New Approaches to English Language Education for Students of Science and Engineering in Japan
公開研究会『理工系英語教育を考える』論文集

Active Learning of English for Science Students (ALESS)－コースの紹介－
デイビット 1アレン

1 東京大学教養学部付属教養教育高度化機構 ALESS プログラム

E-mail:〒153-8902 東京都目黒区駒場 3-8-1

1dallen@aless.c.u-tokyo.ac.jp

概要
この論文の目的は ALESS プログラム（東京大学教養学部一年生の理工生向け英語コース）について紹介するためのものです。このコースの概要及び主要な要素つまりコースデザイン、コミュニカテイブタスク、インプット、協調活動について簡単に説明します。それに加えて、英語を勉強している日本人理工学生の典型について論評します。そしてプログラム開発とそれについて掲載された研究成果を述べ、課題と解決法を手短に解説します。最後に ALESS プログラムでの教職の経験と貢献を基に、日本の大学や高等専門学校の理工生向けの英語コースについて考えます。

Active Learning of English for Science Students (ALESS)－A personal introduction－David Allen 1
1 ALESS Program, Komaba Organization for Educational Excellence, College of Arts and Sciences, The

University of Tokyo, 3-8-1 Komaba, Meguro-ku, Tokyo 153-8902 Japan
E-mail:1 dallen@aless.c.u-tokyo.ac.jp

Abstract
In this short paper I present a personal introduction to the Active Learning of English for Science Students(ALESS) program. I provide an overview and discuss some of the central elements of the course including the course
design, communicative tasks used, input, cooperation and a note on the stereotype of the Japanese science major learning
English. I then discuss the program development and the published research related to this development. Next, a numberof challenges that we face are outlined and solutions proposed. Finally, the question of whether ‘English courses
designed for science and engineering students in Japan are effective’ is considered based on my experience teaching andcontributing to the development of the ALESS program.

sections I shall discuss some of the challenges

1. Introduction
In this paper I will introduce the Activethat we face in our teaching practices and thoseLearningof(ALESS)

programEnglishScienceStudents

that face Japanese science and engineeringsummarize

whatstudents studying English.

forandIbelieve are the key elements of the course thatdefine it as an effective method of teaching

2. Overview of ALESSEnglish for science and engineering students.

The ALESS program was born out of a noble

The view presented here is largely compatible

aim: to give young Japanese science andwith the official view of the program [1], but

engineering students the best possible English

nevertheless it is my own. In the following

education. This means equipping them with thelanguage skills and knowledge they need toDavid Allen, “Active Learning of English for Science Students (ALESS)：A personal introduction”
公開研究会『理工系英語教育を考える』論文集, pp.,33-38，日本英語教育学会編集委員会編集,早稲田大学情報教育研究所発行, 2012年3月26日.
This proceedings compilation published by the Institute for Digital Enhancement of Cognitive Development, Waseda University.
Copyright © 2010-12 by David Allen.
All rights reserved.

perform in the international arena as leaders incitations

their respective fields. The University of Tokyo

should thus be able to give and make use of

has a very high rate of science students

peer feedback; they should be able to developcontinuing into postgraduate education andhypotheses that can be tested and that are

research (around 80%) and these students willbased on fact, logic and previous research;need to write and present in English in their

they should be able to think critically about

future careers in order to publish, present andbothdevelop international collaborations. Many ofscientific process of research. As these aims

them will spend time abroad as part of thisreveal, the ALESS course is primarily anprocess and by doing so will use and learn

EAP course, but with a focus on science andEnglish in an environment where it is the lingua

engineering topics (such as how blade angle

franca. This will be essential experience for

influences the efficiency of windmills, howthem. The question becomes what do we need towave motion works, the turning behavior of

do now for freshmen science students, many ofinsects and so on) and genres (researchwhom have had little experience with using

papers and research presentations). Most

English in authentic communicative situations,

important is that students develop skills thatand who have no knowledge of English forthey can take with them into their futures;

Academic Purposes (EAP)? This is where thealthough by the end of their degree they may

ALESS

Englishforget the name of their teacher, the topic ofcurriculum as a small, but not insignificant

their ALESS project or the specific contentcomponent.

