Course Introduction: Introduction to Plurilingual and Pluricultural Studies I

General Education Courses | Group III Humanities and Social Sciences, Introduction to Plurilingual and Pluricultural Studies I

This course began together with the launch of the Faculty of Economics’ program,
“Plurilingual and Pluricultural Studies” in 2026. The aim of this program is to encourage students to broaden their study of the second foreign language beyond merely improving their language skills, and to develop an interest in the culture, society, and history of the people who speak those languages. This will give them a general education that is appropriate for living in a diverse world. Sharing this vision, this course features a series of lectures by faculty members who normally teach second foreign languages in the Faculty of Economics. They discuss how they first encountered their respective languages and how those experiences have shaped their current research. Although they are now experts in their respective languages, many of them first began learning those languages during their own university years. Today, they utilize those language skills to conduct research in a wide range of fields, such as literature, linguistics, philosophy, history, political science, and sociology. Through this omnibus lecture series, the instructors will share their experiences to convey the vibrant and diverse world that lies beyond language learning.

At the same time, this diverse world is not a world that exists as the Other. Learning a language means inviting plurilingualism into ourselves, opening ourselves up to pluriculturalism, and cultivating our own pluralism. And those who can embrace their inner pluralism will surely be able to love others who, at first glance, may seem different.

The idea of plurilingualism and pluriculturalism is a principle advocated in the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR), established by the Council of Europe . Furthermore, Keio Research Center for Foreign Language Education has long promoted this philosophy as a guiding principle for language education. While building on this philosophy, this course aims to go beyond language education itself to foster awareness and understanding of the plurilingual and pluricultural aspects of contemporary society, and to provide an opportunity for students to reflect on how to live in such a plurilingual and pluricultural world.