ABSTRACT
This chapter reports on the implementation of the Integrated Communication (IC) skills approach in an EFL course at a Japanese university. The participants comprised third-semester, low-intermediate students. The course focused on improving students’ English skills through theme-based projects. All projects involved (a) reading related to social issues in contemporary American society, such as gun control and same-sex marriage, (b) comparisons between the US and Japan from a cultural perspective, and (c) writing an essay based on the comparisons. Results indicated significant improvements in all subskill categories, particularly text-meaning building and personal-meaning construction. Although knowledge refinement skills also significantly improved over the course of the semester, these improvements were limited, perhaps due to participants’ low L2 proficiency in writing. However, the instructor observed a number of students to present insightful ideas multiple times during the semester. The IC skills approach also positively changed learners’ motivation and engagement, as well as the instructor’s views on teaching.
