The Hokkaido English Challenge (HEC) is an oral English communication contest run by JET participants across Hokkaido. HEC is a great way to encourage junior high and senior high school students in their English studies. In addition to the opportunity to improve their English during the preparations for HEC, students also stand a chance to be awarded a spot at the HEC Camp, a free two-week study abroad, and other English related prizes.
HEC was established in 1994 by Hokkaido JET participants in an attempt to encourage students and provide them with an opportunity to work more closely with their ALTs. It is organized, run and funded by JET participants each year. It is sponsored by the Hokkaido Association for Japan Exchange and Teaching (HAJET) and supported by the Hokkaido Board of Education. *The Hokkaido Board of Education support letter can be downloaded here.
First year junior high and first year senior high school students work individually or in small groups with an assistant language teacher (ALT) to improve their English listening, speaking and reading abilities. The goal of this effort is to prepare for the HEC test in March. The content of this test is based on the English studies syllabus set by the Ministry of Education, and preparation for the test is not meant to interfere with a student’s usual course of study.
The top junior high school student will be offered the chance to participate in a home-stay to the English speaking country of his or her choice for about two weeks. The home-stay and airfare are paid for by HEC. The second place junior high school student along with the first and second place senior high school students will be offered other English related prizes such as magazine subscriptions, books or electronic dictionaries.
Top finishing 50 students will be invited to attend the HEC Summer Camp held each year in July. The HEC Summer Camp is five days of English immersion activities. Students will have the opportunity to play games, make friends, and generally use English a living and practical language.
Whether a student is invited to attend the HEC Summer Camp, all students benefit from working individually or in small groups with a native English speaker. All participants generally experience a greater level of confidence and ability in English as a result of HEC.
The 2011 HEC Guide contains detailed information concerning HEC policies, pricing, dates, as well as HEC Camp. The 2011 HEC Guide can be downloaded here:
Guides and information from past years can be downloaded here:
Past HEC tests (For reference only.)
Past HEC information packages (For guidance only. For current policies, please refer to 2011 documents.)
