By Miho Matsuzaka

Sapporo University is famous as the only university in Hokkaido with a Faculty of Foreign Languages that produces teachers. The students who enter the Department of English each have different reasons for entering the faculty. However, I think they all have a common goal: they want to speak English. To achieve their goal, students need to study hard, especally the fundamentals of English. They also need to acquire these skills during the first year. As a freshman this year I need to study hard, too. Now that I have finished the first semester I would like to discuss a few good points about my classes.

First, the English subjects which students in the Faculty of Foreign Language are learning, "English Skills (English conversation)," "Reading of English Literature," "Phonetics," "Current English Grammar," "Listening Practice," and "English Writing," are great. By taking such classes, students can practice the four skills of listening, speaking, reading, and writing. It is basic in order to learn English. Among the different courses, "English Skills" is taught by a Native English teacher twice a week. Through speaking to the teacher, students are able to learn about their weak points concerning their communicative ability, so it is an enjoyable and useful class. "Reading of English Literature" is a balanced class, adopting not only translation but oral work such as reading aloud, repeating the same word that a partner says, and various other activities. In this class, they can understand the meaning of various texts even though they do not translate English sentences into Japanese. They can make the most of this training in order to raise their listening scores on official exams like the TOEFL. Through these various classes I feel students have a great opportunity to learn English, little by little.

Second, the required subjects offered are interesting. Since SU adopted the semester system last year, it developed a variety of new classes. In many of these new classes, students can learn about things they can use for life outside the class as well as basic knowledge which becomes the basis of various studies. There are also classes where we learn British and American culture and history. At present, we live in an information-oriented society. At SU we are able to write many reports using the computer, and there is a course called "Introduction to Computer" which is excellent for helping students master the computer quickly.

Another interesting thing I have noticed at SU is that there are many students from foreign countries. There are students from the USA, Australia, New Zealand, and other various countries, and especally from Asia, Thus, students have an opportunity to talk to them and make friends with them, In the process they can also exchange ideas about their own country and own culture with each other. With so many students speaking different languages students have ample chances to study each others language. In my apartment building there are a few foreign students. They seem to be sociable and they greet strangers who are living in the same apartment. Since I came to SU I have greeted only my acquaintances and teachers, but I have learned from observing them that I should greet everyone. All students at SU should think the same way as those foreign students.

Finally, as I want to study abroad in the future, I would like to mention the study abroad programs at SU. Every year more than ten students from the English Department study abroad. There are twenty-two universities associated with SU. One of them, Kearney University in Nebraska, allows four students from SU to attend their university. Some of the students' school tuition and fees are waived and some get free room and board as well at Kearney, which helps financially. That is why Kearney is rated highly, so I think students will have good experiences. I think it is good if a student can go abroad for a year and hear natural English and experience first hand the other country's culture. Many students want to go overseas, but because they need a high TOEFL score in order to go abroad it isn't easy to go. It is difficult for students to study for the TOEFL while taking classes and doing homework at university. However, students must study to achieve their dreams. University is different from high school in that students must make their own decisions. If they use their spare time wisely and consider how to achieve their goals with a firm plan, they should be able to reach their dreams. If you are a student who wants to learn to speak English, the Faculty of Foreign Languages at SU is the ideal place for you.