While "good" English is desirable in developing skill in the language as an international tool of communication, phonetic and grammatical perfection are not of prime importance. (The author observes that many Japanese are so conscious of rules that they are reluctant to speak in English.) The speaker must have, first of all, an intellectually valuable idea deserving of debate or discussion, and his English must be sufficient to participate in a group where communication is taking place. It is the primary aim of the ITC (Intensive Training Courses), set up by the Council on Language Teaching Development of Japan in 1968, to train students to overcome their reluctance to speak English by developing skill in communicating their ideas in English. Thirty-two ITC groups in English were set up throughout Japan. Each group, consisting of one Japanese English instructor, one native speaker informant furnished by the American Committee for Cooperation on English in Japan, and 15-20 students, was required to spend two weeks totally immersed in an English-speaking atmosphere. No specific method or theory for English teaching was recommended; the teachers were asked, however, to place as much emphasis on debating exercise as possible. Pre- and post-tests were given and "remarkable progress" was shown both in the written and the oral-aural tests. (AMM)