Teaching English for Japanese undergraduate students while playing an environmental board game in English

In this paper we propose an unique approach to teaching communication and negotiation skills, as well as environmental issues, in an integrated manner. We describe and evaluate a course which has been taught to first and second year students at the University of Tokyo, Japan. The course is based on a board game called “Keep Cool 2”. During the course students are provided with background knowledge, play the game, reflect on the progress of the game and its outcome, and present their findings to the group. The objective of this course is twofold: students should learn about the environmental issue and the related geopolitics on the one hand, while on the other hand they are encouraged to improve their English language skills in general and negotiation skills in specific. Our experiences show that the board game is an effective way to engage the students. Additionally, the presence of international students or students who studied abroad seems beneficial, since their participation in the game and discussions helps the other students to develop their language skills.