TOEIC® Preparation Program

• Professor Yokoyama: Thank you very much for coming to school today for this roundtable discussion, despite your busy schedules during spring break. This is your second time appearing at this roundtable discussion, Yokoyama-kun, so first of all, congratulations on your graduation. At the graduation ceremony on March 12th, you received the Outstanding Academic Achievement Award from the president, which made me very happy.
• Yokoyama: Thank you.
• Professor Yokoyama: That's quick.
• Yokoyama: It's really quick. It feels like just yesterday when I visited the professor's lab to say, "I want to help create an English power spot," and was rudely turned away. (Note 1)
• Professor Yokoyama: It was when we were still at the Amagasaki campus. When Yokoyama-kun was in his second year, we merged with Kobe Yamate University, and the School of International Communication moved to Kobe, and a lot happened. Yokoyama-kun even left Meiji University to come to our school, and I'm not just saying this as flattery; he really did his best. I never praised him to my face, but I was very proud of him.
• Yokoyama: I originally studied using Yokoyama Sensei's textbooks during my time as a ronin at a prep school, and enrolled in Meiji University's English Literature Department with the desire to become an English teacher like Yokoyama Sensei. From the beginning, I had intended to become a high school teacher. I didn't want a teacher who could only teach English grammar and reading using katakana English, but I wanted an English teacher like Yokoyama Sensei who could speak English with good pronunciation. In my second year, I learned that Yokoyama Sensei had become a professor at Kansai International University, so I immediately dropped out and took the entrance exam again. I knew I had no choice but to learn from Yokoyama Sensei.
• Professor Yokoyama: I was really surprised, and I was also moved that there is such a clumsy yet straightforward young person in this Reiwa era. And he has made his dream come true.
• Yokoyama: Yes. Starting in April, I will be teaching English at Sonoda Gakuen Junior and Senior High School in Amagasaki.
• Professor Yokoyama: That's great. Congratulations! I see, you went to a high school in Amagasaki.
• Yokoyama: Yes, I'm going back to Amagasaki.
• Professor Yokoyama: At the Amagasaki campus, there was a study space in front of the lab, where all the students would gather and read aloud. It brings back fond memories.
• Yokoyama: The dean at the time scolded me for being too noisy, but Professor Yokoyama scolded me, saying, "You sound like a toad croaking. Speak more clearly from your stomach." (laughs)
• Professor Yokoyama: "It's reading aloud, so it's only natural that it's noisy. Do it more" (laughs).

(Note 1) See the article “Part 3.”

• Professor Yokoyama: What was your TOEIC score?
• Yokoyama: When I enrolled, the TOEIC Bridge (Note 2) IP test was used as the placement test, so I don't have any scores from my first year.
• Professor Yokoyama: What was your Bridge score?
• Yokoyama: I got 85 points. 35 points for listening and 50 points for reading.
• Professor Yokoyama: Converted to TOEIC, it would be around 500 points. As expected of a former Meiji University student, he got a perfect score in the reading section. However, Bridge cannot measure anything more than that, so depending on his reading score, he may have gotten over 600 points on the TOEIC.
• Yokoyama: At the time, under Professor Yokoyama's guidance, there were some truly amazing students like Suda-san and Maeshiro-san, who went from a score in the 200s to the 800s in just one year (Note 3). Despite being scolded by the dean for being quiet, they studied and practiced in front of Professor Yokoyama's lab every day until closing time. The place was filled with the same kind of excitement as a power spot.
• Professor Yokoyama: It's been three years since I took up my post. When I joined, the average score at graduation was 350 points. Not at enrollment, but at graduation. We started from there. Suda and Maeda were literally game changers. I think they struggled with me and paved the way for me. Yokoyama also worked hard, treating them as seniors despite being much younger than me.
• Yokoyama: The whole department had an atmosphere that was just like an ESS club activity.
• Professor Yokoyama: I think that if you were to be in that environment, you would come to love English and become good at it, and it would create a place where you could feel that way.
• Yokoyama: When I was in my second year at university, I took the TOEIC IP test and got 840 points. Then, in July, I went to take the public test and got 835 points.
• Professor Yokoyama: What is the breakdown of the 835 points?
• Yokoyama: My listening score was 445 and my reading score was 390. My reading score improved, but my listening score, which was my weak point, improved even more. 445 out of 500 is about 9%. I was very happy.
• Professor Yokoyama: "Take the TOEIC until your second year. From your third year onwards you will study in English." He faithfully followed my advice and hasn't taken the test since then. Since he is going to be an English teacher, it's a good idea to take it regularly to keep up to date. A perfect score on the TOEIC is, after all, a badge of honor for an English teacher. If he took it now without any preparation, he would definitely get a score of 950 or more.
• Yokoyama: I feel like I can do much more than I did in my second year. I want to keep studying and be able to teach my students by example. I want to be just like Mr. Yokoyama.
• Professor Yokoyama: Enough with the flattery (laughs). But please do your best. English will be a part of your life from now on. From now on, we'll be rivals.
• Yokoyama: What was unfortunate was that Professor Yokoyama left the Faculty of International Communication midway through his studies.
• Professor Yokoyama: I joined the Institute for Basic Education and coordinated English language education across all campuses. Starting in 2023, a new department called the Foreign Language Education Department was established in the Center for Research and Development of Higher Education, which will oversee foreign language education across the university. I returned to the School of International Communication as the department head. The lab move was finally completed this summer, and I feel like Urashima Taro.
• Yokoyama: In addition to that, we had to move campuses, and above all, there was the COVID-19 pandemic, so we were unable to pass on the "English Power Spot" that our seniors, such as Maeshiro and Suda, had worked so hard to create.
• Professor Yokoyama: That's right. During my time in Amagasaki, my seniors who had had impressive success stories took the initiative to act as role models for English learning, giving me advice and teaching me, so it was really easy. For me, it felt like I was starting from square one again, all by myself.

