Writing English A: Opinion writing about tattoos・入れ墨のオピニオン

Hello!

How are you? Today, let's begin writing about opinions. 

Look at the picture above. What is it? It's a tattoo machine - for making tattoos. 

Tattoos have a negative image in Japan, but some young Japanese people feel they may be cool because many young people in other countries have them. 

Activity
Here is a selection of pictures of some tattoos. Which ones do you like - or not like? How do you feel about tattoos? Do you have a negative image about them - or do you think they're cool and stylish? 

Choose one (1) picture and write a quick paragraph in five (5) minutes about it. Write anything that comes to your mind when you look at it. Negative opinions are okay! 

1.

2. 

3. 

4. 

5. 

What do you think of these tattoos? Have you seen any like these here, or on the internet? 

Extra activity/homework (for those who are interested in this topic)
Choose one (1) of these tattoos and write two (2) paragraphs about what you think of it. (It's okay not to like it - you can write about what you don't like about it). 

Here are the board notes for today's (5/22) class:

See you next time!

Images: Top - by Manfred Kohrs - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0 de, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=12806627/

1. Courtesy of gettattooideas.net/2. Courtesy of netluxury.com/3. Courtesy of www.tattoosbeautiful.com/4. Courtesy of inkdoneright.com/5. Courtesy of tattoowell.com/I do not own the rights to the photographs of tattoos or their designs. All rights to images and designs reserved to the copyright holders of the images and/or artists. Uploaded strictly for classroom use. 

Writing English A: Describing & characterizing people・人物を描写、性格の描写

Hello!

How are you? Let's look at how to describe people (人物を描写する).

1. Look at the picture at the top:

This woman has long black hair and closed eyes. Her hand is on her head. 

2. Now here are some extra details about her: 

She looks stressed out.  

3. So, a sample description (例え描写) about her looks like this: 

This woman has long black hair and closed eyes. Her hand is on her head. She looks stressed out.    

4. Now connect some of your sentences, and go on to write more about what you think of the person, and what she is doing:

This woman has long black hair and closed eyes. Her hand is on her head, and she looks stressed out.. I think she's...

Activity/homework
Now let's try to do the same thing - choose two (2) of the people in the pictures below. Write a short paragraph (描写) about each person:

1. What he or she looks like, the clothes he or she is wearing, and what he or she is doing.

2. What you think his or her feelings are, and why he or she feels the way you think. 

Note: In some of the pictures, you might not see the person's clothes, so you can just write about what they look like and how you think they feel. 

1.

2

This person has black shoulder-length hair and dark eyes. She's slender and good-looking. She's wearing a black sweater and gray scarf with blue jeans. I think she's...

 2. 2.

3
 3. 

4.
4. 

5.
5..

6.

6.l

7.

7. 

Have fun!

Here are the board notes for the class on 4/17:

See you next time!

Photo credits: 1. "Beautiful Young Woman" (courtesy of posterize) 2. "Preparing For Dinner" (courtesy of imagerymajestic) 3. "Smiling little girl 

Images: Top - "Asian Woman Have A Headache" (courtesy of tiverylucky)/1. "Beautiful Young Woman" (courtesy of posterize)/2. "Preparing For Dinner" (courtesy of imagerymajestic)/3. "Seated African Child" (courtesy of africa)/4. "Older Man With Hat" (courtesy of Rosemary Ratcliff)/5. "Young Man Thinking Seriously" (courtesy of pod pad)/6. "Old African Man" (courtesy of africa)/7. "Asian Woman Smiling On The Bedroom Floor" (courtesy of Feelart)/All images from FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Writing English 2B: Final writing assignment support post - the future (Part 3)・期末作文のサポート「未来」(Part 3)

Hello! 

How are you? Here is one more supporting post for your final writing assignment about Japan and the future. 

Some of you might have gotten the feeling that writing about the future only means writing about science and technology - and if I gave you that feeling, I'm very sorry! I did not mean only to focus on science and technology. I made my Part 1 and Part 2 posts about science and technology only because so much of what a lot of people imagine about the future involves things like computers, robots, rockets, space travel, and things like that.

