Paper Title
THEORY FIRST OR REALITY FIRST? EXPLORATORY INSTRUCTION ON INTERNATIONAL ECONOMICS FOR THE NOVICE LEARNERS AT A JAPANESE UNIVERSITY

Abstract
Abstract - The purpose of this presentation is to demonstrate a strategy to encourage non-economic undergraduate majors to enhance a greater interest in International Economics. The greatest challenge in teaching this subject is in how to deliver the course contents without mathematical formulas, which are most often considered essential in mastering economic theories. There are two reasons that make it important to meet this challenge. First, non-economic majors often have a weakness in mathematics and some of those students even hate mathematics. Second, many students take the course without knowledge of basic economic principles, such as Microeconomics and Macroeconomics. Utilizing mathematical formulas in this situation discourages students in their academic work. In teaching, the class is divided into two parts; the first half is for learning several topics and theories to achieve the overall goals of the course, whereas the second half is for classroom activities, such as group discussion, presentations, etc. In the first part, the lecturer addresses economic theories related to the field of International Economics with numerical examples, not mathematical formulas, in order to make abstract economic theories easier to understand.In the second part, the lecturer requests students to conduct research about imported goods around them, and then the class tries to expand group discussion based on their individual research. In addition to this, news articles and audio-visual materials are provided. These measures will greatly support students to better understand the lecture. Furthermore, the course also requires a term paper related to global economy. The term paper also supports students’ individual interests in the field of International Economics. This teaching approach has allowed students to comprehend that we receive enormous benefits from globaleconomy, and been successful in maintaining students’ motivation and positive attitude. Based on this educational experience, the lecturer will be able to develop a more effective tutoring approach of International Economics. Keywords - Novice Learners, International Economics, Teaching Strategy