- Education & Assessment
- Education Programs
Foreign Language Education
Regular English Program
Overview
- Target: Employees of MOFA
- Duration: 36 weeks (twice a week)
- Attendance: Around 300
- Schedule: March-May / June-August / September-November
Objective of Education
- To enhance English fluency needed for carrying out diplomatic work
- To improve debating ability in English about current issues as well as communication competency
Course Characteristics
- Level specific classes(intermediate/mid-high/advanced level)
- Providing senior-level diplomats with private tutor for advanced classes to enhance English fluency (twice a week)
- Improving ability to carry out practical work by using newspapers, magazines and speech articles as teaching material
- Strict attendance management
Regular Second Foreign Language Program
Overview
- Target: Employees of MOFA
- Duration: 36 weeks (twice a week)
- Attendance: Around 300
- Schedule: March-May / June-August / September-November
Objective of Education
- To enable employees to more effectively carry out their roles as diplomats in overseas diplomatic missions that use second foreign languages
- To acquire fluency in more than one second foreign language for each person
Course Characteristics
- Major second foreign languages and less-commonly-taught foreign languages
- Active support for providing less-commonly-taught foreign language classes even when there is low demand
- Diverse classes from general conversation to free discussion
- Strict attendance management
Foreign Language Program via Telecommunication
Overview
- Target: Employees of MOFA(in headquarter)
- Duration: 36 weeks (2-3 times a week)
- Attendance: Around 381
- Schedule: March-May(1st class)/June-August(2nd class)/September-November (3rd class)
Objective of Education
- To enhance foreign language fluency through customized conversation practice
- To establish a more flexible environment to learn foreign languages without the constraints of time and location
Course Characteristics
- Providing diverse classes such as business conversation, e-mail writing and preparation for certification tests
- Increasing learning effectiveness through immediate feedback using mobile applications and PC
- Increasing attendance by adjusting schedules or by providing supplementary classes according to personal schedule
Second Foreign Language Program for Overseas Missions
Overview
- Target: Employees of overseas diplomatic missions
- Duration: March-December of 2020
- Attendance: Around 600
- Schedule: Year-round depending on the plan of overseas missions
- Language: International official language excluding English(French, Spanish, Russian, Chinese, Arabic) and local language
- Method: Group study or individual learning
Objective of Education
- To improve local language proficiency and the capability to carry out the diplomatic tasks of overseas missions
- To cultivate communication competence to adapt to local areas and to build networks with local people
Course Characteristics
- Concentrated support for overseas missions that require local language education other than English
- Proper mix of joint learning(group lecture for the office) and individual learning (personal lecture) to effectively achieve learning objectives
- Monitoring achievement through learning outcomes report and reflecting this in future support
Pre-departure Program on Rare Foreign Language
Overview
- Target: Heads of overseas missions and public officials assigned to countries using less-commonly-taught foreign languages
- Duration: Between the date of appointment and beginning of new post
- Attendance: Around 60
- Schedule: Up to 12 times for 90 minutes each time
Objective of Education
- To acquire entry level language skill from basic letters to simple conversation
- To adapt to the new country and to carry out diplomatic tasks effectively
- To understand the assigned country better by learning local language
Course Characteristics
- Educating people assigned to regions using less-commonly-taught foreign languages other than English, Chinese, Japanese, Spanish, French, Russian and German
- Improving language skill through 1:1 short-term concentrated education