Toyohashi University of Technology, Institute for Global Network Innovation in
Technology Education
News from QC
（Vol. 14 2015/10/27）
Reports
Lectures and Academic Support Lab
Hideaki Yanagisawa, National Institute of Technology, Tokuyama College
Three months have already passed since we arrived at New York. And one and a half months have passed since fall semester started.
In this report, I’d like to talk about lectures that I take and Queens College Academic Support Lab.
Lectures
I currently take Computer Architecture class (CS343/CS744) for credits. I also take Distributed Computing class (CS344/CS715) and Introduction to Web Programing class (CS081) as an observation class. Totally I take three classes, however the ways of teaching are very different.
In Computer Architecture class, lecture slides are uploaded on the website. Students can see the lecture slide before the class.
However, the professor doesn’t use the lecture slide in the class. This probably means, the professor assumes students read the lecture slide before the class. In the class, the professor speaks very fast, and often asks questions to students. (Photo1)
In Distributed Computing class, lecture notes and skeleton programs are uploaded on the website before the class. The professor writes down skeleton programs on the blackboard, then the professor asks questions to students for completing the programs. I think this class also assumes students have read lecture slides before the class. (Photo2)
In Introduction to Web Programing class, the professor uses PowerPoint to explain HTML and CSS. This class is an exercise class.
Students make websites which the professor explains. (Photo3)
Photo1: Computer Architecture
Photo2: Distributed Computing
Photo 3: Introduction to Web Programing
Academic Support Lab
Queens College Academic Support Lab (Kiely Hall 131) gives foreign students language support class. I have attended Conversation class three times so far. In the Conversation class, we debated “remake movie (Death Note)”, “should have gun or not”, etc. It was very good English practice for me.
Academic Support Lab also gives foreign students Reading, Pronunciation and Writing
classe Readi attend Pronu waitin
1. In It arrive New our w starte very c the tr of my
2. E Th progr secon learne readin and a hours begin were the pl the cl high- becau were Iran, Th impre aborti the U
es respectiv ing class nex d Pronunc unciation cla ng list.
T
ntroduction has been thre ed at Queens York. We tu whole training ed in New Y comfortable.
raining I have y English abil
ELI (English L he ELI class ram for peop nd language.
ed four skills ng, writing, li a half months s a day and nning of July distributed to lacement test lass started.
level class, use nationalit
China, Kore and Belarus.
he topic in t ession in my ion and the m United State
vely. I’m g xt week, but I ciation cl ass is popula
Training pro Mio K
ee and a half s College, Ci urned at the h
g in the Unite York City, an In this repor e taken until lity are descri
Learning Inst s at Queens ple who lea As ELI stu s of English,
istening and s s. We studied four days a to the middl o some classe t which was c
Our class, “ had interna ties of stude ea, Taiwan, J
the class wh y mind is de minimum lega es. I remem
going to at won’t be abl lass. Beca ar, I am on
ogram in QC Kobayashi, N
months since ity University halfway poin ed State. Fall nd it is cool rt, the content now and cha ibed.
titute) class s College is
rn English a udents, we h which consis speaking, for d these skills a week from
le of August.
es by the resu conducted be
“5A,” the sec ational diver ents in the c Japan, Colom
ich most lef ebates about al drinking ag mber that I
ttend le to ause the
Rea nex 131
C and chang National In
e we ty of nt of just and ts of ange
the as a have st of r one s six m the . We ult of efore cond rsity class mbia,
ft an t the ge in
felt
diff in E deb opp and Dur way exp diff Als nati peo diff edu
3.
hav Info and
If it is poss ading class a xt report. I re 1 as soon as p
ge of my En nstitute of
ficulty to exp English, and bating at all. H portunities of d short teach
ring the deba ys of educa press their ferent betwee so I thought ional persona ople in the
ferent from ou ucation.
Classes in F Fall semester ve been taki
ormation and d Introduction
Figure 1 Pr
sible, I’m go and Pronunci commend yo possible.
nglish abilit Technology
press logically realized that How many ti f debating in hing experie ates, it becam
ation about own opinio en the United
t it was un alities and m
United State urs because o
Fall semester r has started ing three su d Intelligence n to Algorithm
actice using A
oing to talk iation class ou go to Kiel
ty
y, Anan Co
y my own op t I was not u imes did I ha n my student ences in my me clear to m making stu on are rad d States and
nderstandable mental structu
es were def of the differe
since Augus ubjects, whic e, College W m Problem S
Arduino
about in my y Hall
ollege
pinion used to ave the t-hood y life?
me that udents dically Japan.
e that ures of finitely
nce of
t 27. I ch are Writing,
olving.
