Writing English B: Fall semester final writing assignment・後期末作文

Hello!

How are you? Here is our fall semester final writing assignment.

Tasks
For our final assignment, you can write on anything you like - an opinion paper; comparison and contrast (比較対照) short paper of a topic of your choice - something factual like an issue in the news, or a comparison of some artwork or music; an analysis (分析) of a poem of your choice; or a creative writing effort such as a short story or poem. 

Guidelines
While you have maximum freedom on this assignment, there will be one rule for whatever kind of theme or topic you choose - that is, you cannot simply do the same thing you did before.

For example, if you would like to write an analysis comparing and contrasting two works of art - they cannot be the same works of art you wrote on before. They would have to be two completely different choices of art. Same with music, or an opinion piece - the subjects, or topic, have to be different from what you did before.

Notes on task examples - comparison and contrast

I do not want to give a list of topic suggestions as I have done before, as I would really like you to explore and have the freedom to write on what you really would like. But as an example of a comparison and contrast task, here is a suggestion for a topic: Comparing and contrasting your life in high school to your life in university. 

While many of you might have had similar experiences in your high school life, I would like you to go into details. First, where did you go to high school? What were your favorite classes there? What were the classes you didn’t like? What do you feel were your best subjects? How about your worst subjects? What about the school facilities (施設) – for example, the classrooms, places for sports, or things like the school lunches? What were they like? 

How do any of these things compare (比べる) with your life here at Daito Bunka so far? What do you find about the classes in university that are different (or similar) to your high school education? Once again – go into details about these things. What has been the most difficult thing you have found so far about your university life and education – and what has been the best thing?

Notes about poetry

If you choose to try to write a poem from the notes in the first semester, this may be quite challenging - but one that may also be new, unique, and even fun for you. In this choice, write an original poem in English on any topic of your choice. It could be about yourself, about people around you, about nature, animals, or a place. 

We have seen with the poetry we have read in the first semester how words can be used in ways that are unexpected in everyday writing –  about how they can create images, and how words can be used to show meanings that may be outside the regular way we use them.

This can be very freeform - words do not have to rhyme (韻を踏まない), and you can use words to bring out different feelings - for example, to show how something is like something else, or is as something that is unexpected.  

How much to write

I would like to see you write as much as you can - go for more than what you may have done before if your assignments have been shorter. For the comparison and contrast and opinion choices, I would like you to write around 4-5 paragraphs. But do not limit yourselves - write as much as you can!

I am gathering your writing into the various books I have mentioned before in class. For poetry writing, I would like you to try to write at least three (3) verses in the poem. I am gathering these into a new collection called Ways with Words - a collection of student creative writing. 

So whichever is your choice of writing, try to write to the best you can, because your work may be published (出版した) on both the blog and in these books!

Deadline (締め切り) 

It will be in the new year, on our last day of class, on January 15th, 2020 (1/15/20), and it will be a final version (完成版). This means you should begin writing now – do not wait until the day or night before! 

Good luck! I hope you can enjoy writing on your choices. 

Image: Personal photograph of public artwork along wall, Nakano-ku, Tokyo. All rights on artwork reserved to the artist. 

Writing English B: Fall semester final writing assignment・後期末作文

Hello!

How are you? Here is our fall semester final writing assignment.

Tasks
For our final assignment, you can write on anything you like - an opinion paper; comparison and contrast (比較対照) short paper of a topic of your choice - something factual like an issue in the news, or a comparison of some artwork or music; an analysis (分析) of a poem of your choice; or a creative writing effort such as a short story or poem. 

Guidelines
While you have maximum freedom on this assignment, there will be one rule for whatever kind of theme or topic you choose - that is, you cannot simply do the same thing you did before.

For example, if you would like to write an analysis comparing and contrasting two works of art - they cannot be the same works of art you wrote on before. They would have to be two completely different choices of art. Same with music, or an opinion piece - the subjects, or topic, have to be different from what you did before.

