At National Geographic Learning we are dedicated to bringing the world to the classroom and the classroom to life through our innovative and inspiring materials. Now, more than ever, it’s important for students to engage with materials for learning English that are vital, enriching, and motivational.

To provide students with opportunities to explore and discover their own voice in English we’re excited to launch ‘Voices’. This is a new seven-level series designed to develop cross cultural communication and mediation skills. In addition, we are expanding our range of content based English course books with ‘Reach for the Stars’ and ‘Lift’. We are also pleased to present four new titles designed specifically for learners and teachers in Japan.

It is with mixed feelings that after twenty years of working with the company, I announce that Rika Kojima has decided to pursue other interests outside of ELT publishing. Rika has been an exemplary colleague. I know many will remember her for her unique personality and commitment to supporting teachers throughout Japan. It’s a pleasure to introduce myself as the new business manager for National Geographic Learning Japan. I have been working with the company for over 10 years and during that time have always endeavored to provide teachers and students with the best materials and service possible. That dedication will continue with an even greater focus. We thank you for considering National Geographic Learning materials to be a valuable addition to your classroom.

David White
October 2022

Almost two years have passed since the pandemic forced us to live in a 'new normal'. I'm so moved by the tremendous effort and perseverance by teachers when classes were switched from offline to online, and vice versa, at short notice. We have been, and continue to be, even more committed to supporting teachers and learners to overcome the challenges ahead.

The Olympic Games were hosted in Tokyo during the pandemic. An important purpose of learning English is to communicate with the world and the Olympics can offer authentic examples of this. Whatever path the 'new normal' might take, we will each embrace our own vision of globalization and ways of communicating with the world. In fact, the shift to digital learning catalyzed by the pandemic may bring even more opportunities to achieve this.

National Geographic Learning's mission will remain to 'bring the world to the classroom and the classroom to life', and we strive to bring digital innovation to our materials for both teachers and learners. We will also continue to make good use of digital tools such as hosting webinars to keep in touch with you.

Last but not least, we must not forget that face to face communication is essential in order to really connect, even if digital accessibility now feels easier. I am looking forward to the day when we are able to choose when to use online or offline communication. Until then, please stay safe.

Rika Kojima – Head of Business

With the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, hardships and drawbacks have been felt across many aspects of our lives. These disadvantages are witnessed in a variety of educational settings around the world. When I think of the difficulties faced by teachers and students who are forced to teach and take classes online, it is beyond anything that I could have imagined even just a year ago. In spite these difficult circumstances, I am very impressed by the determination of teachers who have created new learning environments and the attitudes of students who are adapting to these situations. Rising to the challenges of online lessons, teachers are finding a variety of innovative ways to teach as effectively as possible.
For National Geographic Learning, 2020 was also a year of turbulence and change. Just before the beginning of the new semester, we saw a huge surge in demand for digital content, and we tried every possibly way to meet that demand. However, I must say it was a lot of ‘trial and error’ to find what the best solutions might be. Having learnt from this experience, we are committed more than ever to support you and your students with the expertise we have gained. Please don’t hesitate to contact us for advice on setting up new learning environments.
This year, we will publish a new edition of the long-time best-selling 'Speaking of Speech'. It is a presentation book loved by many teachers. We are honored to have such a chance to republish this book. We hope to continue to work with you to contribute to the advancement of English language education in Japan during this challenging period.

Rika Kojima - Senior Sales Manager

We would like to express our gratitude for your continued patronage and interest in our English language teaching materials. It has been 32 years since our Japan office was first established. Starting as Thomson Corporation and transitioning to Cengage Learning in 2007, the ELT division is now branded as National Geographic Learning. Although the name has changed, our belief in the teaching materials that we deliver remains as strong as always. With our mission to "Bring the world to the classroom and the classroom to life," we will continue to support teachers and learners of English throughout Japan. We develop educational materials with the desire to help learners connect with the world through National Geographic and TED Talks content. By the world, we mean the physical world, the temporal world, and the world of each individual learner. Aiming to create materials that allow learners to expand their horizons and develop their talent through the medium of English, we will continue to make every effort to help English education in Japan. Thank you for considering National Geographic Learning materials for your classroom.