(Note 2) This is a TOEIC test for beginners and intermediate learners. The test is worth 100 points, with 50 points for listening and 50 points for reading. The TOEIC IP test is currently used for placement in the Faculty of International Communication.
(Note 3) See the article “Part 3.”

• Professor Yokoyama: Actually, we have two first-year students from the School of International Communication here. This is the first time I've met Yokoyama. They've worked hard and competed against each other. First up is Matsumura. Matsumura scored 735 points on the TOEIC in February, making him the top first-year student by a long way. He's the only one to score in the 700s. That's amazing.
• Matsumura: Thank you. I'm really glad that I've been able to work hard with Miyazaki up until now. But to be honest, I was happier with Miyazaki's score because I knew how hard he had worked. When we took the TOEIC in February, we both celebrated and said, "We did it!"
• Professor Yokoyama: Miyazaki-kun got 495 points.
• Miyazaki: Yes, compared to Yokoyama-san and Matsumura-kun, it's very low and embarrassing.
• Professor Yokoyama: Miyazaki came to my lab soon after university classes started. I remember him well. He said, "I want to be a junior high school English teacher."
• Miyazaki: I got a TOEIC score of 160 when I took the placement test. To get into Global Research (hereinafter GR, Note 4), you need a minimum score of 450, and with that score, there was no way I could get in. I was completely at a loss as to what kind of study I should do and where to start, so I went to my teacher for advice.
• Professor Yokoyama: Since I started working at this university, I've gotten quite used to it, but to be honest, scores in the 200s or 300s are so bad that you could get them even if you just guessed, and they're usually in the score range that other universities would consider impossible to teach. But I got 160 points, and, of all things, I wanted to be an English teacher (laughs).
• Miyazaki: When I was in junior high school, I didn't go to school. But there was a teacher who was there for me. That teacher was my English teacher. He came to my house every day and taught me English. It was that teacher's influence that made me want to become a teacher.
• Professor Yokoyama: Although I said "it'll be fine," I also resolved to "try my best." To be honest, however, it was like "trying to make roasted beans bloom," so I was worried about whether Miyazaki would be able to endure it, regardless of myself.
• Miyazaki: It wasn't easy for me to get the hang of it, but I just had to trust my teacher and hung in there with all my might.
• Professor Yokoyama: All we did in class was focus on the basics of English grammar and phonetics. We didn't even touch on the "to" in TOEIC. So, when we did mock exams in the summer intensive TOEIC preparation classes, he naturally only managed to score around 200 points, and I thought maybe he'd give up at that point, but he persevered, believed in me, and followed me closely. When the mock exam was over, he pretended to wipe away sweat with the towel draped over his shoulders, but then, without anyone noticing, he pressed his eyes tightly to wipe away tears, a sight that remains deeply in my memory. Seeing that made me think, "I have to work even harder."
• Matsumura: Did that happen? I was with you, but I didn't notice.
• Professor Yokoyama: And now he's got 495 points. I knew he'd definitely get good results, but I'm really happy. He has the basics, so he'll be fine. If he keeps studying like this without slacking, he'll get 700 points in his second year and 900 points in his third year. And I'm sure he'll become a good teacher. He knows the pain of not being able to do something. He also knows how to help students do it. I hope he becomes a teacher who can empathize with his students, just like the teacher who looked after him when he was absent from school. I'm looking forward to it.

(Note 4) A study abroad program that all students enrolled in the Department of Global Communication take in their second year.