Notes on task examples - comparison and contrast

I do not want to give a list of topic suggestions as I have done before, as I would really like you to explore and have the freedom to write on what you really would like. But as an example of a comparison and contrast task, here is a suggestion for a topic: Comparing and contrasting your life in high school to your life in university. 

While many of you might have had similar experiences in your high school life, I would like you to go into details. First, where did you go to high school? What were your favorite classes there? What were the classes you didn’t like? What do you feel were your best subjects? How about your worst subjects? What about the school facilities (施設) – for example, the classrooms, places for sports, or things like the school lunches? What were they like? 

How do any of these things compare (比べる) with your life here at Daito Bunka so far? What do you find about the classes in university that are different (or similar) to your high school education? Once again – go into details about these things. What has been the most difficult thing you have found so far about your university life and education – and what has been the best thing?

Notes about poetry

If you choose to try to write a poem from the notes in the first semester, this may be quite challenging - but one that may also be new, unique, and even fun for you. In this choice, write an original poem in English on any topic of your choice. It could be about yourself, about people around you, about nature, animals, or a place. 

We have seen with the poetry we have read in the first semester how words can be used in ways that are unexpected in everyday writing –  about how they can create images, and how words can be used to show meanings that may be outside the regular way we use them.

This can be very freeform - words do not have to rhyme (韻を踏まない), and you can use words to bring out different feelings - for example, to show how something is like something else, or is as something that is unexpected.  

How much to write

I would like to see you write as much as you can - go for more than what you may have done before if your assignments have been shorter. For the comparison and contrast and opinion choices, I would like you to write around 4-5 paragraphs. But do not limit yourselves - write as much as you can!

I am gathering your writing into the various books I have mentioned before in class. For poetry writing, I would like you to try to write at least three (3) verses in the poem. I am gathering these into a new collection called Ways with Words - a collection of student creative writing. 

So whichever is your choice of writing, try to write to the best you can, because your work may be published (出版した) on both the blog and in these books!

Deadline (締め切り) 

It will be in the new year, on our last day of class, on January 15th, 2020 (1/15/20), and it will be a final version (完成版). This means you should begin writing now – do not wait until the day or night before! 

Good luck! I hope you can enjoy writing on your choices. 

Image: Personal photograph of public artwork along wall, Nakano-ku, Tokyo. All rights on artwork reserved to the artist. 

Writing English B: Writing assignment 6・作文6

Hello! 

How are you? Today I will introduce our 6th writing assignment (作文6) - taking the art and music from our 5th writing assignment (作文5) and now using it as a basis to write a short story to. 

I hope this will be fun and interesting for you!

Preparation & guidelines
If you remember our activity from the first semester about feelings and ideas to pictures, then you already know a way you can write about for this assignment. (If you would like a refresher on the activity about feelings and ideas to pictures to help you, go to this link here.) 

For this 6th assignment, you have a choice. You can write about:

• One (1) piece of artwork -or- 
• One (1) piece of music

You also have another choice. You can choose a piece of artwork of your own, or a piece of music of your own, that you search out. But if you want to write about art or music from the blogpost pages from assignment 5, that's okay - go to:

• The link for writing on artwork
• The link for writing on music

But you have the freedom to go and choose artwork or music of your own. The only rule I would have about writing on your own music that you have chosen is that it should be instrumental - no vocals or lyrics. But any kind of music (classical, old Japanese, jazz, rock, electronic, or EBM) is okay.  

For this assignment, you do not need to have a pair of artworks or pieces of music; you should only have one (1) artwork or one (1) piece of music. 

You do not need to analyze (分析して) the art or music; in fact, you do the opposite - you imagine a story or scenario to go with the art or music you choose, and write a short story to it, based on your feelings and what the artwork or music gives you the sense or ideas of. What does it suggest to you, or give you a mental picture of? Do you imagine characters, a situation, even animals or things in it? Do the characters have names? What are they doing and what is happening with them? What metaphors (隠喩) come to you from the art or music for your scenario? 

