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Classes at Queens CollegeMasanao Yamada, National Institute of Technology, Kushiro College
We arrived in New York at the end of June.
The first impression I got of New York was that
it was hot and lively. The temperature rose toover 85 degrees Fahrenheit (30 degreesCelsius) every day in July and August. It was
hard for me since I came from Hokkaido,where the highest temperature is usually around63 degrees Fahrenheit (17 degrees Celsius) inJune. On the first day in NY, we went to a shopto buy daily necessities. On the way we saw
somehalf-naked

youngpeople

Explanations of Discrete Structure

playingbasketball in a park beside the road. This mademe feel that NY is lively.
Immediately after arriving here, we tookclasses at QC’s English Language Institute(ELI) for six weeks. There were four classes:
two classes for speaking and listening, oneclass for reading, and one class for writing. Inthese classes, the writing class was the hardest
for me. Every week this class required writing
two essays, making sentences that included

Ms. Beth, teacher at the ELI

new vocabulary, and writing a summary andopinion about a newspaper article. I learned adeals with the complexity of algorithms andlot from this class since the teacher would

basics of number theory for cryptography. The

always correct my grammatical errors andteacher employs the old teaching style ofwrong expressions. Every teacher in ELI

handwritingemphasized the importance of reading or

explanation is always clear, I can learn how towatching daily news. While taking the ELI

explain algorithms from him.

onablackboard.

Ashisclasses, there were a lot of news in the world:

The second class that I’m taking is Computer

the presidential election and shooting incidents

Architecture. In this class, we are learningin U.S, a coup d’état at Turkey, a terror inregister

France, and reports on the abdication of thehardware foundations such as the processor, theemperor of Japan. I tried to obtain news via TV

cache, and the main memory. The teacher

and radio programs as much as possible.

frequently asks questions to each student totransfer

language

andrelevant

Since the fall semester, which began at theproceed with the lecture. At first the students

end of August, I’ve been taking five classes.

would look uncomfortable, but after several

The first one is Discrete Structure. This classclasses1

theycametoaskquestionsspontaneously. Since this style seems good for

motivate students to learn, and so on. We are

students to understand the lecture, I would likesharing our experiences and learning with eachto adopt it in my class when I return to Japan.

other.

The third class is Teaching in English. ThisThe forth is ELI’s speaking and listeningclass is held for us by QC faculty members inclass. It’s optional and I paid the expense.

charge of the exchange program. Each week weAlthough the materials of the class are partiallydiscuss a topic concerning teaching. Contrary

the same as those in the summer class, I’m

to the name of the class, the topics areenjoying taking the class. The last class,independent of a specific language. The topics

Academic Language Support Course, hasn’t

we talked about are how students’ priorstarted yet. It starts at the end of September.

knowledge affects the way they learn, how

I’m looking forward to taking it.

students organize their knowledge, what factors

Fall Harvest in Queens College
Akemi Emoto, National Institute of Technology, Fukui College
1. Introduction

motivated to speak. Also, I often saw some

It’s been one month since the fall semesterclassmates who had a child and talked about

started after I had come to New York three

their family in the Speaking class was very

months ago. I try to report the preciousimpressive for me. Teaching method depends

encounter, understanding students from theon the purpose of the class which has 4 kinds:

viewpoint of faculty development and theSpeaking, Writing, Reading and Listening, but

education style in Queens College based on mystudents have to speak in front of every

experience of three months.

classmate and do group working in the class,even in the Writing class.

2. English Learning Institute Class

Personally, I try to keep speaking withDuring the Summer semester, I focused onclassmates after the class to improve the skill,speaking in all day and tried to talk as much as

and discuss about the each other country.

possible. The teachers who work at ELI can

During those days I could make friends at ELI

memorize the students face and name soclass and Summit in summer, and it has beenquickly. Especially they took care about name’s

followed by a relationship of good language

pronunciations. There are clearly expression

partner in the autumn.

about the respect for each person and theeducation policy. The ELI teachers made some3. Class in Fall Semester

actual examples by taken from New Yorkers,

In this semester, I take some classes

then, students could understand and get notincluding observation classes concerned with

only language skill but also culture and themy fields. Students in most of these classes

knowledge of living at the same time. Most of

have to do preparation for each session and

my classmates, whose relatively average age

remark to the question or the discussion withwas young, were South American and Asian

professor and others. They have to speak alsocountry students. I thought that female students

like a duty because participation is written on2the syllabus; however, they are aggressive andsometimes tell jokes with professors to promote
the communication each other. In the questionand debate, students are important to express
their opinion logically; therefore, students who
have individual and diverse situation are justrespected in New York. Actually, in the lecture
dealingwithurbanproblems,

students

described the area of the housing problem
Fig.1 Townscapes around the campus

about living in each student, after that, they
discussed and organized the common issues
from the racial, social and economic aspects. It
was very interesting.
4. Teaching in English
In the class, some professor and we exchange
and discuss the course design and problem inpractice case as faculty development activity.
We talk the common contents such Blackboard,
student’s motivation and the curriculum. It was
discussed and we could see that, in order toFig.2 Conference concerning NYC Rezoning in NYU

ensure that students can understand more
effectively, basic knowledge is learned by

the area has been done flexibly in New York,

students themselves using blackboard and sometherefore, it is one of the attractive researchtool in outside the class, and then the training isenvironments not only for students, but alsodone to extend the thinking ability physically inresearcher who can take advantage of the skills.

the class.
6. Queens
The characteristics of townscape and cultures

5. Academic Activity
I have investigated the case of New Yorkvary from area to area in Queens. Downtown inCity about “Rezoning” by the opportunity of

Flushing has booming culture of Chinese anddiscussing with professor who lectures myKorean, also, Indian has been residing in theobservation class. Recently, rezoning thatarea that is between Kissena Blvd. and Main

associated with the aging of buildings and theStreet to Queens College in recent years. Thechange of community has been promoted incampus

each district. The proposal and discussing ofoverlapping area that Chinese culture at

theFlushingplanbyresidents

have

been

doneofQueensarea,

SouthCollege

locatesAmericansinculture

energetically with consideration for the history

centered at Jamaica district, and Jewish cultureof the district which was intertwined with racial

between them. The diversity of the city whichissues and economic disparity in New York.

is different the boundary of the town is

The case study will be useful for urban design

beneficial for the cultivation of the global

in Japan. In addition, studies of crossing overthinking for students.
37. Summarynation to a lot of people since I came to New

I thought that the relationship with the young

York. While this might be favorable attitude,

friend was good stimulation for me, because it

we need to accept the many people outside

was close to the communication with Kosen

from Japan. Also in order to make international

students. Finally, I was told that we were notcontributions, I reaffirmed the importance ofaccustomed

creating the accustomed environment fortospeaking

EnglishbecauseJapanese didn’t have to speak it in the island

students and instructors.

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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