of the course, they should have developed

program

fits

into

theirandwrite

languageuse

references;

andstudents

aspectsoftheimplicit skills that have become part of their
2.1. Course design

outlook and academic behavior. Throughout

ALESS is a one-semester course taken by all

the course these skills are nurtured in what

first-year science and engineering students at

canthe University of Tokyo. Students researchframework for language education.

best

bedescribedasatask-based

their own topic and conduct a simple science
experiment,

thenusingthedata

2.2. Communicative tasks

andexperience from their research they write a

The most fundamental element of language isformal science research paper and finallythe motivation to communicate. Repetitive

present their findings. The course aims are

drills (“repeat after me…”) may be useful for

documented

will

practicing pronunciation and articulation, butsummarize them here as follows: by the end

they do not form an authentic communicativeof the course students should be able tosituation in which learners have an implicit

recognize the difference between genres andmotivation to convey their ideas to others.

registers and produce appropriate language

One of the greatest difficulties, but also thefor the context (either a written science paper

mostor research presentation); students should beteachers, is to create such situations. The

able to review both each others’ and theirinnovation of ALESS is to allow students toown writing and evaluate it critically inresearch their own scientific topic, either

terms of content, rhetorical organization, use

individually or in a small group, and to talkof vocabulary, grammar, and mechanics; they

and write about their project through theshould be able to research a question, use

successive

elsewhere[1]butI

34

imperativeofduties

forlanguagestages from conceptualization,

planning, experimentation and analysis ofvocabulary related to the scientific process,data. At each stage students write and discuss

reportingtheir work, giving them a personalized andreasons for those results. Instructors alsoauthentic topic of communication. This, inprovide activities to force students to think

my opinion, is one of the greatest assets ofcritically

about

thestudents

research.

In

withinamanage the timing of such input depending

language course design is not without its

on the task objectives (i.e. whether the focus

challenges and I shall return to this at the end

is on accuracy, fluency or complexity).

program.

conduct

However,

theirown

makingexperimentresults,

and

their

givingown

addition,suggestedandothers’instructors

mustof this report.
2.4. Cooperation
Because students have to work together

2.3. Input
input

constantly in classroom activities, we hope toprovided in language courses. Input including

foster a work ethic of cooperation andits content, provider and timing is alsocollaboration as opposed to competition. For

central to task-based syllabus design. Input

students of the University of Tokyo as incan be both in the form of subject-related

other high-ranking institutions, competition

contentor

has certainly helped them to obtain entrance.

formalHowever, in society and in scientific researchregister). It can be provided by the teacher orparticularly, peer feedback and collaboration

by peers (i.e. other students). It can be

is an unavoidable necessity for success.

provided at a stage before, during or after

Through peer review and other cooperative

any task within a task sequence. In ALESS,

in-class activities, students develop skills in

the instructors are not all scientists; therefore

working together to solve problems and in

weofgiving and receiving feedback. This feedback

content-specialization by keeping the level ofincludes focusing on improving language andscience to one which students are currently at

dealing with experiment design issues. It isand allowing them to explore a topic using

important to train learners in peer review andpractical experimentation in order to provideforthe +1 level of knowledge important for

educational DVD which students can accesslearning. In a sense, because the students’via the ALESS website. Feedback forms areresearch topics are so varied, they can teachalso used to assist students in noticing areas

each other aspects of their chosen subject

to be improved. Once students have finishedarea, which keeps the content interesting anddiscussing each other’s work, I always haveat an appropriate level for the students. Oncestudents thank each other; this gesture helps

content input has thus been controlled, it isemphasize the importance of their feedback

the instructors’ duty to provide language

and the nature of cooperation in writing.

Anotherfundamental

(e.g.

the

language-related

circumvent

issue

scientificcontent

theisthemethod)(e.g.

problemthisreason

wehavedeveloped

aninput at the appropriate stages in the course
2.5. But science students are different….

in order to support students in accomplishing
their tasks in English. Such language input

There

includes primarily awareness raising tasks

engineering students of English that portrays

related to genre and register features ofthem as unwilling and unable to learn foreignscientific communication, as well as key

languages. However, like other stereotypes,

35

isastereotype

forscienceandIndividualof which have helped us in selecting appropriate

differences in language learning aptitudetexts and designing materials for teachingcertainly exist, and may relate to working

students how to write research articles inmemory

toEnglish. Future research will look at the impact

discriminate between sounds, for instance.

