2026/8/18

As part of the Department of German Studies, Faculty of Foreign Studies courses "German Communication A" and "German Communication B" taught by Professor Monika Sugimoto during the spring and fall terms at Kyoto University of Foreign Studies (KUFS), students took part in Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) with counterparts majoring in Japanese at Germany's Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf (HHU).
This was carried out as part of the DUS-KYO Project, which was launched in 2022. It aims to provide optimal opportunities for students to cultivate practical language skills and international mindsets by putting acquired language skills to immediate use through conversation with students living in Germany.

Class sessions during the spring and fall terms adopt different approaches to improving students' language skills: the former focuses on debate-style discussion themes from the classroom textbook, whereas the latter has students share their ideas on short films in German, with both approaches revolving around small-group discussion. By listening to and comprehending the others’ remarks, expressing their own ideas, and otherwise engaging in practical German communication, students strive for real improvements to their expressive skills in a foreign language. The results of these day-to-day efforts are put to the test through COIL, wherein students from both countries pair up and exchange messages in both languages every week while gradually building bonds of friendship with one another.

As part of the same project, students also split up into small groups for 30-minute online meetings held three times each academic term, using that time to exchange ideas on various topics. One feature of these meetings is that they are divided into two sections: 15 minutes in Japanese and 15 minutes in German. Furthermore, because the Japanese abilities of the HHU students are roughly the same as the German abilities of the KUFS students, participants on both sides are truly challenged as they put their foreign language skills to use in discussions and debates. By helping each other out while overcoming such challenges, students experience tangible growth in their language skills while gaining greater confidence in their abilities. Additionally, faculty members are closely involved in supporting students. Thanks to their efforts, the DUS-KYO Project has produced scholarly achievements, including the publication of two papers on the educational benefits of the project.

Moving forward, the Department of German Studies plans to expand this project, which connects Japanese students with students in other parts of the world. The underlying goal is enabling students to experience personal growth on a regular basis while providing practical, high-quality language education.

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