English Language

– English Learning at Forum –

In Japan, Business English is usually taught as a higher level of English, meaning after the basics gave been established. Our approach is unique in that we start with Business English (vocabulary, phrases, and roleplays) from the very beginner level. We do this to give our clients a headstart on their progress towards being able to use real communication in their workplace.
Forum has custom designed numerous courses to meet the needs of professionals who need to use English in their daily work. Each course takes into account the learner’s level of English proficiency and learning goals, and includes business skills and topics that are useful in real-life situations.
In addition to level-specific programs, we also offer industry specific programs such as our Omotenashi English program for staff working in a customer service industry, as well as specific courses for many other fields. For more details, please see our Industry Specific Courses page.

– Quality & Assessment –

– Materials & Textbook –

The goal of our English language courses is to help students develop the ability to communicate in English according to their situation, purpose, and role. Therefore, the core materials are chosen on a case by case basis in order to comprehensively cover the target skills. The instructor may also use supplementary materials when necessary.

– Levels & Grouping –

Before the start of all courses we conduct an FSI level check (as used by US government agencies) with each participant to determine their current ability. Students will then be grouped as closely as possible with others of a similar level. The results of the level check are also used to determine the curriculum materials used in the course and to help determine realistic targets for improvement.
The following table shows an approximation of how the results of the IRL check compare with other popular tests in Japan.