Available courses

This is a place for students to get extensive listening in the form of podcasts on topics related to class textbooks and other relevant themes.

The course will serve as an introduction to linguistic topics such as phonology, phonetics, and speech perception and their applications to the the teaching of pronunciation.

Topics of study include:

■Classification of speech sounds
■How differences in phonology contribute to difficulties in pronunciation
■The shortcomings of English spelling
■Second language (L2) phonological theories
■English pronunciation teaching methods

Academic English (AE) is a four-skills course focussing on Cognitive Academic Language Proficiency (CALP), or academic proficiency (see references below). The courses are offered every semester at different CEFR levels.

Continues proficiency development in written and spoken English. Strengthens oral proficiency through various speaking exercises. Develops reading skills through intensive and extensive reading practice. Strengthens written proficiency through practice in organized multi-paragraph essays. Further develops structural accuracy and fluency using more complex forms.

 

The course develops fluency in basic oral expression through various active learning methods such as pair-work, brainstorming, group discussions, games and activities, role-plays, presentations and active listening. Students are expected to record conversations focusing on a main functional objective with minimal planning and notes while utilizing conversation strategies.

This second semester course continues to challenge students to develop their reading skills through the use of in-class timed readings and comprehension questions, intensive readings with comprehension and vocabulary building activities, and extensive reading conducted mostly outside of class time. Homework consists of reading for meaning, for pleasure, and for the purpose of vocabulary building. Students also engage with software to work on extensive reading, to develop critical reading skills, and to build and practice vocabulary.


The course develops fluency in basic oral expression through various active learning methods such as pair-work, brainstorming, group discussions, games and activities, role-plays, presentations and active listening. Students are expected to record conversations focusing on a main functional objective with minimal planning and notes while utilizing conversation strategies.

This course introduces the literary genres – prose (short stories), poetry, and drama – with an emphasis on developing reading, speaking, and writing skills through the analysis, interpretation, and production of fictional texts. Our emphasis will be to experience literature using active, co-operative methods in order to learn how to respond to literature in ways that are both critically informed, expressive and creative.


This first semester course focuses on developing reading skills through the use of in-class timed readings and comprehension questions, intensive readings with comprehension and vocabulary building activities, and extensive reading conducted mostly outside of class time. Homework will consist of reading for meaning, for pleasure, and for the purpose of vocabulary building. The overall goals of the course are to increase reading fluency, to improve understanding of grammatical forms and vocabulary encountered in simplified written texts, and to gain skills and strategies necessary for further development of reading comprehension. It is hoped that students will also develop an increased interest in EFL reading.

Introduces initial basic proficiency in fluency and accuracy in spoken English. Develops fluency in basic oral expression. Develops reading skills through regular reading practice. Introduces writing skills form the paragraph level. Introduces vocabulary for academic purposes.

The course develops fluency in basic oral expression through various active learning methods such as pair-work, brainstorming, group discussions, games and activities, role-plays, presentations and active listening. Students are expected to record conversations focusing on a main functional objective with minimal planning and notes while utilizing conversation strategies.


Introduces basic theories of economics. Topics covered may include: economics as a science; production, specialization and exchange; demand and supply; elasticity; utility; output and costs; industry structure; factor markets; business cycles; national output and macro-economic policies; market failure; and international trade.

This course examines contemporary issues in the English-speaking world. Students will learn to evaluate such issues, compare them with their own societies, assemble evidence from other sources, and express their own views in a written format. For language development, the course builds on the skills required in the academic writing course. Students learn to use sources of evidence to support their writing on common issues in the English-speaking world. They learn to use quotations and paraphrases, summarize texts and avoid plagiarism. The use of citations and references as a standard feature of academic writing is addressed. Vocabulary, grammar and written fluency are also reinforced.

This course is designed for all second year students in the fall Study Abroad on Campus program requiring a minimum TOEIC score to continue on with upper division courses at MIC. 

Surveys the masterpieces of Japanese Art from pre-history to the present, emphasizing the interplay between Japanese and Chinese cultural traditions.

Through comparing and contrasting Japanese and international/ traditional and contemporary art, JAC 204 encourages students to develop a critical awareness of the roots and evolution of some of the greatest works of Japanese art.


This course examines contemporary issues in the English-speaking world. Students will learn to evaluate such issues, compare them with their own societies, assemble evidence from other sources, and express their own views in a written format. For language development, the course builds on the skills required in the academic writing course. Students learn to use sources of evidence to support their writing on common issues in the English-speaking world. They learn to use quotations and paraphrases, summarize texts and avoid plagiarism. The use of citations and references as a standard feature of academic writing is addressed. Vocabulary, grammar and written fluency are also reinforced.

