English Language Competency Required for Japanese Students
English Conversation Clubs in Japan
Online Resources for Learning English
Engagement With Nakatani RIES U.S. Fellows in Japan
Language Learning at Rice University
Idioms in the U.S.
Regional Dialects in the U.S.
English Language Competency Required for Japanese Students
The language of research host labs at Rice University is English and all selected participants must have the English-language ability necessary to successfully complete a research experience in the U.S. While you are at Rice, you will speak in English within your lab and on a day-to-day basis. All seminars and workshops will also be conducted in English.
If Selected: If you are selected as a program participant, you will be required to provide proof of English language ability in one of the following ways as part of the J-1 visa documentation process at Rice University.
- Option 1: Pass an English Language Interview with the Center for Written, Oral, and Visual Communication (CWOVC) at Rice University; conducted via Skype.
- Option 2: Provide Proof of IELTS Score of 7 or above
- Option 3: Provide Proof of TOEFL Scores of:
- TOEFL Paper-based: 600 or above
- TOEFL Computer-based: 250 or above
- TOEFL Internet-based: 90 or above
More information on proof of English language competency will be provided to program participants in April.
English Conversation Clubs in Japan
We strongly encourage all potential applicants and selected participants to speak in English as much as possible – even while you are still in Japan. Check with your university International Programs/Exchange office and ask if there are any English Language Tables or Conversation Clubs that you can join at your home university. These programs may enable you to interact with international students in Japan and practice/improve your English conversation by speaking with your new international friends!
Online Resources for Learning English
The following online resources may be helpful to your English language learning and speaking goals. If you live nearby a U.S. Embassy or Consulate you may also want to like their Facebook page or visit their website to learn more about various programs and events they may host for students interested in speaking in English or study/research in the U.S.
- American English at State: Materials for Learning English
- EF Resources for Learning English
- 5 Ways International Students Can Improve Conversational English Skills
- 8 Best Interactive Websites for Adults to Learn English
- 11 Free Websites to Practice English at Home (NY Public Library)
- American vs. British English
See also 'Academic Writing & Presenting for Non-Native English Speakers' on our Presentation and Poster Development Resources page.
U.S. Embassy & Consulates in Japan – American Corners & Education USA
Engagement with Nakatani RIES U.S. Fellows in Japan
Whenever possible, each Japanese Fellow will be matched with a current Nakatani RIES Fellow who will be conducting research this summer at a Japanese university near where you live in Japan. This way, you can informally meet up with the American Nakatani RIES Fellow/s closely to you during the nine-weeks they will be doing research at their host universities in Japan. This will be a useful opportunity practice speaking English with native English speakers even before you leave Japan.
All Japanese Fellows will also have the opportunity to participate in joint weekend workshops with the U.S. Fellows in May and in July. Through these activities, you will have the opportunity to get to know all of the Nakatani RIES U.S. Fellows and ask them questions about life in the U.S. For more information see our Program Schedule.
Language Learning at Rice University
While at Rice University, you will speak in English on a day-to-day basis in your research host lab. Each week, there will be an English language seminar taught by the Center for Written, Oral, and Visual Communication (CWOVC). These seminars will not be English classes, rather they will focus on the development of strategies and skills to improve upon your use of English in an academic and research environment. Past seminar topics have included Vocabulary Acquisition, Idioms Commonly Used in Academia, and Academic Writing Skills. These seminars for Nakatani RIES Fellows are modeled off of the 'Build Your English Vocabulary' Workshop series that is offered to degree-seeking international students at Rice University.
While you are at Rice University, you will also have the opportunity to meet and connect with U.S. alumni of the Nakatani RIES Fellowship who are degree-seeking undergraduate students at Rice and/or who live in the Houston area. Rice University alumni will be able to introduce you to some aspects of undergraduate college life and give you helpful advice on living in Houston. If you have questions about English, in particular colloquial English, slang, and idioms, they will be very helpful people to ask.
