Kinki University English Village E3 [e-cube], a pioneer of English villages nationwide, exceeded 9 million visitors on May 7, 2016, 5 years and 20 months after its opening.
The facility, which was opened in 2006 with the aim of increasing the number of Kinki University students studying abroad and improving their English proficiency, initially aimed for 1 visitors a day, but now more than 100 people visit a day, which is much higher than that. The facility is so popular that some students take the university entrance exam because there is an English village.In addition, since the opening of the village, the number of students studying abroad for a long time has increased, and some students have dramatically improved their TOEIC scores while attending.
In principle, conversations in the village are in English only and Japanese is not possible.You can use it whenever you want, and you can enjoy conversations with resident native staff, free reservation-free events "Activities", and a "Help Corner" where you can ask questions about learning English.
In addition to the activity area, there is also a cafe and lounge in the facility, which is entirely covered with wooden glass and shines in the sunlight.We are also planning events such as speech contests by volunteer students and staff, Halloween and Christmas parties. This kind of space was created by the attitude of sticking to "playing in English" rather than "studying with play".
Basically, it is aimed at students and faculty members of Kinki University, but it is said that a program for the general public will be implemented during the long vacation of the university.
Sachiko Kitazume, a professor at Kinki University, has been appointed as a member of the Council of Experts of the "Tokyo Version of English Village," which the Tokyo Metropolitan Government is promoting to open in time for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics.In addition, there are many visits from other universities and municipalities as "an example of an epoch-making initiative to change the common sense of English education."Facilities based on Kinki University English Village have been set up in various places, and this unique attempt, which is the first for a Japanese university, has spread nationwide after 10 years.