But this is not all there is about the future - there is also society and culture too. You do not have to focus on science and technology in your thinking about the future - there are also things such as fashion and music, and the looks of cars and buildings, and the way people live in their day-to-day lives.  

Look at the picture above. It shows an average Japanese family having dinner, and it comes from a Japanese magazine article from 1954 about home life. Is there anything different about family dinner time now than from then? 

Activity
What kinds of social or cultural changes can you see happening in Japan in the future? Japanese society and culture has already been through many changes since World War II. 

Take a look at these next group of pictures. They show some changes that have happened in around the last 50 years, up to now. What do you notice about the buildings, or the cars, or the way people dress? How do you feel that things have changed? 

Chuo-dori, Ginza, Tokyo, 1967

Chuo-dori, Ginza, Tokyo, 2017

Japanese young people, 1964

Japanese young people, 2017

Some street fashions in Japan, late 1960s

Some street fashions in Japan, 2017

So what kinds of changes can you imagine happening in society or culture in the future? What sorts of fashions might people be wearing? For example, would long hair come back into fashion among men? Would women wear mini-skirts again? Or - would men wear skirts and women wear suits? How about music? What would it sound like in the future? 

What designs in cars could you see in the future? Would we see a return to some older designs in cars? How about buildings? How might they be different? Perhaps would we see something that people 50 years ago would never have imagined? 

Good luck with this! I hope this can give you more ideas on how you can write on Japan and the future. 

See you next week!

Images: Top - by Unknown - Japanese magazine "Photograph Gazette, May 1954 issue" published by Government of Japan., Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=17850644/Ginza in 1967 - By Roger W from Sarasota, Florida, U.S.A. - Tokyo - Chuo-Dori, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=60804070/Ginza in 2017 - By Gary - DSC08269 - Chuo-dori Ginza, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=40961932/Japanese young people in 1964 - screenshot taken from Japanese+youth,+Tokyo,+1964+(11).jpg/Japanese young people in 2017 - screenshot taken from https://www.google.co.jp/search?biw=1199&bih=746&tbm=isch&sa=1&ei=w2dXWpWxAcr08QXcjLHAAg&q=japanese+young+people&oq=japanese+young+people&gs_l=psy-ab.12...0.0.0.37755.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0..0.0....0...1c..64.psy-ab..0.0.0....0.ZsHKi1iiTEI#imgrc=VXhxXXgo1PeJ-M:/Fashions in the 1960s - screenshot taken from https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVifNM1qJpNSwRHH30eGOOMQ8u1eWIFbtfL4B4grLM0EviNv46NNj9VRDifgsZfFAEvaTiqIjWnD_UNt_16_RwAXy9_4PHc47nUIu8RRYAJYcTeEPqcCIDsukeHRDb2yeAS0lm4qld3xE/s1600/Street fashion in 2017 – screenshot taken from https://medium.com/@TokyoFashion/japanese-street-fashion-2017-15-things-you-need-to-know-ab06eabfca39

トレンド、オピニオン：入れ墨/trends & opinions: tattoos

Hello!

How are you? Today, let's begin writing about trends or opinions. 

Look at the picture above. What is it? It's a tattoo machine - for making tattoos. 

Tattoos have a negative image in Japan, but some young Japanese people feel they may be cool because many young people in other countries have them. 

Activity
Here is a selection of pictures of some tattoos. Which ones do you like - or not like? How do you feel about tattoos? Do you have a negative image about them - or do you think they're cool and stylish? 

Choose one (1) picture and write a quick paragraph in five (5) minutes about it. Write anything that comes to your mind when you look at it. Negative opinions are okay! 

1.

2. 

3. 

4. 

5. 

What do you think of these tattoos? Have you seen any like these here, or on the internet? 

Write 2 paragraphs about it and what you think of it. (It's okay not to like it - you can write about what you don't like about it). 

Good luck - and see you next time!