Rika Kojima - Senior Sales Manager

With the message of 'Ideas Worth Spreading', TED Talks deliver numerous highly acclaimed talks to the world. Thenumber of people accessing these talks is said to be about one billion, the majority of whom are non-native Englishspeakers like us. It makes me wonder why TED Talks are so popular for people like us.
Public speaking is said to be the one activity that scares a lot of people. For non-native speakers, this feeling is evenstronger. We feel in awe of TED speakers who deliver their message with wit and can connect with an audienceemotionally.

I had the honor of talking to a TED speaker and asked him how many times he rehearsed his talk. He said "I do it atleast 200 times". His talk brought tears to my eyes. The reason why TED Talks are so popular may be that not only isthe message interesting, it's the passion and dedication that the speakers have.
At National Geographic Learning, we have a range of programs with engaging content from TED. We provide scaffoldedtasks which make authentic TED Talks accessible to non-native speakers. We also provide comprehensive support forinstructors. We too are passionate and dedicated to developing materials that help learners and English education inJapan.

Rika Kojima - Senior Sales Manager

Greetings,

Ten years have passed since we began our ground breaking partnership with National Geographic. Over this time, we are grateful to the many teachers and learners who have chosen to use our materials with National Geographic content, and would like to thank you all again.

Alexander Graham Bell established the National Geographic Society with a vision to 'share the world and all that is in it'. We try our best to reflect the mission and work of the society in our programs by "bringing the world to the classroom and the classroom to life." That's our version of Alexander Graham Bell's original vision.

Photographs that are so incredible you doubt your eyes, photographs that are so full of emotion you feel the soul of the subject - such photographs, and the stories and passions behind them, have been the gift which National Geographic has brought to us for 130 years. These timeless treasures inspire in an exceptional way. It is our mission to deliver such unparalleled content to teachers and learners through our English teaching materials and we take this responsibility seriously.

Following the successful partnership with National Geographic, we are now also thrilled to be working with TED Talks. TED Talks are the single most widely sourced videos for English learners. They're popular because of the ideas in the talks and because of the natural English used by both native and non-native TED speakers who speak passionately in their own unique way. TED Talks are viewed over 1.5 million times a day, with many of these coming from Japan, and we are honored to be TED's exclusive partner in English language education.

It is said that 1.5 billion people are learning English around the world, each with their own special reason. It is our desire to help each learner achieve his or her goal.

We thank you and look forward to supporting you in the future.

Rika Kojima - Senior Sales Manager

Greetings,

Recently we have seen an increase in the number of foreign visitors to Japan. I have witnessed Japanese people welcoming tourists and answering questions in fluent English, making me think that English ability is improving at a rapid pace. At the same time, MEXT has announced plans to raise the English level of junior high school students to CEFR A1 as current research shows that, disappointingly, this is the typical level for high school third graders. Post high school, there are now universities that offer content based courses taught solely in English and yet other institutions require very low-level materials to support struggling learners. One can see a great diversity in what is needed from language learning resources.

National Geographic Learning is pleased to offer quality materials featuring TED Talks as a unique and groundbreaking solution to these eclectic needs. TED Talks feature fascinating presentations from leading innovators, entrepreneurs, artists, inventors and scientists who share "ideas worth spreading". By carefully grading this content, we have created compelling, accessible resources to appeal to a wide range of English language learners. Our aim is to excite, thrill and inspire all - from the most advanced learners to the traditionally less motivated - to see English as a means to connect to the world through meaningful, relevant and accessible content.

