Writing English 2A: Special note for 7/18 class・7月18日の知らせ

Hello!

How are you? This is a quick note to let you know that next week (7/18), we will meet in Building 7, Room 232. So please do not go to our regular classroom - go to 7232!

7232 is a computer room, so please bring:

• Your finished typed writing files - your outline and your final version of the final writing assignment
• Also bring a USB. If you do not have a USB - buy one (they're cheap)!

If you are not finished with your writing, you can finish it in the computer room. I will look at your outline and final version, and give you advice, comments and any hints for it. Any changes you need to make you can then make on the computer, and then print out. 

See you next week in Room 7232!

Image: Personal photograph. All rights reserved.

Writing English 2A: Spring semester final writing assignment・前期期末作文

Hello!

How are you? Here is the spring semester final writing assignment - writing a final paper based on your thesis statement and outline from writing assignment 3.

This assignment will be important because it will go directly from our writing assignment 3 (作文 3), so it is important that you do this one based on your topic in writing assignment 3.

Topics/themes

There is no set topic or theme with this assignment – but whatever topic you wrote an outline and thesis statement about in your writing assignment 3, there is one rule you have to follow: You have to write about the same topic for your final writing assignment. So as I have said before, the outline and thesis statement for this third assignment will be preparation for your final writing assignment. 

I said this on the handout and blogpost for writing assignment 3, but I will say it here again as a special rule: You can choose to write about something from the themes (テーマ) of writing assignment 1 or 2, but you cannot write about the same topic you wrote about before - you have to choose something different. For example, you have to write about a different person than what you wrote about before, or a different topic in the 1st or 2nd assignment themes.

Deadline (締め切り)

It will be July 18th (7/18), so I want you to bring in a first draft (下書き) of the thesis statement and outline next week (来週) in your notebooks in pencil. I will then review your work, and you can change things about the thesis statement and outline as you need to. Then you can write to the finish and turn it in on 7/18. 

While I can give you some in-class time to write, you will have to work on your writing outside of class to make it the best piece of writing you have ever made!

Good luck! I look forward to reading your great writing! 

Image: Personal photograph. All rights reserved. 

Writing English 2A: Writing assignment 3・作文3

Hello!

How are you? Today I will introduce our third writing assignment (作文3) - writing an outline with a thesis statement on a topic. 

This assignment will be especially important because it will connect directly to our final writing assignment (期末作文), so it is important that you do this one. 

Topics/themes
There is no set topic or theme with this assignment. You are free to choose any topic you like. But usually, deeper topics that have a number of points about them make better topics to outline. 

Special note:
Whatever topic you choose to write an outline and thesis statement about about, however, there is one rule you have to follow: You have to write about the same topic for your final writing assignment. So the outline and thesis statement for this third assignment will be preparation for your final writing assignment. 

If you cannot think of a topic to make an outline and thesis statement, then write a final writing assignment about, here are some ideas: You can make an outline and thesis statement, and write a final assignment, about one of the writing assignments we have done before. 

Now here is one special rule: You cannot write about the same topic you wrote about before - you have to choose something different. For example, you have to write about a different person than what you wrote about before, or a different topic within the 2nd assignment theme.

NEW NOTES: Here are the board notes for today's (6/20) class: 

THIS IS IMPORTANT! Look at the key to writing strong thesis statements:

Now here is a refresher about what we have done before: 

Writing assignment 1 (作文1)
These were our topic choices:  

• Writing about a famous person including points on what they look like, how they dress, what     they are known to you for or are famous for, and what else is unique or interesting about them
• Writing about a place including where it is, what is special about it, what special things there are, and how to get there

Writing assignment 2 (作文2)
These were the idea choices for different topics within this theme:  

•          The aging population (老齢人口) of Japan and what older people need for their support  
•       Social media and its problems 
•       Issues and/or things that need improvement for student life at Daito Bunka
•       Possible problems and/or issues connected with the 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympics 
•       Voting rights (投票権) for 18-year-olds in Japanese elections (選挙) 
•       Refugee issues (難民の問題) and what refugees need for immigration (移住) to Japan 
•       Hikikomori and their problems of social adjustment (社会適応) in Japanese society

Deadline (締め切り)
It will be July 4th (7/4), so I want you to bring in a first draft (下書き) of the thesis statement and outline next week (来週) in your notebooks in pencil. I will then review your work, and you can change things about the thesis statement and outline as you need to. Then you can write to the finish and turn it in on 7/4. 

While I am reviewing your work, you can go ahead and begin writing a first draft of the final writing assignment itself - the body (中心) of your topic and theme in class.

Good luck! I look forward to reading your great thesis statements and outlines! 

Image: Personal photograph. All rights reserved.

Writing English 2A: Supplemental notes for writing assignment 2・作文2の付記

Hello!

How are you? I'm very sorry to upload these notes so late! I don't know why - but they wouldn't upload last night. But tonight (June 7th), they could upload.

So here are the other notes from yesterday's class:

I hope these notes can help you with your writing. Take care!

Images: Personal photographs. All rights reserved. 

Writing English 2A: Special post on hikikomori and social adjustment・特別ポスト「引きこもりと社会適応」

Hello!

How are you? Here is another special post to go with our 2nd writing assignment (作文2) - your opinions about hikikomori and what they need to re-enter society.

Support & preparation (準備)
If you choose to write about this topic, here is some support for you. 

Watch this video. This is a Japanese short news documentary about hikikomori and the efforts of a special school, called One Step, that intervenes (取りなして) in family situations where there are hikikomori, and tries to help them take the first steps to integrate (溶け込む) back into normal lives.