Images: Top - By Manfred Kohrs - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0 de, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=12806627/

1. Courtesy of gettattooideas.net/2. Courtesy of netluxury.com/3. Courtesy of www.tattoosbeautiful.com/4. Courtesy of inkdoneright.com/5. Courtesy of tattoowell.com/All tattoo designs rights reserved to the artists. Images uploaded strictly for classroom use.

トレンド、オピニオン/trends & opinions

Hello!

How are you? Today, let's begin writing about trends or opinions, with a focus on fashion. 

Activity
Look at these fashions from the past. Which ones do you like? First, here are some hippies from the 1960s:

Now, here are a group of German women wearing popular fashions in the 1970s:

Next, here is a picture of three girls. It's from my generation in the 1980s, and they are wearing styles that were popular then.

Here is a young person from the 1990s, wearing fashions popular then:

Finally, here is some popular fashion from the past decade - the 2000s:

What do you think of these clothing and hair styles from these different times? Are they like any styles that you see now, or are they different? 

Think of something that is popular now - any kind of music, (or even a band or singer), a TV show or movie, a game or sport, a place, or - as you see in the pictures above - a kind of clothing style that is popular now. When did it start getting popular? Where did you first hear about it? Do you like it too? 

Write 2 paragraphs about it and what you think of it. (It's okay not to like it - you can write about what you don't like about it). 

Good luck - and see you next time!

Images: Top - "Tokyo, Japan - Nov 24: Crowd At Takeshita Street On No" (courtesy of Sira Anamwong) FreeDigital Photos.net/Hippies - "Woodstock redmond

hair" by Derek Redmond and Paul Campbell - Own work. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Woodstock_redmond_hair.JPG#/media/File:Woodstock_redmond_hair.JPG/Four women - "Bundesarchiv Bild 183-L0902-114, Leipzig, Messe, neue Mode" by Bundesarchiv, Bild 183-L0902-114 / Ulrich Häßler / CC-BY-SA 3.0. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 de via Wikimedia Commons - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Bundesarchiv_Bild_183-L0902-114,_Leipzig,_Messe,_neue_Mode.jpg#/media/File:Bundesarchiv_Bild_183-L0902-114,_Leipzig,_Messe,_neue_Mode.jpg/Three girls - by jeanne [Public domain]/Young man - "Jonathan Brandis Wiki" by Airwolfberlin - Own work. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Jonathan_Brandis_Wiki.jpg#/media/File:Jonathan_Brandis_Wiki.jpg/Man on red carpet - "Jared Leto - 66ème Festival de Venise" by Nicolas Genin - originally posted to Flickr as 66ème Festival de Venise (Mostra). Licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Jared_Leto_-_66%C3%A8me_Festival_de_Venise.jpg#/media/File:Jared_Leto_-_66%C3%A8me_Festival_de_Venise.jpg/All rights reserved to the authors of the original images. 

人物を描写している/describing people

Hello!

How are you? Let's look at how to describe people (人物を描写する).

1. Look at the picture at the top:

This man has short black hair and dark eyes. His hands are near his mouth. 

2. Now here are some extra details about him: 

He looks like he's thinking deeply.  

3. So, a sample description (例え描写) about him looks like this: 

This man has short black hair and dark eyes. His hands are near his mouth. He looks like he's thinking deeply.  

4. Now connect some of your sentences, and go on to write more about what you think of the person, and what he is doing:

This man has short black hair and dark eyes. His hands are near his mouth, and he looks like he's thinking deeply. I think he's...

Activity/homework
Now let's try to do the same thing - choose two (2) of the people in the pictures below. Write a paragraph (描写) about each person:

1. What he or she looks like, the clothes he or she is wearing, and what he or she is doing.

2. What you think his or her feelings are, and why he or she feels the way you think. 

Note: In some of the pictures, you might not see the person's clothes, so you can just write about what  they look like and how you think they feel. 

1.
1.

2

This person has black shoulder-length hair and dark eyes. She's slender and good-looking. She's wearing a black sweater and gray scarf with blue jeans. I think she's...

2. 
2.

3
 3. 

4.
4. 

5.
5.
5.

6.

6.l

7.

