Abstract

This paper summarizes a 4-part forum describing ongoing efforts to transform Freshman English, a key
course in the 1st-year English program at a private university in Japan. Recognizing rapid, consequential
changes in the global view of English and the nature of communication, faculty and staff determined
to thoroughly reimagine an English program that would authentically address fundamental concerns
of our historical moment. This evolving, decidedly hybrid approach is founded on philosophical
principles derived from sociocultural theory, social semiotics, multiliteracies, and the New Literacy
Studies. The first contribution underscores the need to move away from a skills-based, communicative
approach to language teaching. The second outlines the theoretical framework shaping the new curriculum
development process. The third provides an example task sequence within a process-oriented
syllabus, illustrating how this theoretical position has been implemented. The fourth addresses assessment
issues both in general and with respect to specific institutional needs and constraints.