So this is pure creative writing. There are no rules - except the ones you make!

How much to write

I would like to see maybe 4-5 paragraphs' worth of writing, but do not limit yourself - write as much as you can, if you can, because as before, I will gather the best of your writing into the Every Picture Tells a Story and Words on Music books I have talked about before in class. So write to the best you can! 

Deadline (締め切り)

It will be December 18th (12/18), so you have two (2) weeks to work on this. As before, bring in a rough draft next week (12/11) to read aloud to your classmates - it does not have to be 100% finished, but bring along enough that you can then develop more in class. 

Special note: 
On 12/18, I will immediately give the information for the final writing assignment. So be ready to upload to Edmodo (or turn in) your work so you can then get started in class on the final assignment! 

Now here are the board notes for our classes on 12/4 & 11. First, here's the 12/4 notes:

Now here are the board notes for 12/11:

Good luck! See you next time!

Images: Top - screenshot taken from original artwork at http://musicapave.com/artes-visuais/desenhos-em-partituras/Board notes - personal photographs. All rights reserved.
I do not own the rights to the original artwork of the top image, or the website it was taken from. All rights reserved to the copyright holder(s). Uploaded for classroom purposes only.

Writing English B: Writing assignment 6・作文6

Hello! 

How are you? Today I will introduce our 6th writing assignment (作文6) - taking the art and music from our 5th writing assignment (作文5) and now using it as a basis to write a short story to. 

I hope this will be fun and interesting for you!

Preparation & guidelines
If you remember our activity from the first semester about feelings and ideas to pictures, then you already know a way you can write about for this assignment. (If you would like a refresher on the activity about feelings and ideas to pictures to help you, go to this link here.) 

For this 6th assignment, you have a choice. You can write about:

• One (1) piece of artwork -or- 
• One (1) piece of music

You also have another choice. You can choose a piece of artwork of your own, or a piece of music of your own, that you search out. But if you want to write about art or music from the blogpost pages from assignment 5, that's okay - go to:

• The link for writing on artwork
• The link for writing on music

But you have the freedom to go and choose artwork or music of your own. The only rule I would have about writing on your own music that you have chosen is that it should be instrumental - no vocals or lyrics. But any kind of music (classical, old Japanese, jazz, rock, electronic, or EBM) is okay.  

For this assignment, you do not need to have a pair of artworks or pieces of music; you should only have one (1) artwork or one (1) piece of music. 

You do not need to analyze (分析して) the art or music; in fact, you do the opposite - you imagine a story or scenario to go with the art or music you choose, and write a short story to it, based on your feelings and what the artwork or music gives you the sense or ideas of. What does it suggest to you, or give you a mental picture of? Do you imagine characters, a situation, even animals or things in it? Do the characters have names? What are they doing and what is happening with them? What metaphors (隠喩) come to you from the art or music for your scenario? 

So this is pure creative writing. There are no rules - except the ones you make!

How much to write

I would like to see maybe 4-5 paragraphs' worth of writing, but do not limit yourself - write as much as you can, if you can, because as before, I will gather the best of your writing into the Every Picture Tells a Story and Words on Music books I have talked about before in class. So write to the best you can! 

Deadline (締め切り)

It will be December 18th (12/18), so you have two (2) weeks to work on this. As before, bring in a rough draft next week (12/11) to read aloud to your classmates - it does not have to be 100% finished, but bring along enough that you can then develop more in class. 

Special note: 
On 12/18, I will immediately give the information for the final writing assignment. So be ready to upload to Edmodo (or turn in) your work so you can then get started in class on the final assignment! 

Now here are the board notes for our classes on 12/4 & 11. First, here's the 12/4 notes:

Now here are the board notes for 12/11:

Good luck! See you next time!