Watch the video as many times as you need to. When you are finished, answer these questions in your notebook about the different parts of the video (you can make notes in English or Japanese):

First case – the 47-year-old man

Where is the man living?

How long has the man been living in his room?

How does his parents feel about his situation?
How much money have they lost because of his situation?

How did he react when the One Step School people tried to interview him?

What were some of the things that the man had written in the letters?

What was his job?

What did Hirooka-san from the One Step School say about hikikomori?

According to the newspaper story shown in the video, around how many hikikomori are there?

Second case – the 41-year-old man

In the man's home, what did the One Step School people find when they first walked in?

What did they find near the washing machine?

How long has the man been building up the garbage in his house?

What might have happened to have caused him to build up the garbage?

Around how many hikikomori are staying at the One Step School?  

What kinds of services does the One Step School have for the people who stay there?

Task 
Now look at your notes and write 3-4 paragraphs about what you think of what hikikomori need. 
What are your ideas about how they can re-enter society? 

If you believe that hikikomori are not society's problem and that they should not be given any help, give 
your reasons why.

I know this is also a deeper topic than what some of you have done before - so as I say in my handout 
about our 2nd writing assignment, I will give some extra points to you for trying for this topic.

Good luck! I look forward to reading your great writing about this issue.

Take care!

Image: By علاء - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=56389070
Video uploaded from YouTube. I do not own the rights to the video. Uploaded strictly for educational purposes only. All rights reserved to the 
copyright holder(s).

Writing English 2A: Special post about refugees & immigration ・特別ポスト「難民と移住」

Hello!

How are you? Here is a special post to go with our 2nd writing assignment (作文2) - your opinions about refugees (難民) and what they need for immigration (移住).

Support & preparation (準備)
If you choose to write about this topic, here is some support for you. 

Refugees have many problems, and many things they need. Watch this video. It's mostly in Japanese, but with some English, with Japanese subtitles  (日本語の字幕). 

Watch the video as many times as you need to. When you are finished, answer these questions in your notebook about the different parts of the video (you can make notes in English or Japanese):

日本のメッセージ
1. What did the first woman say about coming to Australia as a refugee?
2. What did the second woman say about communication between the government (政府) and refugees?

シンポジウムから待たヒント
What did Ishii-san say about the two women's refugee stories?

日本にできること
What did Moriya-sensei from Hokkaido Educational University (北海道教育大学) say about the needs of refugees?

長野県松本市の取り組み
What did Takizawa-sensei from Toyo Eiwa Women's University graduate school (東洋英和女学院大学大学院) say about help for refugees in Matsumoto city in Nagano (長野県松本市)?

求められる視点
What did Daniel Alkhal (ダニエル・  アルカル ) from the UNHCR (国連難民高等弁務官事務所) say about the three different steps of support refugees need?

Make these notes in your notebook. You can make these notes in Japanese or English.

Task 
Now look at your notes and write 3-4 paragraphs about what you think of refugees and their needs, especially in coming to Japan.

If you believe that refugees should not come to Japan, give your reasons why.

I know this is a deeper topic than what some of you have done before - so as I say in my handout about our 2nd writing assignment, I will give some extra points to you for trying for this topic.

Good luck! I look forward to reading your great writing about this issue.

Take care!

Image: By Mikhail Esteves from Bangalore, India - Mae La Refugee Camp, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=2720844
Video uploaded from YouTube. I do not own the rights to the video. Uploaded strictly for educational purposes only. All rights reserved to the 
copyright holder(s).

Writing English 2A: Writing assignment 2・作文2

Hello! 

How are you? Here is our second writing assignment (作文2) – writing opinions on news and issues (時事問題) topics.

Topics

You have a lot of freedom with topic choices for this writing assignment. Choose any news item, or an issue in society – in Japan or another country – that you have an opinion about.  

But if you have trouble thinking of a topic, here are some choices for you. Look at these and choose one (1):

• The aging population (老齢人口) of Japan and what older people need for their support
• Social media and its problems (for example, fake news, or selling of people’s personal data by Facebook or other social media sites)
• Issues and/or things that need improvement for student life at Daito Bunka
• Possible problems and/or issues connected with the 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympics 
• Voting rights (投票権) for 18-year-olds in Japanese elections (選挙) 

For an extra challenge, here are two topics that are even deeper, but also even more timely and important. I will give extra points to students who try for writing about these topics - and I have separate supporting blogposts for these topics: 

• Refugee issues (難民の問題) and what refugees need for immigration (移住) to Japan
• Hikikomori and their problems of social adjustment (社会適応) in Japanese society

I am gathering writing on these topics into a book called Voices & Ideas - this is a book about student opinion writing on news topics and social issues. The best of your writing on this topic could go into this book, so write to the best you can! 

How much to write

I would like you to write as much as you can, because your work may be published (出版した) on both this blog and in the Voices & Ideas book. 

I would like to see maybe 3-4 paragraphs' worth of writing. 

Deadline (締め切り)

It will be June 13th (6/13), so I want you to bring in a first draft (下書き) next week in your notebooks in pencil. I will go over more how you can build your opinion writing, with language for opinions - phrases, expressions, and vocabulary. Then you can write to the finish and turn in your work on 6/13. 

Good luck! I look forward to reading your great writing on news and issues topics!

Image: Screenshot taken from https://www.japanvisitor.com/japanese-culture/cult-japan-newspapers

I do not own the rights to the original photograph. All rights reserved on original photograph to the copyright holder(s). Uploaded for classroom purposes only.