of peer review upon the revision process andHowever, to use stereotypes for groups ofthe linguistic features of revised texts, which

students by their chosen university major iswill help us to improve teaching and facilitationof little practical validity or utility. I believeof peer review in the language classroom.

thistends

tobecapacity

inaccurate.

ortheability

science and engineering majors are equally
4. Future challenges

capable and willing to learn languages if they
have the motivation to do so. It is a case of

Nevertheless, the ALESS program, like any

providingauthentic

educational endeavor, is not without its issues

communicative situations in which learners

and controversies. In my personal opinion, I

genuinely need and want to communicate inhavethe target language. In this sense, science

experimentstudents are no different from humanities

promotion of authentic communication, it also

students.

considerably adds to the students’ workload.

structuredtasks

andfoundthatin

while

theconducting

courseworks

arealintheMoreover, while writing a full-length paper
about research can be done successfully within

3. Program development
TheALESS

programhasachieveda single semester (as evidenced each term by

many

successes in the resources made available forourstudents, including a writing centre (Komaba

fundamental skills and areas of knowledge

Writers’ Studio), laboratory for experiments

required(ALESS Lab), website, two DVDs teaching

introductory EAP level) can only be covered

aspects of peer review and presentations, avery briefly. This issue is compounded by thetextbook (To be published April 2012 by Tokyofact

that

thestudents’ subsequent

EnglishUniversity Press) and a bi-annual collection ofeducation

is

not

continue

student research papers (ALESS Collection*).

developing the skills and knowledge taught inThesethethe ALESS course. The solution to this is toprogram as a beacon for change in the teaching

increase the length of the course and better still,of English at the University of Tokyo. In

developaddition, research has also been undertaken tostudents through a 4-year course in learning

better understand the genre and register ofEnglish for science and engineering. Only by

English used in science papers. In 2009, Allenknowing what comes before and what comescompared the lexical bundles used in students’after can we really develop a satisfactory

writing with those used in published science

program of English education that will assist

articles finding that in most cases learners’

students in reaching their required (and desired)language was converging appropriately with thelevel of language ability. A second requirementtarget register [2]. In 2011, Allen and Middleton

is that more applied research be conducted into

conducted a genre analysis of Nature’s shortwriting

pedagogy,

research

articles andfoundandteaching

methodology.

structuraldifferences

betweenshortessential if we are to develop internationally

articles and full-length papers [3], the findings

recognized language materials and methods forachievements

haveestablishedrhetoricalthese36students),
at

ait

this

necessitateslevel(i.e.

thatthosespecified

systematictoprogram

learnerThismany
atthatprocesses
isantakesandabsolutely

at:
http://aless.ecc.u-tokyo.ac.jp/references/2011_UT_ALESS_Program.pdf

teaching language to science and engineering
students. Continued research is required if weare really going to understand how best to help

[2] D. Allen, Lexical bundles in learner writing:an analysis of formulaic language in theALESS learner corpus, Komaba Journal of
English Education, Vol.1, pp. 105-127, 2009.

our students achieve a high proficiency inEnglish.
5. Conclusion[3] D. Allen & G. Middleton, Short research
articles as proxy models for research articles:
the effects of brevity on the discourse
structure of introductory sections, Komaba
Journal of English Education, Vol.2, pp.67-94,
2011.

In response to the question of whether English
education that is specifically designed forscience and engineering students in Japan iseffective, it is difficult to answer conclusively.
Firstly, some courses exist that claim to be
designed for science and engineering students
while clearly they are not. For example, for acourse involving nothing other than extensive
reading (of fiction), it is difficult to argue forits validity as a course specifically for scienceand engineering students; clearly at best such acourse is a general English reading course. As I
am not aware of a broad enough range of otherdomestic universities’ courses, it is difficult toargue about the general trend in Japan. However,I am confident that it is possible to develop
effective courses and I have presented one suchcourse here today. I am also aware of talented
anddedicatedteachers

andresearchers

inapplied linguistics and related fields who areworking towards this goal. Therefore, I am
optimistic for the future and believe by holdingmeetings such as this (理 工 生 の 英 語 を 考 え る ),it will be possible to deepen our understandingof the best approaches to developing ultimately
effective language courses for science andengineering students.
*The ALESS Collection can be obtained bycontacting

theALESS

mainoffice(see

http://aless.ecc.u-tokyo.ac.jp).

文

献[1] ALESS Program Brochure, (2011), Available

37