Integrating the English Lounge at Hirosaki University

The English Lounge at Hirosaki University was established in 2012 with the goal of promoting internationalization at the university. Currently its part of the Institute for the Promotion of Higher Education. The English Lounge offers students opportunities to enhance their English skills and cultivate an international mindset, and it also engages in community outreach with high school students and local citizens. This summary article outlines the English Lounge’s 13-year journey, offering insights for other SALCs in Japan. The focus is on how the English Lounge integrated itself into the university system and established an identity. The summary covers six phases of integration: 1) the structural move to the Center for Liberal Arts Development and Practices, 2) its role with the university’s Hayabusa College program, 3) the connection it developed with international exchange students, 4) the establishment of social outreach programs, 5) its role in the newly formed Advanced Language Learning minor, and 6) the development of one-of-a-kind events and a series of talks called the EL Forum.