Thank you,
Rika Kojima - Senior Sales Manager, ELT/School

Greetings,

The Japanese government has put together plans to reinforce English education. Examples include introducing English to 3rd graders and making English mandatory for 5th and 6th graders. Another example is that English classes in Junior and Senior High schools are to be taught all in English. At the workplace, we have witnessed many foreign nationals working in many aspects of Japanese society and, in the future, it is likely that more of your colleagues will be people from different parts of the world. With the upcoming Olympics in 2020, the enthusiasm and energy to learn English is felt stronger than ever before.

In recent times, the shift from 'learning English' to 'learning in English' is a key trend being observed. As an ELT publisher, we strive to offer content that is beneficial for 21st century learners. Whether this is through print or digital delivery, we will do our best to provide cutting edge solutions to our educators and learners.

As such, we are honored to announce a new partnership with National Geographic Learning and TED. TED believes passionately in the power of ideas to change attitudes, lives and, ultimately, the world. This partnership will help us to provide curious minds with authentic, compelling materials in the classroom. Alongside rich, National Geographic resources and one-of-a-kind instructional support, powerful TED Talks provide an engaging springboard for learners to share ideas in English.

It's been seven years since we began our unique relationship with the National Geographic Society. Thanks to you all, this has been a great success. We are particularly pleased to announce that two of our best-selling series, 'Reading Explorer' and 'World English' have been updated this year with more exciting and beneficial content for learners.

We will strive to offer engaging and thought provoking materials for both instructors and learners with our two flagship partners, National Geographic and TED. Their respective mottos, 'inspiring people to care for the planet' and 'ideas worth spreading' go hand in hand with our own mission of 'bringing the world to the classroom - and the classroom to life'. We hope to be of service to you.

Rika Kojima - Senior Sales Manager, ELT/School

Greetings,

With the awarding of the 2020 Summer Olympic Games to Tokyo, the students of today will be placed front and center in forming the impressions of foreign visitors to Japan in just a few years' time. Our students likely will have left us by then, well into their academic and professional careers. How are we preparing them for the future? What skills do they need to ensure they are successful in the fields of their choosing? How will the communicators of today transform into the communicators of tomorrow?

Cengage Learning, in partnership with National Geographic, shares a mission "to inspire people to care about the planet". By delivering engaging, relevant, and motivating materials, we seek to support educators in bringing language learning "from the classroom to the world". Through high-quality content and excellent service, we aim to be your publisher of choice.

Thank you very much.

Rika Kojima - Senior Sales Manager, ELT/School

In 2012, with the positive development of our partnership with National Geographic, Cengage Learningchanged the ELT imprint name to National Geographic Learning (Cengage Learning remains the parentcompany name). We believe that the resources offered by National Geographic contribute greatly to the field ofEnglish language education through their rich content and exploration of contemporary global issues.

Globalization continues at a rapid pace, and Japanese society needs people who can lead our future andplay an active role in the international community. The government, universities, schools, and industry are alltackling the difficult issue of how to develop talented individuals who can ensure Japan remains competitivein the expanding global market place. Given this situation, we understand that the expectations of Englishteachers are increasing, and your role is becoming even more important and challenging.

As an English language educational publisher, we believe it is our responsibility to strive to develop and provideyou with the best possible materials, and we look forward to working closely with you to meet your needs andthe needs of your students.

Thank you very much.
Rika Kojima - Senior Sales Manager, ELT/School

The memory of the devastating earthquake and tsunami that hit the Tohoku area of Japan will remain with us.
Our deepest sympathies lie with the families who have lost loved ones as they begin to rebuild their lives.
Because of the scale of this disaster, many people around the world were moved to help. Cengage headquarters in the US donated through the Japanese Red Cross, and we continue to support relief efforts through 'ELT for Tohoku', a consortium of publishers and distributors dedicated to improving the lives of those who suffered.
As Japan rebuilds and moves forward, the need for Japanese people to communicate on the international stage is becoming even more important. Learning English through materials that are meaningful and relevant will prepare people for an increasingly globalized world.
It light of this, Cengage Learning is pleased to announce a strengthening of our partnership with National
Geographic which will be extended for the next 30 years. In addition, we're honored that our ELT materials will now carry the 'National Geographic Learning' name. Since 1888, National Geographic's mission has been to inspire people to care for the planet. By sharing this vision through relevant ELT materials, we hope to empower learners to be true global citizens.

