time to prepare the lecture. To make my lecture inAs a teacher who is with National Institute ofEnglish effective, I need to improve my teaching skill

Technology, I would like to think about what I should

as well as to increase phrases that I can use in mydo for global human resource development. I wouldlecture. As a participant in this program, I want toalso like to give students lectures in English forcontribute to the expansion of teaching in English instudents to utilize English as a tool.

NIT.

Finally, I would like to express my sincerest thanks

I am going to become a member of the international

to Toyohashi University of Technology, National

office in my college this April. I want to utilize myInstitute of Technology, Tokuyama College, Queens

experiences in this program to support students whoCollege, Politeknik Seberang Perai, Universiti Sains

go to abroad and come to my college from abroad.

Malaysia, and all the other people who supported thisFinally, I would like to thank all of you who haveprogram.

helped me to participate in this program.

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Completion Ceremony of Global Faculty Development Program in TUT-USM Penang

Toyohashi University of Technology
Institute for Global Network Innovation in Technology Education
Center for International Education
1-1, Hibarigaoka, Tempaku-cho, Toyohashi, Aichi, Japan
Tel: +81-532-81-5161
Mail:unireform@office.tut.ac.jp

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