Inform of th freshm In the lectur open- labora are a progr labora speak subje Intell Colle write and readin Algor progr progr studen we ha
Al Colle are ea the t speak Colle becau are n essay lot ev readin 4. T
In taking (Acad Friday variou Engli effect
mation and In he compute man, is my co e class, we s re and how -source ele
atory. The nu about 20. W ramming wi atory, it is a k English pra ct for the sa igence, so th ege Writing,
essays about teacher give ng essays e rithm Proble ramming la ramming by t nts attending ave the class
lthough the ege Writing a
asy to unders teaching sty king English ege Writing
use I study th ative English ys of homewo very time, are
ng them.
TiE and ALS n the fall se
g TiE (Teac demic Langu y. In TiE, us methods ish, for examp tively with L
ntelligence, w er science ompulsory su study basic a
to use Ard ectronics pl umber of stud When we stu ith using A a good oppor actically. Coll ame class as e class has sa we have to t computer sc es us much every time.
em Solving nguage for the lecture. Th g the class is
in a big tiered two subje are for freshm stand, I could yles of teac h for teachin is my ch he subject w h speakers. A ork, which w e very interes
emester, we ching in En uage Suppor we have be for manag ple, how to ex LMS (Learni
which is a sub department ubject for a cr algorithms by uino (Fig.1) latform, in dents in the c udy circuits Arduino in rtunity for m
lege Writing Information ame member obtain skill cience in Eng h homework Introduction is about C
beginners he number of s about 130, d classroom.
ects except man, and cont
d learn a lot f chers and t ng. In addit hallenge sub ith students Almost all of we have to re sting, and I en
also have b glish) and A rt Course) ev een learning ging lectures
xpand the lec ing Managem
bject for redit.
y the , an n a
class and the me to
is a and rs. In ls to glish,
k of n to C++
of f the and
for tents from their tion, bject who f the ad a njoy
been ALS very the s in cture ment
Sys skil pres In into imp lect pro imp
5.
mai Eng acti lang We Clu wou mem and very Sec offi bas talk ther acti con clas
Rar jour Fig
stem) includi lls with Pe sentation with
ALS, we onation, linki portant to sp tures. I realiz
nunciation a proving Engli
Effort to imp After fall s inly worked glish convers ivities as foll guage exchan
got to know ub in QC. The
uld like to stu mbers are Am d other two in y nice opp cond activity ice, which is
ement of Stu k with the QC re for help ivity is that nversation opt
ss (evening cl Furthermore, rejob, watchi rnals might im gure 2 Langu
ing Black B echaKucha s h 20 seconds learn abo ing etc. in E peak English
zed it is nec and intonatio ish ability.
prove English emester star
on studying ation ability ows. First on nge partners
each other in ey are studen udy Japanese mericans, one ncluding me ortunity to is talking wit
located in th udent Union C students w ping foreign
I have been tional class a lass) in QC.
, online Engli ng dramas o mprove my E uage Exchang
Board, presen style (5 mi s a slide), and out pronunc English, whic h more fluen cessary to pr on in Englis
h
rted, what I g to improv
are three kin ne is studying shown in F n Japanese C nts in QC, an e. Two of th
e is from Ger are Japanese practice En th staffs in th he LL37 room
building. W working volun n students.
taking an E and a part tim
ish practice s online, and w English ability ge Study
ntation inutes’
d so on.
iation, ch are ntly in ractice sh for
have ve my nds of g with Fig. 2.
Culture d they he five rmany, e. It is nglish.
he peer m, the We can ntarily
Third English me ELI
uch as writing
y!
6. Change of English ability
Let me show my scores of the examinations we have taken so far. The score of TOEIC I took in last April was about 600, and the result of TSST test in ALC Press Inc. was Level 4.
The result of second TSST test I got right after coming to the United States was Level 5. Table 1 shows my placement and final exam scores in ELI.
Table１ ELI Placement & Final Exam score
Placement Final
Aural 62 82
Structure 60 84
Reading CLOZE 50 68
Composition 43 59
Composite 81.75 110.75
7. Summary
In this report, I described the contents of the training in Queens College and the change of my English ability. The results of examinations show that I have improved my English step by step. However, I still have difficulty to listen to details in conversations among native speakers, and also my speaking skill is not enough yet. I will keep up studying, and I hope my English will improve more.
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: [email protected]