Students read texts that are related to the cultures of English-speaking countries around the world, especially the USA, the UK, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. The learning goals include increased reading comprehension of academic English texts, habitual use of a number of reading strategies, mastery of certain grammatical and lexical forms, increased reading fluency and the acquisition of dictionary skills.

The goals of English 3 are to further develop oral fluency and accuracy in academic settings. In particular, students will complete tasks based around the topic of cultures of the English-speaking world. The course continues practice in listening skills, pronunciation practice, conversation management and fluency development. Students will also learn and practice using grammar objectives and vocabulary.

This course examines various themes, approaches, and genres in American literature, and relates this literature to its historical, cultural, and social context. We will explore the literature of the early twentieth century. 

This course will focus upon important and representative works of American literature in their historical and cultural contexts. We will focus on poetry and prose that provide insight into the literary and intellectual climate to which each work belongs.

We will begin by exploring the colonial origins of the United States and its colonial literature. We will move to examine American literature in the nineteenth, twentieth, and twenty-first centuries. We will be looking at some of the major historical and cultural events in American history, such as the American Civil War, and asking how literature may be involved within them. We will read a lot throughout the course and think critically about the texts, which is to say, we will analyze the texts and interpret meaning from them. The class examines the work H. D. Thoreau, Walt Whitman, Emily Dickinson, Fredrick Douglass, Langston Hughes, Willa Cather, W. E. B. Dubois, and Toni Morrison

This seminar is the capstone of the course of study for the Global Leadership Certificate (GLC). The seminar tests and builds upon the leadership skills that students were first introduced to during the 1st year GLC seminar ‘Development Studies,’ and which they were encouraged to apply during their study abroad independent study and while working on their praxis capstone and senior thesis projects. Students will be introduced to and comprehensively study selected public problems in the realms of ‘peace and conflict,’ ‘environment and conservation,’ and ‘human social development’ at the local, national, and/or global level. Each student will then propose, prepare, and engage in a leadership project that offers immediate and long-term solutions to a public problem of their choice. The seminar will conclude with critical evaluations of the hands-on leadership projects, including their rationale, planning and execution, and expected outcomes.

Specifically, the course introduces major (economic) issues that are challenging global leaders. The course starts with (economic) theories about global production, international trade (structure), the impacts of information and technology, etc. Then the course synthesizes some development challenges that the global leadership is facing. The course is a seminar type where some selected issues and policies will be presented, analyzed, and discussed actively by students. Some specific cases of the rising powers, energy and environmental issues may be covered. The specific topics are subjected to change and adapted to students’ level and interest.

The content and significance of issues in economics vary according to changing market conditions at the local, regional, and global levels. This course identifies and explores economic topics that stand out for their special significance both from the standpoint of economic theory and the prevailing economic practices of the day. 

Specifically, the course content would cover emerging policy issues during the development of the economies.

This course offers an introduction to the basic concepts of critical thinking and propositional logic. The aim is to present students with a balanced survey of inductive (content) and deductive (formal) kinds of arguments. Students will learn about the advantages and disadvantages of each kind of argumentation, thereby gaining a comprehensive vision of the capacities and limitations of rationality in general. The course begins with a discussion of the fundamental principles of argument analysis. Students learn how to distinguish between premises and conclusions, how to recognize arguments from non-arguments, and also gain tools for assessing the strength and cogency of arguments in our everyday language. Students also learn how to identify and fix both formal and informal fallacies. If time permits, propositional logic will take up the last section of the course. Students will become acquainted with truth tables and natural deduction, and will practice translating from natural language into symbolic notation. Throughout the course, emphasis will be placed on the application of logic within our everyday lives, helping students to develop clear thinking skills, while exploring the usefulness of logic for philosophy and theoretical subjects generally.


This course introduces the principal components of written and oral argumentation. This course provides students with opportunities to analyze arguments, map viewpoints, and advocate for claims of their own.

 

Rhetoric is the art of persuasion using all means possible. In this class students explore the various means of persuasion,particularly in written and spoken forms. Students learn how various means can be employed artfully to achieve specific desired ends, to persuade others of the value of an opinion, viewpoint, or understanding. Rhetoric is fundamental to all acts of communication. The study of rhetoric will enhance the student’s effectiveness in communicating and in understanding communication. Through the study of rhetoric students will deepen their knowledge and understanding of how argument and rhetoric work in many communicative spheres: visual, literary, business, advertising, and politics. 


This course surveys leading thinkers and ideas that shaped the European intellectual tradition. We will consider works by thinkers such as Plato, Aristotle, Augustine, Descartes, Locke, Berkeley, Hume, Kant, Hegel, Nietzsche, Marx, and Freud.

