The International Leadership Course


The International Leadership Course is an intensive three-year high school program. Our students use English as a tool in order to learn to succeed in a competitive international environment. The course is aimed at high-level universities. 


ILC picture

ILC Curriculum Change


Starting in 2013, the ILC will no longer be a three-year course (HS 1-3).  Instead the course will become a two-year course (HS 2-3). This change has been made to allow the students to study math and science more in their first year of high school.  Although the curriculum will be cut to make the course two years, the main projects will remain. 

For details about the change from the three-year course to the two-year course, see this section of our FAQ.

For details on the revised International Leadership Course curriculum, please see our ILC curriculum page.


A History of Success

Universities:

Our students have been very successful in university entrance examinations:

The class that graduated in 2012 had 19 members.  One is attending Akita International University, 2  are attending Sophia University (Jochi), 1 is attending Waseda University, 2 are attending Seikei University, 1 is attending Seishin Girls University, 1 is attending university in the US, and 3 are attending MARCH-G level universities.

The class that graduated in 2011 had 28 members.  One is attending Akita International University, 2  are attending Sophia University (Jochi), 1 is attending Waseda University, 1 is attending Ritsumeikan University, 1 is attending Kansai University, one is attending university in the US, and 5 are attending MARCH-G level universities.

The class that graduated in 2010 had 39 members. One is attending the Tokyo University of Foreign Studies, 1 is attending International Christian University, 1 is attending Sophia University (Jochi), 4 are attending Waseda University, 1 is attending Akita International University, 1 is attending Gakushuin University, 1 is attending Ritsumeikan University, and 17 are attending MARCH-level universities. 

The class that graduated in 2009 had 30 members.  One is attending Kyoto University, 2 are attending Waseda University, 3 are attending Sophia University (Jochi), 9 are attending MARCH universities, and 1 is attending Ritsumeikan Kyoto University. 

The class that graduated in 2008 had 36 members.  Five are attending Waseda University, 4 are attending Sophia University (Jochi), 14 are attending MARCH universities, 1 is attending Ritsumeikan Kyoto University, and 1 is attending Doshisha University.  

For details, please see the university results page.

English and TOEIC:

Students begin the International Leadership Course by learning basic English, logic, and communication.  The class level in English at the beginning of the first year in the International Leadership Course is about the same as the first year high school national average for Japan: TOEIC 375.  During their three years in the course, our students build up their ability through doing challenging goal-oriented projects, such as speeches, presentations, and debates.  At the end of their third year in the ILC, our students' class average is TOEIC 610.  This result is a 63% increase.

For details, please see the TOEIC page.

A History of Improvement


The International Leadership Course was founded in 1993. Throughout its 17 year history, we have improved it every year by refining our teaching techniques, more effectively motivating students, adding or modifying curriculum, and enhancing our results. We will continue to improve the International Leadership Course to better meet our students' goals. 

For details, see the ILC history page.



The ILC's Unique Curriculum and Methodology


The International Leadership Course has a unique, goal-oriented curriculum.  ILC students progress through the course by meeting the goals that we give them, each goal more difficult than the last.   A few examples of what our students do are problem solving activities, writing short stories, opinion speeches, made-for-tv news presentations, debates, and research papers.  We use a wide variety of activities to give our students as many different experiences as possible.  Through meeting these goals and having these experiences, our students learn how to accomplish their own goals and develop confidence in themselves.  

For details, see the ILC activities page.

When the International Leadership Course was started, most of what was planned was considered impossible for students of a foreign language to accomplish. Fortunately, we never told our students that, and so they have successfully accomplished these goals year after year, each year doing better than the year before. The teachers of the International Course and its students have learned that, with careful planning, good teamwork, and a lot of hard work, nothing is impossible.



The International Leadership Course Rules


1.  Students must be responsible.

2.  Students must respect themselves.  Students must respect other people.

3.  Students must help each other.

International Course Name Change

To better reflect the unique curriculum of the course, we have changed the name of the International Course to the International Leadership Course, as of April 1, 2010.  











Focuses of the ILC

  • Leadership

  • Logic

  • Communication

  • Research

  • Problem Solving

  • English

Leadership

International Leadership Course students learn to lead others. The course has many group activities. During their three year experience in the course, students have  opportunities to lead their classmates in these group activities. They guide their group in accomplishing specific goals that can only be achieved by working closely together.

Logic

Our students learn to use logic as a basis for everything they do: learning, research, problem solving, opinion formation, communication, negotiation, and leadership.  

Communication

ILC students learn to communicate effectively.  They learn public speaking, writing, computer presentations, and audio/visual presentations.  The communication skills they learn are useful in any language.

Research

Our students learn to do research using books, magazines, newspapers, the internet, interviews, and surveys.  They learn to separate reliable from unreliable sources, summarize their findings, and use them effectively.

Problem Solving

ILC students learn to solve problems individually and in groups.  They research problems, evaluate and develop solutions, and present these solutions to their peers and authority figures. 

English as a tool

The International Leadership Course is not a "conversation" course. The teachers of the ILC use English to teach the students all of the things listed above.  The students use English to accomplish the goals set for them by the ILC teachers.  Naturally, our students become very good at English.