There will also likely be undergraduate students working in your research lab on a part-time basis. While you may not see them as often as the graduate students, as undergraduates must also attend many classes each day, you can ask your professor or graduate student mentor to introduce you to any undergraduate students working in your lab. This will enable you to learn more about why undergraduate students opt to do research at Rice University, even as early as their freshman year. They may also be helpful people to ask about English language scientific or research vocabulary that you may not be familiar with. Since they will likely be new to research as well, they too will be expanding their technical and research vocabulary too. You can also ask them if they can introduce you to various aspects of undergraduate student life on campus.
While this is primarily a research experience program, some of your host professors may be currently teaching undergraduate classes at Rice University. You can ask them if they are currently teaching any undergraduate classes and, if yes, if it would be possible for you to sit on on one or more of their classes. In this way, you would be able to learn more about classroom culture in the U.S. and expand your English language skills to include classroom conversation and discussion. Your ability to sit in on
You will also have the opportunity to meet current Rice University students who are learning Japanese through Ozaki-sensei's Japanese Language Lunch Table Discussion sessions. Typically, there will be 1 – 2 lunch table discussion meet-ups during the time you are at Rice University. You will have the option of purchasing a lunch ticket in advance that will enable you to eat in one of the Undergraduate College Servery (cafeteria) on the day the discussion session is held. You will set in the Private Dining Room with other native Japanese speakers (primarily Japanese graduate students at Rice) and undergraduate students who are learning Japanese. During lunch, the Rice students will only be allowed to speak in Japanese.
These sessions give you an opportunity to meet other Rice undergraduate students, other current Japanese students at Rice, add experience a little bit of undergraduate college (dormitory) life at Rice University. While you won't be speaking in English during these sessions, you will be building your inter-cultural communication skills and making new friends!
Rice University also offers the following English language learning and conversation options. Due to the timing of the Nakatani RIES Fellowship, you will not be able to participate in these programs during your time on campus. However, if you return to Rice in the future as a graduate student these might be helpful resources for you.
Idioms in the U.S.
- Do Idioms Improve or Detract from Academic Writing? (Engao Academy)
- The Language of Academia: Idioms, Metaphors, and Analogies You Need to Know (LinkedIn)
- Academic Idioms (English Practice)
- Funny Science Idioms (Niche)
- 25 Idioms You Should Know for Software Development (Hackernoon)
- Once in a Blue Moon, and Other Idioms that Don’t Make Scientific Sense (Smithsonian)
- Idioms in American English (Learn American English Online)
- Videos: American Idioms (American English @ State.gov)
- American Slang Words and Idioms You Need to Know (Smartling)
- EF: The Most Common Idioms
- 15 Business Idioms Commonly Used in the U.S. Workplace (Spoken English Practice)
- 20 Essential English Idioms for Sounding Like a Native (FluentU)
Regional Dialects in the U.S.
Student Question: I wonder what the cultural differences in the different states in the U.S. is like. Houston is really friendly, but I heard stories about California before which seems totally different from what I see here in Houston. What makes the difference inside the U.S.?
- Great question. Yes, there are regional differences in the U.S. though these are not as different as you may expect. Sometimes the words we use to call things may be different, such as soda in most of the U.S. but pop in Minnesota or the Upper Midwest. People in the South are generally known to be very friendly and outgoing but you’ll find friendly people everywhere in the U.S. However, in big, urban, crowded cities like New York it may be more similar to Tokyo where everyone is in a rush to get to work/home and they don’t seem to be as friendly when you pass them on the street. But, if you need help or get to know someone you may be surprised to find how friendly people can be everywhere in the U.S.
- Regional Differences in the U.S. (International Students.org)
- The Invisible Borders that Define American Culture (City Lab)
- American English at State Videos: They often have videos on idioms and regional sayings that might be interesting.
- Hear American’s Regional Dialects in Action (Browbeat)
- What Dialect Do You Speak? A Map of American English (Washington Post)
- 27 Maps that Show How Americans Speak English Across the United States (Business Insider)
- See also ‘U.S. Small Talk, Friendliness, and Optimism’ on our Intercultural Communication page.