• Professor Yokoyama: On the other hand, I first met Matsumura while preparing for the TOEIC.
• Matsumura: Yes. I was at level 2 and Miyazaki was at level 1. Professor Yokoyama only taught at the lowest level, level 1.
• Professor Yokoyama: The majority of students are in the 200s, and unless they can raise their scores to 450, they won't be able to enter the GR. Failing to do so would be a matter of responsibility that would affect the diploma policy. This would require a life-or-death commitment, and asking a part-time teacher would be cruel, or even impossible. When it comes to the TOEIC, the idea that "the lower the score, the easier it is to improve" is a complete misunderstanding. In fact, it's much easier to raise a score around 500 to 700 or 800. It's generally impossible to help a university student with a score in the 200s who completely missed out on middle and high school English improve. That's why I was so focused on Level 1, and my TOEIC preparation classes were my first encounter with students at Level 2 and above. Matsumura, what score did you get on the placement test?
• Matsumura: 305 points.
• Professor Yokoyama: My senses are numb, so it sounds like a very good score (laughs).
• Matsumura: So I was put in Level 2 and couldn't take Professor Yokoyama's classes.
• Professor Yokoyama: Even though it doesn't count as credit, he started attending my classes from the fall semester.
• Matsumura-san: I was also at the level of "What is the present tense?" and Miyazaki-kun was teaching me. I was jealous of Level 1 students who could take Yokoyama-sensei's classes, and I was hoping that "the fall semester would be the perfect time," but when I looked at the timetable, it wasn't there, so I thought I had no choice but to ask the professor directly.
• Professor Yokoyama: You started with 305 points, and by January you were in first place with 670 points, and then by February you had reached 735 points. That was an incredible run.
• Matsumura: Even when I got 670 points, I couldn't believe it and thought it was just a fluke, but the next month I got into the 700s and my mom gave me 1 yen as a reward (laughs).
• Professor Yokoyama: By the way, Yokoyama-kun started from level 3.
• Yokoyama: Yes. So, the only thing I could take from Professor Yokoyama's classes was the TOEIC preparation in the summer and winter. So, in the spring semester, I got the textbook for Professor Yokoyama's Level 1 class, and he taught me what he was doing and allowed me to copy the handouts he handed out in class. I snooped around too much and was scolded by Professor Yokoyama.
• Professor Yokoyama: You've thoroughly studied English for entrance exams, haven't you? I think it's actually a good thing that you were able to enter Level 3 and study entirely in English with international students. The TOEIC was originally developed by Japanese people and is an extension of the university entrance exam. Therefore, students who entered through the general entrance exam can easily achieve a score of around 400. However, these students really need to revisit the basics. I once heard a story about a student from another university who listed a "TOEIC score of 600" on their resume and was told during the interview, "You must have really neglected English at university." In other words, even if a score of 400 or 500 is impressive at our university, it's a score that is completely unappreciated once you step outside. And even if you take many classes with native English speakers without building the foundations, you'll just become strangely accustomed to foreigners and inevitably hit a plateau around 600. A TOEIC score below 500 is actually a bunch of different scores. Moreover, almost all of the students who enter our school score in the 200s, or at best 300s, with the occasional 400 or 500. Separating them into levels would only create a strange caste system within the school, and is really pointless. This year's first-year students also ended up with students at levels 1 and 2 at the top, and how to deal with this issue going forward is a major issue for me personally.

• Professor Yokoyama: Yokoyama, you went to study abroad in the United States in the fall semester of your second year.
• Yokoyama: To be precise, I started in January. I studied abroad at California State University, Fullerton until the end of May of my third year. When I visited my professor to say hello before leaving, he handed me a Japanese-American Colloquial Dictionary (Note 5) and said, "Take this."
• Professor Yokoyama: This is the dictionary I used to the fullest during my university days and it's the one I'm most attached to. I wore it out so many times I replaced it, and memorized it completely.
• Yokoyama: That story appears in your autobiography. (Note 6) I was deeply touched when you gave me the dictionary as a gift.
• Professor Yokoyama: And so, Yokoyama, you encountered the academic field of phonetics in the United States, which led to your graduation research. You wrote an excellent thesis, and although I wasn't selected as a co-examiner, I heard that it was highly evaluated.
• Yokoyama: I was influenced by Professor Yokoyama to learn English as "sound." This led to my studies in the United States. Of course, I also brought along the "Beginner" and "Intermediate" versions of his English Hanon (Note 7) to the United States.
• Professor Yokoyama: I see. At that time, the "Advanced" level hadn't been introduced yet.
• Yokoyama: On social media, I often see people with Eiken Grade 1 or perfect TOEIC scores writing comments about the "intermediate" and "advanced" levels, saying they're "difficult" or "they're completely helpless."
• Professor Yokoyama: It's said that even in one's native language, there's a ten-fold difference between the grammar and vocabulary one has and the knowledge one can actually use in speaking. With a foreign language, the gap seems to be about 100 times greater. "English Hanon" is a drill to bridge that gap. The "Beginner" level was originally written for my own use in my own classes at this university. The "Intermediate" and "Advanced" levels cover advanced grammar, such as conjunctions, relative clauses, comparisons, and the conditional mood. I believe that very few Japanese people, even those with Grade 1 Eiken or perfect TOEIC scores, can fluently use these in their speaking. When listening to them speak, they generally just connect simple sentences with "and" and "but."
• Yokoyama: But when we had American university students try the "Intermediate" version of Hanon, they easily managed to do it in one try. That was "Demon Maruji" (note 8). It was like going "beyond" Eiken Grade 1 or a perfect score on the TOEIC, and seeing the "gap" between them and native English speakers, it was surprising and moving, even though it may seem like a given.
• Professor Yokoyama: That's what I mean when I say that a Grade 1 Eiken certificate or a perfect score on the TOEIC is useless. This is often misunderstood, but I say this because we are all English professionals, and we will be living our lives with English. It's not something we do as a hobby. People pay for the English we write with our hands and the English we speak. Of course, it's not just about being good at English; it also needs to have substance—knowledge and culture. My teacher was Professor Mitsuru Konami, professor emeritus at Tokyo University of Foreign Studies. When he was my age, he was far more amazing than I am now. I never even got to see his back. I want everyone to strive for something beyond a perfect TOEIC score. I truly believe that.

