This paper examines obstacles faced by Japanese students learning English, noting that many such students are highly competent in reading, writing, and listening, but not in speaking. It suggests that students are worried about making oral mistakes, which cannot be erased once uttered, and that oral activities completed in English class are often…

Examines the role which women's study groups and writing circles have played in the education of women in Japan, China, and the United States. Serves as an introduction to a cross-cultural study of women's history in the three cultures. Points out that the course raises questions about the politics of women's education. (LS)