CENTER for LANGUAGE EDUCATION and RESEARCH

About Us

As a contribution to the development of the International University of Japan, the Center for Language Education and Research (CLEAR) was established in April 2014 with the aim of offering high quality foreign language teaching and education for students who aspire to play a leading role in the world.

In view of our university mission to nurture future leaders, who will be involved in providing practical solutions to global problems, it is essential for our students to cultivate their communication skills where overcoming the language barrier is a prerequisite. Subsequently,     to enhance the high quality of our foreign language education, CLEAR is committed to designing and organizing language courses and programs by continuously creating improved curricula and teaching materials.

CLEAR currently consists of the English Language Program (ELP) and the Japanese Language Program (JLP). Both Language Programs provide practical language training for students for their current and future academic and professional careers, particularly in skills such as research paper writing, oral presentations, and group discussions. CLEAR also provides language training to non-IUJ professionals during the summer and at other specific times during the year. Finally, the faculty of CLEAR engage in theoretical and instructional research to further the knowledge and goals of their respective fields.

Message from the Director

The Center for Language Education and Research (CLEAR) of IUJ was established in April 2014 with a view to realize the university’s mission and to contribute to the development of our university by offering high quality foreign language teaching and education for our own students, who aspire to play a leading role in the world, as well as non-students from both within and outside Japan.

Our objectives are as follows:

1. To provide high quality foreign language programs and courses to our own students, external course participants, and external institutions.
2. To design and organize language courses and programs and constantly produce new and/or improved curricula and teaching materials.
3. To enhance the high quality of our foreign language education through research and study of second language acquisition as well as teaching skills.

Students presently enrolled in IUJ are from more than 60 countries. Since a large part of student life on campus involves various interactions of different cultural backgrounds, English and Japanese language education is vital for cultivating the communication skills of the students. Moreover, in an increasingly globalized world, there is a rising demand for human resources capable of playing an active role across the globe. As a result, high quality foreign language teaching and education is being sought by not only students enrolled in our university, but also by companies and institutions in the private and public sectors.

In addition to English language education for students enrolled in IUJ, the English Language Program provides intensive programs to meet the needs of Japanese businesses, intensive programs for university and high school students and staff from other academic institutions.

Regarding the Japanese Language Program, we offer Japanese language education for our overseas students. We also offer programs for those not officially registered at IUJ in the form of training courses for non-Japanese employees of Japanese companies and non-Japanese teachers of the Japanese language. In addition, we organize workshops for volunteers from our local community who teach Japanese.

Based on the concept that enabled our university to win a place in the “Top Global University Project” by MEXT (the Japanese Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science & Technology) in 2014, we have developed such teaching materials as smart phone apps, movie clips, textbooks for business practice and elementary materials for IT engineers. Furthermore, we continue to support Japanese language education abroad that is in compliance with the overseas business expansion schemes set out by Japanese businesses. To achieve this goal, we continue to build networks with Japanese language educational institutions abroad.

The Center for Language Education and Research aims to contribute not only to our local community and Japan in general, but also to the international community through our approaches stated above. 

Director of Center for Language Education and Research  

Anthony Crooks