(Note 5) Edward G. Seidensticker and Michihiro Matsumoto, co-editors, Latest Japanese-American Colloquial Dictionary (Asahi Press)
(Note 6) Masahiko Yokoyama, "Encouragement for English Idiots: How I Learned English" (Chikuma Primer Shinsho)
(Note 7) The "Hanon in English" series (Chikuma Shobo) is a book written by Professor Yokoyama Masahiko (co-authored with Lecturer Nakamura Sachiko of Tohoku University), and the "Phrase Edition" won the Grand Prize in the Book Category at the 2023 English Coaching Awards.
(Note 8) Jack Marji is the narrator, along with Anya Floris, for the intermediate and advanced levels of "English Hanon." Marji's part is nicknamed "Demon Marji" because of his extremely fast and relentless speed.

• Professor Yokoyama: Matsumura-kun and Miyazaki-kun, where are you planning to go for GR?
• Matsumura: I haven't decided on that yet.
• Miyazaki: Me too.
• Matsumura: I still want to study English, but it's still difficult to get a degree in America, Canada, or the UK, so I'm thinking of going to the Philippines.
• Miyazaki: I think so too.
• Professor Yokoyama: I think the two of them still have a strong desire to work hard at English.
• Matsumura: I managed to get 735 points, so I'd like to get into the 800s in the next test and be the clear winner in speaking as well.
• Professor Yokoyama: President Atsushi Hamana often says, "If you try, you can do it. You can do even more." I think English is one of the areas where this is most easily achieved. In that sense, students in the Department of Global Communication are truly blessed. Japan is a "dreamland" where a high TOEIC score can turn things around in one fell swoop, regardless of your university's academic standing or academic background. There's no other country like this, and when you think about it, it's quite strange, but we have no choice but to take advantage of it. Honestly, I don't think a high TOEIC score is a big deal. However, the fact that you were able to get a high score and achieve this result through hard work holds great meaning. In fact, that may be the only significance of the TOEIC. I'm sure many of our students have somehow made it to university without any prior experience of success. I want them to grasp even just one solid success story. If they do, like the straw in "The Straw Millionaire," it will surely guide them to the next and the next, and before they know it, they'll be guided to the next and the next.

• Professor Yokoyama: I think it's fine to be "dumbassed about English." Paradoxically, an English idiot won't remain dumb. Throw yourself into English and fall in love with it. If you do that, you'll definitely fall in love with English. English will definitely help you. If you apply yourself wholeheartedly, it will return the same power, even tens or hundreds of times stronger. I myself have been helped many times by English. This existential study of English, like Yokoyama here, will surely lead to the academic pursuits you should pursue and ultimately to your calling. English is spoken by people all over the world, and there are regions where it is spoken. It's natural that you'd want to get to know the people you love more deeply, to learn about their history, culture, politics, economy, and society. If you're stuck engaging in empty English conversations without opening yourself up to the world beyond, then you're not truly trying to learn English.
• Yokoyama: I feel the same way. I am really glad that I was able to leave Meiji University and come to Kansai University of International Studies, where I was able to study in English under Professor Yokoyama.
• Miyazaki: I've only just started, so I can't really feel it yet, but I believe in it and will do my best to study English.
• Yokoyama: Professor Yokoyama has complete faith in his students. Even when I said I wanted to be an English teacher, even though I got 160 points like Miyazaki, he never said it was impossible. Even when I returned to Japan from the US and was unsure about whether to go to graduate school, and when I was depressed after unexpectedly failing the Yokohama City teacher recruitment exam, he always believed in me and waited for me. And once I made up my mind, he supported me all the way. Thank you so much. I'm truly grateful.
• Professor Yokoyama: When I was at the prep school, I told you, "I'm not your teacher, and you're not my students. Once you get to university, forget about me and never come visit me again." He also said, "You'll find your teacher at university, that's why you go to university." I think it was only after I became a faculty member at this university and met students like Suda, Maeshiro, and Yokoyama that I was able to have my own "students." Thank you for that.
• Yokoyama: I don't think any other university has students who start with a score below 200 when they enroll and then get to the 800s by their second year. It's truly amazing, and I can't imagine how hard the professor must have worked, but I also wonder what would happen if a student who was good at English from the start studied under him.
• Professor Yokoyama: Speaking of myself, I attended a municipal junior high school and a prefectural high school in Miki City, Hyogo Prefecture. I listened to the teacher's tapes my parents bought me until they were worn out, and in my third year of junior high, I won the Miki City Junior High School English Recitation Competition. In high school, I represented Hyogo Prefecture in the Japan-US Friendship National High School American-English Conversation and Debate Competition held at Sophia University, and an article about it was even published in the Kobe Shimbun newspaper. If I could take care of me now, I'm sure I could help him achieve a perfect score on the TOEIC within his first or second year. And I believe I could develop him into a global talent with unrivaled English skills. While Yokoyama came all the way from across Hakone, I'm sure you can achieve even better results at our university without having to go all the way from Kansai to Hakone to attend a prestigious university in the Tokyo metropolitan area. If there are any high school students out there who are as obsessed with English as I was back then, but for various reasons can't make the journey across Hakone, I would love for you to come to our university. I want you to entrust your learning to me. That's my strong feeling.

