Catching Up

It has been too long since I last had time to write something here; more and more people found out about AESS, so I had more and more work to do(seminars, private tutorials, paper correction, etc).

Here's how AESS contributed to the improvement of Osaka University students and young researchers' English skills in the 2010-2011 school year:

1. over 100 students and professors had their papers, abstracts, presentation slides and scripts revised and corrected by the AESS staff; also at AESS, students came to rehearse their English presentations, and to ask for help in their correspondence with universities and research institutes abroad. I even had to go through a couple of doctor's theses written in English by Osaka University students (Japanese and foreign).

2. the number of students taking my academic English seminar was smaller than expected in the beginning, but it did increase in the second semester (30) as compared to the first (20). We had two beginner groups for the spring semester; those who continued in autumn went up a level, and formed the intermediate group. Also from autumn, I added another beginners' group, and a group for advanced learners, made up of young academic staff.

All in all, it was a good year. A lot of students seem to be too busy with their research to have time for English, which is a sad thing. On the other hand, there are quite a few students who have understood the importance of English in their future career, and are active both in my seminars, and in other extracurricular activities that put them in contact with foreign cultures and languages. Good for them, I say! Keep it up, by all means!