With kindest regards,
ELT Team

On behalf of Cengage Learning K.K. we want to thank you, our customers, for your continuing support as we strive to improve our products and services.

This year, we are proud to present the new edition of World Link, one of our most popular courses . Teachers who are familiar with the series will find it even more enjoyable to use. Teachers new to the series are bound to be impressed with its unique fluency focus, special video program, and extensive teacher support.

We also are proud to introduce our latest series of graded readers called Page Turners. Fun and easy to read, this is a series you won't want to put down!

On the fourth anniversary of our unique partnership with National Geographic to develop English language learners materials, we have released a brand new secondary course called Time Zones. With a strong international focus combining a communicative approach with stunning National Geographic images, video, and content, this is a course both students and teachers will enjoy.

Recognizing the unique needs of Japanese teachers and students, Cengage Learning continues to publish a diverse range of Japan-specific texts developed in cooperation with Japan-based instructors.

We look forward to another year supporting you in meeting the global and local educational needs of Japan.

With kindest regards,
ELT Team

Dear Teachers,

On behalf of Cengage Learning K.K. we want to thank you, our customers, for your continuing support as we strive to improve our products and services.

On the 3rd anniversary of Cengage Learning, we are proud to present exciting new products from the partnership between Heinle ELT and National Geographic. Through this new range of innovative titles, we aim to work with educators to change the way the world learns English. Please see pages 6, 30, 36, and 90 for more details.

Also in 2009, Cengage Learning acquired the Marshall Cavendish ELT list including its Summertown imprint. Through this acquisition, Cengage Learning will now offer more choices for students and instructors of General, Special Purpose and Business English, and deliver a wider range of materials to prepare students for English language examinations such as TOEIC®, IELTS®, and TOEFL® iBT.

Lastly, Cengage Learning continues to publish a diverse range of Japan-specific texts developed in cooperation with Japanese and Japan-based foreign instructors.

We look forward to another year working in cooperation to meet the global and local educational needs of Japan.

With kindest regards,
ELT Team

Dear Teachers,

On the first anniversary of Cengage Learning, we want to thank you, the users of our product, for your inspiration and contribution to the quality publishing we aim to provide. Thank you for allowing us the opportunity to be of service. Thank you for continuing to offer your support.

We hope you will share our excitement about our latest publishing initiative. Heinle ELT, a part of Cengage Learning, and National Geographic have partnered to create English language learning materials which bring our world and its different cultures to life.

Founded in 1888, the National Geographic Society is one of the largest non-profit scientific and educational organizations in the world. It reaches more than 285 million people worldwide, and has funded more than 8,000 scientific projects.

Heinle and National Geographic are committed to producing learning materials that promote educational excellence, encourage cultural awareness and understanding, and reflect the lives and interests of learners everywhere.

In addition, Cengage Learning remains committed to finding and developing Japan-based talent. Our increasing diverse range of Japan-specific product is built on the research and proposals from you, our users. Your feedback and hands-on participation in the publishing process is invaluable as we strive to be a truly global and local publisher.

With kindest regards,

ELT Team

Dear Educator,
Welcome to the CENGAGE Learning ELT website. This website has been a long time project for all of us, and I am very happy to be able to announce that it is finally up and running. It is not yet finished, yet we hope to make this website the perfect tool to serve the needs of ELT teachers in Japan. Your feedback is greatly appreciated. Hope you enjoy this. Thanks!

Rika Kojima
Sales Manager ELT
CENGAGE Learning ELT