7. 

Have fun!

Photo credits: 1. "Beautiful Young Woman" (courtesy of posterize) 2. "Preparing For Dinner" (courtesy of imagerymajestic) 3. "Smiling little girl 

Images: Top - "Young Man Thinking Seriously" (courtesy of pod pad)/1. "Beautiful Young Woman" (courtesy of posterize)/2. "Preparing For Dinner" (courtesy of imagerymajestic)/3. "Seated African Child" (courtesy of africa)/4. "Older Man With Hat" (courtesy of Rosemary Ratcliff)/5. "Asian Woman Have A Headache" (courtesy of tiverylucky)/6. "Old African Man" (courtesy of africa)/7. "Asian Woman Smiling On The Bedroom Floor" (courtesy of Feelart)/All images from FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Writing about a trend or opinion/トレンド、オピニオンを書いてる

Hello!

Image "Tokyo, Japan - Nov 24: Crowd At Takeshita Street On No" courtesy of Sira Anamwong/FreeDigital Photos.net

How are you? Today, let's begin writing about a trend or opinion.

First, here is a picture of three girls. It's from my generation in the 1980s, and they are wearing styles that were popular then.

Next, here is a picture of a typical hair style from the 1980s. This was very popular when I was in my early 20s, when I was only a little older than all of you:

What do you think of these clothing and hair styles? Are they like any styles that you see now, or are they different? 

Activity

Think of something that is popular now - any kind of music, (or even a band or singer), a TV show or movie, a game or sport, a place, or - as you see in the pictures above - even a kind of clothing style that is popular now. When did it start getting popular? Where did you first hear about it? Do you like it too? 

Write a short paragraph, about 4-5 sentences long, about it and what you think of it. (It's okay not to like it - you can write about what you don't like about it). 

Good luck - and see you next time!

Image credits: Three girls: by jeanne [Public domain]/New Romantic hairstyle: By alice_bag [CC-BY-2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)]/both images via Wikimedia Commons. All rights reserved to the authors of the original images. 

Writing about people/人物を描写している

Hello!

Image "Beautiful Young Woman" courtesy of posterize/ FreeDigitalPhotos.net

How are you? Here's our 2nd writing assignment (作文 2): how to describe people (人物を描写).

1. Look at the picture at the top:

This person has black shoulder-length hair and dark eyes. She's slender and good-looking. 

2. Now here are some extra details about her clothes (洋服がさらに細かい描写): 

She's wearing a black sweater and gray scarf with blue jeans. 

3. So, a sample description (例え描写) about her looks like this: 

This person has black shoulder-length hair and dark eyes. She's slender and good-looking. She's wearing a black sweater and gray scarf with blue jeans. 

4. Now write about what you think the person's feelings are. 

This person has black shoulder-length hair and dark eyes. She's slender and good-looking. She's wearing a black sweater and gray scarf with blue jeans. I think she's...

Activity
Now let's try to do the same thing - choose one of the people in the pictures below. Write a paragraph (描写) about the person of 4-5 sentences about:

1. What he or she looks like and the clothes he or she is wearing.

2. What you think his or her feelings are. 

NOTE: In some of the pictures, you might not see the person's clothes, so you can just write about what  they look like and how you think they feel. 

1.

2

2. 
3. 

3. 

4. 

5.

llllll

6. 

7. 

Have fun!

Photo credits: 1. "Beautiful Young Woman" (courtesy of posterize) 2. "Preparing For Dinner" (courtesy of imagerymajestic) 3. "Smiling little girl 

Photo credits: 1. "Preparing For Dinner" (courtesy of imagerymajestic) 2. "Seated African Child" (courtesy of africa) 3. "Older Man With Hat" (courtesy of Rosemary Ratcliff) 4. "Asian Woman Have A Headache" (courtesy of tiverylucky) 5. "Old African Man" (courtesy of africa) 6. "Young Man Thinking Seriously" (courtesy of podpad) 7. "Asian Woman Smiling On The Bedroom Floor" (courtesy of Feelart)/All pictures from FreeDigitalPhotos.net