• Professor Yokoyama: Now, Matsumura-kun, as the top first-year student who achieved over 700 points, do you have any final words for high school students who are considering attending our university?
• Matsumura-san: If you're lost, come here!
• Professor Yokoyama: That's all?
• Matsumura-san: Yes, if you're unsure, come here!
• All: (lol)
• Matsumura: Even in my third year of high school, I hadn't thought about my future at all. My teacher told me to go to university, so I vaguely thought that if I was going to study English, I'd look online for the easiest university to get into. I searched low and low for universities where I could study English that were within commuting distance of my home, and this university came up. It was a fateful encounter.
• Professor Yokoyama: I was very happy today to have Yokoyama hand over the ashes, so to speak, of the "power spot of English" to Matsumura and Miyazaki. Together with Matsumura and Miyazaki, who have inherited it, I would like to rekindle the fire of this ashes and turn it into a huge, blazing flame. Good luck, both of you. And Yokoyama, please keep an eye on your alma mater as it continues to grow. Please come visit anytime. Thank you very much for today.

maximize potential,
Making Kansai University of International Studies Japan's No. XNUMX "English Power Spot"

In 2018, I was appointed to this university.I witnessed a miracle at our school.
The words of the three people introduced here are everything.They continued to strive toward new goals from zero, or rather, a negative state."Do your best until you can do it" in the right way.That's all you need to learn English.
Most of the students who entered the school scored 200-300 points on TOEIC, a score I had never seen before. It is relatively easy to raise your score from the 500s, but it is extremely difficult to get out of the 200s-300s range, and university education implicitly defines it as an "untouchable" zone.More specifically, the average score of graduates is 350 points, and I remember being at a loss as to where to start.However, now, almost all second-year students have cleared the 2 points mark, and some students even reach the 450s, 700s, and even 800s.
Of course, for university students with their own majors, English is a means to achieve their dreams, not a goal.However, Japan is a “dream country” where if you have a high TOEIC score, you can turn things around in one shot, regardless of the university you graduated from or the deviation score.There are various pros and cons.However, there is no loss in being able to speak English "mo".There is no reason not to take advantage of this "Japanese dream".
It is often ridiculed as "English idiot", but paradoxically, the English you learn at university will never end with "English idiot".Beyond the English are English-speaking people and English-speaking regions.There is history.There is no way that if you study English hard under the right instructor, your interest will not turn to the world of "academics" beyond English.It may be "culture". It may be "economy". It may be "political". Whether it's "environmental issues" or "international relations", English is the entrance and foundation of all learning in this global age.English education in that sense is what I want our university to aim for as an "international university."
From the 2021 academic year, together with Professors Tetsuo Maeda and Professor Tetsuaki Miyoshi, all faculties and departments, except for the Faculty of International Communication, will start their own “Fundamental English Education”.The lessons that are offered there are based on a curriculum that I have developed through trial and error together with the students.
Even if you can't speak English at all, even if you're not good at English, it's okay.Why don't you become stronger in English at Kansai University of International Studies?

