Gunma Chapter

Students today need to be both critical thinkers and global citizens; as such, their English education should reflect these goals. This presentation outlines an elective English course for university juniors and seniors entitled, “Understanding World Politics” (UWP) currently offered at Kanda University of International Studies. It aims to show how the objectives of improving English ability, developing critical thinking skills and gaining a better understanding of the world have guided the structure of the course curriculum and the development of materials. The presentation will introduce the concept of critical thinking, describe the UWP syllabus and then finish with suggestions on how to incorporate the development of critical thinking into other learning materials. Participants will have the opportunity to review actual course materials from the UWP as well as share ideas for their own contexts. Topics covered by the materials include political ideology, international relations theory and the Israeli/Palestinian conflict. An appendix of useful resources and recommended materials will also be provided.