A Call for Greater Quality Assurance in Postsecondary English Language Education in Japan

Quality assurance (QA) is a necessary component of language education that is too often overlooked or absent in Japanese higher education institutions. This paper discusses the notion of QA in language education generally, briefly outlines the landscape of QA in postsecondary English language programs in Japan, and discusses some organizational factors that may help or hinder QA in such contexts. The paper concludes with recommendations for how postsecondary English language programs in Japan can offer more robust QA measures in order to provide a uniform standard of course and lesson delivery to all students. 質保証は言語教育になくてはならない一要素であるが、日本の高等教育機関においては、あまりにも見過ごされたり、欠けていたりしている。そこで本論は言語教育一般の質保証の観念について述べる。まず、日本の高等教育の英語教育プログラムにおける質保証の状況を簡単に概観し、その中で質保証の助けまたは妨げになるようないくつかの組織的な要因について論じる。最後に、日本の高等教育における英語教育プログラムが、全ての学生に対し、コースや授業の統一された基準を提供するべく、いかにより堅ろうな質保証の対策が講じられるかを提案する。

An Investigation into Hufi English-Majored Students’ Issues with Translation and Interpretation

English Language programs that seek to offer learners adequate English skills and translate strategies to conduct in multilingual environments include translation and interpretation. However, translating effectively is not a simple task because English language skills are not the only factor to consider; other factors also play a role. Owing to their poor language proficiency and comprehension of translation methods, many HUFI English-majored students have no experience with translation and interpretation. Therefore, this paper looked at how HUFI English-majored students approach translation and interpretation tasks and how successful those translated versions are in relation to the original Vietnamese documents. The results showed many incorrect translated items caused by “word-by-word” translation or meta-phrase technique and the influence of the Vietnamese language on two translated texts and talks from ten participants. Teachers of translation and interpretation subjects and students will get advice on improving the curriculum and teaching methods.

Pesantren readiness for the English programs

Indonesia does not guarantee legitimately English as a second language. However, numerous Indonesian schools officially teach English, including pesantren (Mawardi, Maulidiansyah, Kamal, Nasai, 2019). Historically, the pesantren is an Islamic educational institution that teaches students through classical Islamic books (Fadhilah, 2011). Now, pesantren has been teaching modern lessons, including foreign languages such as English (Tahir, 2015). This study was designed to investigate the pesantren's readiness for English programs. Data collection was done by interview, observation, and documentation. Participants are people who are closely related to the object of research. A total of two English language coordinators were interviewed to obtain data on the pesantren's readiness for the English programs. The researchers also did observation and documentation to obtain supporting data from the research objects. The findings reveal that the pesantren's readiness for English language programs is outstanding in terms of the kinds of English programs, teachers' contributions, supporting facilities, and the pesantren environment itself. These findings are in line with previous researchers' findings, such as Insan (2019), Yulistiya (2020), and Setiawati (2018), stating that there are excellent programs for the advancement of students a foreign language.

The Intersection of Policy and Practice: Two Cases of English Language Programs in Southeast Asian Law Enforcement Academies

The emergence of English as a lingua franca in Southeast Asia has meant that government officials are increasingly required to use English. Law enforcement officers are no exception; police interact with international tourists, communicate across borders, attend international conferences, and participate in deployments overseas. The practical need for English is accompanied by national policies prioritizing English instruction across educational and governmental institutions. As a result, law enforcement academies increasingly prioritize English language programs to support the English proficiency of their cadets. This article describes case studies of English language programs at two law enforcement academies in Vietnam and Indonesia. Data was originally collected and analyzed as separate needs assessment evaluations designed for each institution. Findings were later compared and reinterpreted through a language policy and planning lens. Common to both cases was the demand to prepare cadets for the dual challenge of conducting specific police duties in English and of achieving high scores on academic English exams. Recommendations are provided for policymakers, practitioners, and researchers in the field of Language for Specific Purposes.

Language Proficiency and Assessing Classroom Achievement: A Literature Review

The goal of placement tests in language programs is to divide students into homogenous groups for the purpose of class assignment. In most intensive English language programs such as the AEC, the most typical criterion for dividing students into classes is proficiency in the target language (English). Accurate and reliable placement tests are crucial to the successful functioning of any English language program. This literature review discusses the concept of language proficiency and ways to measure it.