It's okay to make a college debut!If you solidify your foundation, your strength will grow
★ TOEIC 715 points (2nd year summer results)

In my high school days, I was absorbed in baseball.
Dedicating his youth to baseball, he lived in a dormitory at a high school in Shikoku.Therefore, schoolwork is completely "university debut".I didn't even understand the meaning of the questions on the TOEIC test that I took for the first time in my life, and my score fell short of 300 points.
In the first lecture, Prof. Yokoyama said, "I'm sure you'll be able to do it."And she asserted that she was responsible for everything, and taught me that learning English requires patience.At this time, she remembers thinking, "If I'm going to do it, I'll make up my mind."The two lectures by Professor Yokoyama, "English Grammar" and "English Phonetics," became my foundation.Understand the structure of English sentences and let the rhythm soak into your body.I will learn the basics of English from both sides.
The score reached 12 points in December. The obvious fact that "If you solidify the foundation, your score will go up" gave me confidence.It's a pity that I couldn't study abroad due to the coronavirus pandemic, but I was able to change my mindset to "do what I can do in Japan", and I think it was actually good for me to learn English.
I am now heading towards further studies through English.As a native of Okinawa, I felt a great deal of sympathy with the history of the Native Americans and blacks that I learned about through English, and it made me want to learn more about it.By learning about America's history of overcoming various racial problems, I understood the importance of listening to the voices of those in weaker positions.When I was the captain of the baseball team in high school, did I care enough about the members who were working hard but couldn't make it to the game?This self-reflection led to a change in my way of thinking.After graduating, I would like to go on to graduate school and study American studies.
Studying English is not easy.But if you run away from tough things, you'll keep running away.At this university, it doesn't matter if you just made your university debut or don't have the ability right now.
If you think, "Let's try it" or "I want to do it", I would like you to take on the challenge.

The future is determined by whether or not to do it
★ TOEIC 845 points (2nd year summer results)

During my three years in high school, I lived in a dormitory and devoted myself to soccer, so studying was secondary.However, I had a clear desire to learn English well, so I intuitively chose Kansai International University, which has a curriculum that I wanted to study.
I entered the school completely unaware of the greatness of Mr. Yokoyama, but at the orientation right after I entered the school, I got a strong impression, saying, "This person knows everything! It's a walking electronic dictionary!"And she realized, "If you want to master English, you can't do it half-heartedly."Now I have to do the tough training I experienced in soccer in high school in English.
It's easy to say, but it was really hard at first. My English was stuck at junior high school level, so I had almost no knowledge. It was difficult to bring that up to 1. I relied on Professor Yokoyama and just threw myself into English. What I especially valued was reviewing. I would review immediately after lectures. If I had any questions, I would immediately go to the lab to ask, and if I was doing something wrong, I would improve... I repeated this process over and over again.
Professor Yokoyama's TOEIC Preparation Course (Center Program)^{※ 2}I also took the course. Rather than using tricks to raise my score, Professor Yokoyama's style is to thoroughly solidify grammar from the basics. In June of my first year, I scored 425 points. By December, when I began to understand grammar a little better, I had reached 555 points. As my professor had told me, "The most difficult points are around 400-500," I was in a bit of a slump around this point. However, in June of my second year, I broke 700 points, and in December, I finally began to feel a sense of accomplishment. The key to mastering something is "what to learn and how to learn it." The name of the university or the deviation score doesn't matter. Professor Yokoyama's favorite saying is, "It's not about whether you can do it or not. It's about whether you try or not," and I truly believe that's true.
Learning English will broaden your horizons.Awareness of global issues such as climate change will increase, and the view of Japan as a country will change.After graduating from university, I will work hard in the world of international business based on the English skills I have acquired here, and eventually dream of starting my own business.

• This learning support program is implemented by the Learning Support Center. Starting in 2022, it will be linked to the "Basic English Education" program and will be rolled out to all campuses.

A desperate 're-learning' paved the way for becoming an English teacher
★★ TOEIC 840 points (2nd year summer results)

My last name is "Yokoyama", the same as Mr. Yokoyama.Actually, it's my second time to enter the university.
I majored in British and American Literature at the Faculty of Literature at Meiji University.It was a university I wanted to enter, but my desire to study English as a language rather than English literature grew stronger, and I began to worry about the gap between my major and my major.At that time, I learned that Professor Masahiko Yokoyama, the author of a reference book that I read when I was an examinee and was the driving force behind my entrance into Meiji University, was at Meiji University.In an article titled "Unique TOEIC Preparation Program" on the university's website, Professor Yokoyama said, "I want to make Kansai International University a power spot for English." I made up my mind to come here.
After entering the university, I visited the professor's laboratory and told him that I wanted to help him create a power spot.However, the teacher bluntly said, "How can you help others when you can't even help yourself? If you really think so, get a TOEIC score of 800 and then come back." rice field.
My weak points are listening and speaking, so Mr. Yokoyama's lecture on "English phonetics" really helped me. In TOEIC in December, my listening score exceeded my reading score, and even when I was watching foreign dramas, I could hear more phrases naturally.
Professor Yokoyama's words to students are not sweet.But that's because he really cares about his students.
I received a TOEIC score of 2 in July of my second year.In this interview, when the writer asked Mr. Yokoyama, "With this, Mr. Yokoyama will help you create an English power spot."he was about to cry.
From January 2022, I will study abroad in the United States for half a year, and after graduating from this university, I will go on to graduate school.I plan to major in phonetics in graduate school.I admire Dr. Yokoyama's beautiful pronunciation, which is far from Japanese.What I think is particularly amazing is listening instruction, and Mr. Yokoyama doesn't look at the script at all.Without looking at the script, she explains "this sound is like this" and shows the model of the sound with her own voice, not the native sound source.I want to be an English teacher like Mr. Yokoyama.
From the 2021 academic year, the English classes designed by Professor Yokoyama will be developed as "Fundamental English Education" and can be taken in all faculties.Even if you don't major in English, you can seriously learn English as an extra to your specialized field such as sociology or business administration.I think it's a great environment.

