Enhancing International English Skills with the Help of Computer Network

NetAcademy, an online English learning system used in approximately 200 Japanese universities, was introduced to Kyushu University early in the academic year 2003. The system can be made up of various courses depending on the needs and the budget of colleges and universities. The Kyushu University version has a standard listening & reading course, an elementary TOEIC course and a technical writing course. The author adopted the standard course for one class each in the fall semester of 2003 and the spring semester of 2004. The results of a pretest, a posttest and other trial tests, convince us of the excellence of the system in question and the effectiveness of an online English learning system in general. The purpose of the present paper is to claim that an online English learning system like this is suitable to develop international communicative ability. We do not argue, however, that this sort of online English learning system should completely take over the job of human instructors. The ideal state of affairs is that exciting and pleasant English classes organized by human teachers are reinforced by intensive training with the help of computer network