Japanese students arrive for 'highlight' of their studies

February 13, 2007

The arrival in Armidale last week of a third group of students from Chubu University in Japan illustrates just one aspect of the dynamic relationship between that university and the University of New England.

The group of 18 second-year students from Chubu University (near Nagoya) will be spending the next five months undertaking a specially designed program of study in UNE's English Language Centre. Travelling with them from Japan were three exchange students who, after spending five months at UNE last year, have now returned for the whole of 2007. (Two UNE students are currently at Chubu University studying Japanese, and a third will join them in April.)

The relationship between the two universities also involves the exchange of academic staff: a Senior Lecturer from UNE spent a month at Chubu University last year, and this year will see a two-way exchange of academics.

Professor Tadashi Shiozawa, Chairman of Chubu University's Department of English Language and Culture, said that the university required all its students majoring in English to spend half a year abroad in an English-speaking environment. Professor Shiozawa conducted an extensive selection process, involving visits to several Australian universities, before choosing UNE as the provider of this overseas-study program. He accompanied the first group of students to UNE in 2005, and has returned this year with the third group.

"I like the environment at UNE," he said. "I feel that the students are safe here. Also, the English Language Centre is really committed to the program, and has been able to provide exactly what we require. And the students just love this place; the first group that I accompanied here didn't want to leave."

"For all our students of English, this five-month period of study abroad is the highlight of their degree program," Professor Shiozawa explained. "They choose Chubu University partly because of this requirement."

As well as attending almost 300 hours of language-oriented classes in the English Language Centre, the students (several of whom are pictured here) will be joining UNE undergraduates for lectures and discussions in a linguistics unit called "Cross-cultural Communication Study". "We want them to experience – and contribute to – an English-language academic environment by being part of a regular class," Professor Shiozawa said. "This is difficult for our students, as they arrive at UNE with only limited proficiency in spoken English, but the lecturer – Professor Cliff Goddard – is so good that they learn a great deal. And UNE provides them with a support teacher who prepares them for each of Professor Goddard's classes."

An important part of the students' learning will be a period of "homestay" during the Easter vacation, when they will be billeted with Armidale families to experience Australian family life. (In term time they live in UNE's residential colleges.) They will also go on several informative excursions, including a week-long visit to Sydney at the end of their time in Australia.

"We are really grateful for everything that UNE has done for us," Professor Shiozawa said. "Professor Robin Pollard (UNE's Deputy Vice-Chancellor – Development and International) has given us great support, and the English Language Centre has worked closely with us in making this program really successful.

"And everyone – staff, students, and members of the Armidale community – is very friendly. The students always make a lot of friends here."

THE PHOTOGRAPH displayed here, taken during a welcome function at UNE earlier this week, shows two of the Chubu University students: Ayumi Endo and Mayo Kawaguchi. It expands to include (at left) Naoko Inoue.

Posted by Jim Scanlan at February 13, 2007 05:41 PM