Real English learning starts here!

Many students who took the "TOEIC Preparation" Center Program achieved a significant improvement in their scores in a short period of time. .When I arrived at my post last spring, no one believed me when I declared to students with scores in the 200s and 300s that they would "double their scores and get full marks".But now no one doubts it anymore.
Talent is not a factor in mastering English, but in Japan, where English is not an everyday environment, mastering it requires great effort. However, whether it's sports or martial arts, even if it may seem difficult to outsiders, there are times when the student finds it "just fun." It's the same with English. You just have to "love" it. What all the students who took this course and improved their grades have in common is that they all "love" English. Once that happens, they'll study English whether you let them or not. They won't be able to resist studying. If that happens, you're in luck. A high TOEIC score is just around the corner, even if you let them.
If the number of students with 800 or 900 points increases, the number of friends who will be inspired by it will increase.I want to make Kansai University of International Studies a “power spot for English”.But a high TOEIC score is only the gateway to the big and rich world of English.I want as many students as possible to advance to the "world beyond that" and the "world of learning."I want you to learn "in" English.My specialty is American studies, and I want to do American studies with everyone as soon as possible.I am excited about the future.

The Learning Support Center supports all kinds of learning!

Because the TOEIC test has a large number of questions, improving your score requires familiarizing yourself with the question format and practicing solving them quickly. Therefore, the Learning Support Center has implemented a 10-minute quiz every day during lunch break as a support program for Professor Yokoyama's courses. It's a TOEIC mock test broken down into smaller sections, allowing students to identify weaker areas and motivate them to continue studying. After completing all the questions in two weeks, participants are asked to create a score sheet to use for self-analysis. It's a daily routine, so it's a lot of work, but the more you practice, the higher your score will be, so it becomes more and more fun as you continue taking the test. At first, I thought only a few people would stay until the end, but about 20 people gave up their lunch breaks and came every day, and the enthusiasm was incredible.
Not only TOEIC, but the Learning Support Center offers advice on all aspects of learning, and spares no effort in supporting students who want to grow.There is also an atmosphere in which the enthusiastic faculty and staff are pleased with the growth of the students as if they were their own.I hope that you will make the most of this environment and continue to study with all your might.

Achieved a TOEIC score of 2 in the spring semester of the second year!The next goal is 805 points!

I surpassed my goal of 800 points, and my next goal is 900 points.Over the past few months, I've made it a habit to always study for a few hours before going to bed, put my study materials by my pillow, and open them as soon as I wake up. Because I wanted to be exposed to English at the beginning and end of the day.I think that the key to improving your score is not only how much you can concentrate on your classes, but how hard you can study at home. Through studying TOEIC, I gained the ability to control myself by myself.
Yokoyama-sensei is a really trustworthy teacher who says the obvious things properly.I think that she was able to do her best because she believed from the bottom of her heart that if she did what her teacher taught her, she would definitely become stronger.
At the moment, my dream is to become an English teacher, but I'm also interested in foreign-affiliated companies where I can make use of my TOEIC score.I am still not satisfied with my English ability, so I would like to improve my English ability more and more and go out into society.In the fall, I will be participating in a two-week overseas training in the United States, so I am looking forward to putting my speaking skills to the test.
At Kansai University of International Studies, you can improve your English from scratch.I would like people who are interested in English to take on more challenges.

2 points → 555 points in just 710 months!Burning fighting spirit in a hot class!

I have been attending English conversation classes since I was a child and have confidence in English, especially in listening and speaking.Because of that, at first I thought I wouldn't have to take "TOEIC preparation", but when I saw my friend who took the course steadily improve his score, I thought, "I need to work harder to make a difference." I started taking classes in the spring of my sophomore year.
Professor Yokoyama's class is very strict and you have to concentrate all the time.If I make a mistake, it will be pointed out, so I feel depressed, but when I realize my inexperience, I have a fighting spirit.He explains each sentence in detail, so I realized that I only had a superficial understanding of grammar and English structure, which I had thought I had a vague understanding of.She hates to lose, so seeing her friends working hard inspired her to study more.
Now that I am seriously studying English, my dream of doing a job using English is becoming clearer.If you do it, you will get results and your strength will grow.Now, I feel myself growing again.

