The first-year International course students participated in a three-day “English Camp” held from Wednesday, October 30th to Friday, November 1st, at Asahi Plateau Nature House. Here they spent the entire time in an all-English environment, with the final goal of engaging in English-language debates. Under the guidance of eight native English-speaking instructors, students attended small group lessons aimed at improving their English proficiency and enhancing their critical thinking skills.
On the first day, they had four hours of lessons, which included speaking training, cross-cultural understanding, and techniques for critical thinking. In the evening, everyone gathered for activities like dancing and games, which helped to further energize the camp atmosphere.
On the second day, students participated in eight more lessons. In the morning, they worked on logical speaking, to build their ability to communicate clearly, and learned the basics of debate. The afternoon was dedicated to hands-on debate practice, where students took turns defending both sides of a topic, practicing their expression and strategic thinking.
The final day featured a debate match on the topic “All purchases should be made with electronic money instead of cash.” Each of the four groups held preliminary rounds, and the winning teams advanced to the finals. The final match, held in the main hall, was highly spirited, with students and teachers in the audience applauding the intense debates.
Throughout the three days, students took on the challenging task of debating in English with great seriousness, gaining confidence and participating more actively as the lessons progressed. By the end, the students had achieved so much, having not only improved their English but also strengthened their teamwork skills. This English Camp provided an unforgettable and valuable experience for everyone involved.
