What Is CALL?
   CALL (Computer-Assisted Language Learning) or CAI (Computer Assisted Instruction) is one of the best ways to learn foreign languages.  Ito's CALL English courses are designed to provide students with thorough instruction in all areas of the English language.  They aim to improve both your communication and comprehension skills in order for you to become proficient users of the English language.  A CALL room or language laboratory provides students in specialized courses with the opportunity for individualized aural/oral instruction and practice.  The IPU Media Center B has at present four computer laboratories for learning foreign languages, utilizing a variety of approaches and materials.  These include materials written by the teachers to enhance reading, writing, vocabulary and grammatical skills. Computer aided language learning is integrated within the teaching programme and there are also opportunities for students to use the facilities on a self-access basis.

  These courses offer extensive instruction and practice in the four skills: speaking, reading, writing and listening.  They provide a solid curriculum which covers all aspects of grammar, builds vocabulary, practices pronunciation and gives students a well-balanced variety of exercises and activities.  Furthermore, learners will be expected to speak English at all times, thus consolidating their speaking and listening skills.  All course books are accompanied by an audio cassette or a videotape, and the teacher makes use of a worksheet which is based on the textbook and provides further exercises and activities to supplement the course.  The CALL system enables teachers to use multimedia materials as classwork.

  So in Ito's CALL English Courses, you can learn by your individual speeds and levels.  You will get one or two MS Word files at each class session via the computer network system and work on it until the end of the class when you submit your worksheets to the teacher via the network system.  Some of you might be very slow in doing the worksheets, not only because you are not good at English but also because you are not accustomed to using computers, especially if you are first-year students.  But you can submit your files later, thanks to the computer network system.  The multimedia materials including some TV news programs and popular English songs are frequently used in the classwork, so the students will improve their listening skills remarkably.  The best advantage of using CALL for students is, however, to enable them to learn writing skills more effectively than using old-fashioned language laboratories.
 
 

Classwork in the CALL Room
  *Before coming to the classroom, you must have finished preparation for classwork.

  First, log in with the computer and password shown on your left (in front of the computer screen). Then connect your "Home Directory" in the student-file server (s-file) with your user ID and password.  Soon the teacher will give you the MS Word file of the day and open your file via the IPU computer network system.  You must type your faculty name, student number and your name, then stay and wait until the video clip or cassette tape plays: watch the video clip of each unit, and fill in the blanks of the script.  *Generally one clip is played repeatedly.  After watching or listening to it, you have enough time to type your answers on your file.  When the teacher tells you to stop typing, the checking time begins until the end of the class.  In addition, some of you will be divided into small groups and invited to take Ito's English lesson during each period of classwork.
 
 

AV-Room for Language Study
  We open the AV-Room for Language Study, that is, a self-access reading & audio-visual room providing a wide range of reading & AV materials including TOEFL, TOEIC, STEP (Eigo-Kentei), DVDs, videos, etc. with supporting instructional activities.  These facilities are integrated into the teaching programme and are also open to all students during specific hours.  For more details, ask English professors or LL staff.
  AV-Room for Language Study is currently located on the 4th floor of Media Center A (IPU Library): The former Group Study Room 2 is functioned as the new AV-Room since April 2005.
 
 

TOEFL

TOEIC

Learning English through the Internet
  About 80 % of all the information on the Internet is in English.  It is provided by people around the world, sometimes in audio and visual files.   When you try to get enough information on your favorite things, you often face the English-using world.  You can get gigantic information if you do not hesitate to struggle with English.  Then why not study English through the Internet?  You can learn English through the Internet using a computer in Media Center B.
 
 

Let's Write E-mails to Friends Abroad
  We have difficulty to find foreign friends (especially of your age) around our university or Morioka.  Surfing on the Internet, however, you can easily find some friends with whom you can share the common interest and topics.
  When you find some friends abroad in the Internet and begin to write mails each other, you will soon find how useful English is, even if they do not use English as their Native tongue: a number of university students and graduates around the world use English very well.  Using English, you can enjoy the intercultural communication and cross-cultural exchange in many cases!!  Of course it will be a great motivation and great help to your studying English.

Here are some homepages introducing university students' mail addresses worldwide:

   STUDENTS HOMEPAGES
   THE STUDENT CENTER HOMEPAGE DIRECTORY
 
 

Assortment of English Courses
  Iwate Prefectural University offers the following different English courses:
 
 

  Please keep in mind that all the English courses except Optional [Open] English Courses are REQUIRED SUBJECTS!
 
 

Marks and Attendance
  The IPU policy regarding attendance is ambiguous because it depends on each professor at the moment.  Ito's policy is that a student must attend at least 2/3 of the classes in a semester to be considered eligible for passing the course.   Regular attendance is very important for getting a better grade.
  At every class I will show all the students' status concerning their marks ("A" to "C") and attendance via the monitors.  So a student can often check his/her status only if s/he attends the class.  Of course all the students can complain or ask about their status to me during or after class.
 
 

Final Exams in CALL Rooms
  Every course I teach (except Open English Courses) will have an exam at the end of each semester.  All students of each course will take the same examination together at the same test period.  As for Open English Courses, I will give an assignment paper at the end of each semester.   More detailed information about tests will be announced later.
 

Grades
  All courses are semester courses, so grades must be submitted to the IPU educational affairs section at the end of each semester.  These grades should be based on in-class work (quizzes and tests), homework, semester exam, and attendance status.   You also have to do the pop-hits listening tests very seriously.
  The IPU Official Grading Scale is as follows:
 
 

  Please note that all the English courses (except Open English Courses) are REQUIRED SUBJECTS!  So if you fail an English course you will have to repeat it next year or later within the limitations of the school timetable.  In addition, some IPU faculties have very strict rules concerning English Courses before you become a 3rd-year.  So please check the Student Handbook ("GAKUSEI-BINRAN") very carefully.
 
 

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