Images: Top - screenshot taken from original artwork at http://musicapave.com/artes-visuais/desenhos-em-partituras/Board notes - personal photographs. All rights reserved.
I do not own the rights to the original artwork of the top image, or the website it was taken from. All rights reserved to the copyright holder(s). Uploaded for classroom purposes only.

Writing English B: 11/27 board notes・11月27日のボードノート

Hello!

How are you? Here are the board notes for our classes on 11/27. Above are the main board notes. 

Now below are the other board notes:

See you next week!

Images: Personal photographs. All rights reserved. 

For all classes - special note on 11/27 event

Hello!

How are you? Above is a flyer I was given about a special event that will be next week on November 27th (11/27) about Thailand.

If any of you are interested in Thailand, you can meet five (5) students from Thailand and speak with them. They will be happy to meet you! 

See you next week!

Image: Personal photograph of British and American Literature Department flyer. All rights reserved to the department. 

Writing English B: 11/20 board notes & class similes・11月20日のボードノートとクラスの直喩

Hello!

How are you? Here are the board notes for our class on 11/20, including your great simile (直喩) writing. 

Above are the main board notes. Now here are the supporting board notes, with your original similes as the last two (2) board note shots:

I was very happy to see you come up with these similes. I hope you had a good time with them! 

See you next time!

Images: Personal photographs. All rights reserved. 

Writing English B: 11/13 board notes & style rules for artists' and musicians' names, titles of artwork & pieces of music

Hello! 

How are you? In this post are two (2) things: For one, the board notes for our class on 11/13, and for another, some stylistic rules for writing titles of works of art and pieces of music. 


To begin with, at the top are the main board notes. Below are the other notes: 

Now let's look at how to write titles of artwork and pieces of music! 

1. Names of artists, musicians, & musical groups

Names of artists, singers, and names of musicians (either their real or stage names) are written naturally, with only the first letters of their personal, and family, names in capital letters (大文字). For example:

claude monet   Claude Monet

Wolfgang Amadeus mozart   Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

KUSAMA yayoi   Kusama Yayoi

taylor Swift   Taylor Swift

Eric clapton   Eric Clapton

SAKAMOTO Ryuichi   Sakamoto Ryuichi

Stage names or nicknames of musical artists, and names of musical groups, unless the artists state differently, also follow the same pattern. 

Lady Gaga
Freddie Mercury 
Prince
Aiko

The Beatles (only at the beginning of sentences; when in sentences - the Beatles; same for any other bands with "the" as the beginning of their names) 
Queen
Yellow Magic Orchestra
Babymetal 

2. Titles of works of art & music

Titles of paintings or sculptures are in italics, with the most important words in a multi-word title with capitalized first letters. For example: 

Mona Lisa 
Girl with the Pearl Earrings 
The Thinker (only at the beginning of sentences; when in sentences - the Thinker; same for any other works of art with "the" as the beginning of their titles) 
Painting #1

Titles of pieces of music are a little more complicated. Complex works of classical music and jazz, such as symphonies, concertos, suites, tone poems, and operas, are in italics, in English or even from another language. For example: 

Symphony No. 9
Concerto for Flute and Violin 
Trois Gymnopédies
Tristan und Isolde

Rhapsody in Blue
Porgy and Bess
The Far Eastern Suite (see the note above about works of art with "the" in their titles - pieces of music follow the same pattern) 

However - titles of songs, especially popular songs, are in quotes (" "). For example: 

"Like a Rolling Stone"
"Bohemian Rhapsody" 
"Gangnam Style"
"Gimme Chocolate!!" 

But - titles of musical albums are in italics. For example: 

Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody" was the biggest-selling single off their 1975 album A Night at the Opera. 

The Beatles' final album Abbey Road had some of their last great songs, such as "Come Together," "I Want You (She's So Heavy)," and "Here Comes the Sun," and the Beatles as a band ended their time together on a high point.

I hope these notes help you with the writing of names of artists, musicians, and bands, and titles of works of art and music. 

See you next week!

Images; Personal photographs. All rights reserved.