 

This course focuses on the role of subjectivity in the emergence of the modern European world. One of the most important differences between the ancient Greek worldview and the modern worldview comes from a modern preoccupation with the tensions between subjectivity and objective reality. Is experience a reliable source of knowledge? Do things exist objectively beyond consciousness? Or is the mind the basis for all of reality? This course traces these specifically modern European questions about subjectivity back to Descartes’ Meditations and then explores some of the most significant breakthroughs in the debate.

 

The emphasis will be throughout on analyzing what these thinkers say and why they say it. The main goal is to develop an understanding of the western philosophical approach, and to develop a critical understanding of some problems and arguments which continue to challenge us today.

In this course, we consider the applications of ethical theories to different areas of social concerns, concentrating on the analysis of case studies and critical discussion of moral principles and ethical codes. In terms of theory, we look at some of the most important ethical ideas in the history of Western philosophy (virtue ethics, utilitarianism, and deontology). The course also focuses on debates about Ethical Egoism and Altruism.

This course offers an introduction to the basic concepts of critical thinking and propositional logic. The aim is to present students with a balanced survey of inductive (content) and deductive (formal) kinds of arguments. Students will learn about the advantages and disadvantages of each kind of argumentation, thereby gaining a comprehensive vision of the capacities and limitations of rationality in general. The course begins with a discussion of the fundamental principles of argument analysis. Students learn how to distinguish between premises and conclusions, how to recognize arguments from non-arguments, and also gain tools for assessing the strength and cogency of arguments in our everyday language. Students also learn how to identify and fix both formal and informal fallacies. If time permits, propositional logic will take up the last section of the course. Students will become acquainted with truth tables and natural deduction, and will practice translating from natural language into symbolic notation. Throughout the course, emphasis will be placed on the application of logic within our everyday lives, helping students to develop clear thinking skills, while exploring the usefulness of logic for philosophy and theoretical subjects generally.


The course explores the mechanisms and problems of modern industrial organizations. The functions and challenges that organizations face are explored from the economic, "environmental", and managerial perspectives. The linkages between the structure, conduct, and performance of industrial organizations are analyzed. Risks to growth and even survival from increasingly fluid and uncertain environments that modern industrial organizations face are examined. Managerial strategies to respond to various threats and opportunities are discussed.


The course introduces the economic development of Japan. The course examines the economic institution, and mechanisms. The course covers work organization, information structure, incentives, distribution and governance in the corporate firms, regional contracting between firms and corporate grouping, the role of financial institutions and the government.


This course surveys a wide range of global issues. Topics will be covered include, for example, globalization, conflict and cooperation, global security, global economy, development, environment, human rights, gender issues, etc. Students will learn basic concepts, analytical tools, and approaches for studying issues affecting social change on a global scale.

This course has two important goals. The first is to give students an understanding of major global issues. Students will learn about diverse cultures, regional integration, globalization, and global conflict. The second is to train students to use a variety of data to analyze global and societal issues, as well as to suggest solutions to real-world problems. Students will be expected to develop critical thinking skills and perspectives to better understand the global issues.  Students will engage in various types of class activities, such as class participation, group discussions and presentations. 

 

Topics/Assignments:

The course is divided into two main sections:

i) Global issues

ii) Presentation and discussion on global issues

 

We will explore the themes of the class using a variety of materials: readings, case studies, videos, and internet source materials. The class will include in-class exercises and homework assignments.

An important aspect of the trend towards the globalization of markets is that the economies of nations are becoming increasingly intertwined and inter-dependent. The relevant boundary of market exchanges is becoming less national and increasingly continental and global. This course examines the workings of various economies with respect to their decision making mechanisms, resource endowments, and changing/growing demand for goods and services.

English Linguistics 1 is an introduction to the nature of language, with a focus on the English language. The course aims to develop students’ knowledge of the formal features of language. The topics that will be covered are phonetics, phonology, morphology, and syntax. Each of these modules will be examined through the lens of first and second language acquisition.

Explores the theories and models that have led to the growth and refinement of business relations between nations. The course uses specific cases of contemporary business/trade policies and practices of nations to explore current applications of theories and models.

Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to:

Conduct a formal analysis of the role and impact of international business on national economic development.

Provide reasonable explanation on how the economic, political/legal, and financial environments affect international business operations. 

Join a discussion on how cultural and behavioral differences influence countries business practices, and how these differences can be addressed using appropriate strategies.

Outline main points of international trade theory and how government and business decisions influence international trade.

Explain how differences between countries, regions, cultures, economies support or complicate marketing, export and import strategies.