TOEIC score increased by 4 points in about 270 months!Learning English has broadened my horizons for the future.

I still have a long way to go, but my score has doubled compared to a year ago.There is a sense of fulfillment because you can see the growth in numbers.Up until high school, I was not very good at studying on my own and was often lazy, but taking the TOEIC test ignited my desire to learn.Now, when I have free time on my way to school, I open up my vocabulary notebook and listen to former US President Barack Obama's speeches over and over again.I think that I was able to change myself.
Professor Yokoyama always aims for a perfect score and never compromises. Classes are really tough, but if you don't understand, he teaches you the same things over and over again, and he makes you realize "what's missing and what you should do." increase.It's tough, but he believes in me and gives me a chance.I feel like I've met an adult that I can really trust for the first time.I have no choice but to do my best to respond to this thought.I think I'm actually learning the most I've ever had in my life.
Learning English has broadened my horizons as I have become more interested in various things such as world culture and history.From now on, I would like to use English to research the relationship between my hometown of Okinawa and the United States.I love sports, so I'm interested in a job that supports Japanese athletes who are active overseas.

• Hamada: When I was in high school, I played baseball all the time, and I was actually planning to go to another university on a sports recommendation. However, just before I enrolled, I wanted to consider possibilities other than baseball, so I started over. After that, I did a homestay in the United States, which sparked my interest in English, and I entered university two years later than my classmates.
• Ishihira: I became interested in English when I was in junior high school. I also enjoyed teaching people, so I applied to Kansai University of International Studies to become an English teacher.

• Hamada: To be honest, I was completely confused and panicked.
• Ishihira: Me too. But Mr. Yokoyama's classes were completely different from the English I had learned up until high school. Things that I had previously been told to "just memorize" were now carefully explained with logic. I changed my attitude and thought, "I'm going to forget all the English I've learned so far and start learning from scratch here."

• Hamada: Around summer. When I was reading English sentences, I naturally started to understand that "this is a certain sentence structure."
• Ishihira: Me too. Once you understand the noun, adjective, and adverb clauses, it becomes much easier to read even long sentences.
• Professor Yokoyama: That's right! Once you understand the five sentence patterns, you're all set. No matter how complex an English sentence is, it always fits into one of the five sentence patterns. Once you understand the sentence patterns, the structure of the sentence becomes clear and you can grasp the meaning. That's why we worked so hard on the five sentence patterns. It was worth it.

• Professor Yokoyama: When they first took the TOEIC in June last year, Ishihira scored in the low 400s, while Hamada scored just under 300. I think I told them, "Let's double your scores in the year leading up to June of next year." That said, we only studied grammar in the spring and summer, so we didn't actually start preparing for the TOEIC until the fall semester. The core of the program was a once-weekly prep class. In addition, we had them take practical mock tests for each part of the test for 30 minutes every day during their lunch break at the Learning Support Center. Both Ishihira and Hamada attended all of these programs perfectly.
• Ishihira: Thanks to my teacher, I was able to understand grammar to a certain extent, but when I actually tried to solve the problems, I was painfully aware of my lack of vocabulary.
• Professor Yokoyama: TOEIC is basically business English, so the vocabulary is unique. How did you increase your vocabulary?
• Ishihira: I heard that memories are consolidated while you sleep, so I keep a vocabulary book next to my bed and look at it before I go to sleep.Then, the next morning, I check to see if I've remembered anything.
• Hamada: I focused on memorizing the vocabulary in the reference books that Professor Yokoyama recommended. I would open the books on the train on my way to school, and write them down in a notebook when I got home. I repeated this for each section.

• Hamada: My score has improved by over 200 points and I'm just a little bit away from reaching the 500s.
• Ishihira: I improved by 240 points to 670 points. My highest score on the mock exam was 730 points, so I'd like to reach 800 points by June.
• Professor Yokoyama: You can definitely do it. Starting in April, we'll be pushing you even harder, including on the long-form test, so getting 900 points isn't just a dream. The next step is to take the TOEFL test with an eye toward studying abroad.

• Hamada: First of all, I want to improve my language skills so that I can study abroad in the U.S. I also want to learn about the differences between education in Japan and the U.S.
• Ishihira: I want to become a teacher like Yokoyama-sensei who can convey the fun of English to many people. I believe it was fate that Yokoyama-sensei started working here the year I enrolled, so I will continue to follow in his footsteps.
• Professor Yokoyama: A high TOEIC score is just a milestone, but the experience of achieving a significant improvement in your score will definitely stay with you. I'm really happy that I was able to help you achieve this. I've been teaching English for decades, but this is the first time I've witnessed such great improvement. You've kept up so well. I'm so proud of you.