Changes in the English Language Programs at Tohoku Bunka Gakuen University : I. Needs Analysis and Objectives for the Policy Management Courses

Following evaluation of the first two years of the English courses at Tohoku Bunka Gakuen University, changes have been initiated that have resulted in a fundamental shift in emphasis and content in the curriculum of all three Faculties. This paper introduces the issues facing both students and staff in arriving at a satisfactory curriculum for English in an environment where the learning of English as a Foreign Language begins as a relatively low priority for many students. The basics of curriculum development are briefly reviewed, including summaries of the language learning philosophy driving the English curriculum, and of the process of defining the curriculum aims and objectives informed by needs analyses. A brief outline is given of some of the initial proposals for a new English curriculum in the Faculty of Policy Management, the implementation of which began in April 2001.departmental bulletin pape