東京理科大学 A英3: Writing assignment 6・作文6

Hello!

How are you? In this post, I will introduce our 6th writing assignment (作文6) for the year - writing our opinions on news and issues topics (時事問題) of your choices.

Topic

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 your university student life
• 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, and also even more timely and important. One of these we have already looked into today - about hikikomori. But I will give extra points to students who try for writing about these topics – and I will have supporting blogposts for these topics:

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

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, around 3-5 paragraphs' worth of writing - but of course if you can write more, go for it!

Deadline (締め切り)

It will be December 17th (12/17), so I want you to work on your first draft (下書き) in class from now in your notebooks in pencil. Bring your drafts to the next class. 

I will try to talk to as many of you as I can to review your drafts, and you can change things about the draft as you need to, then write to the finish, print the final version out, and turn in your work. 

Good luck with this! I look forward to reading your great writing on these issues!

Image: By Skagens Kunstmuseer - Lisette Vind Ebbesen med en kopi af dagens avis, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=56159623

特別ポスト：The Small Book of Big People review

Hello to all my students,

Image "Asian Model Woman" courtesy of posterize/FreeDigitalPhotos.net

How are you? Did you have a great summer? I hope you did - I know I had a great summer!

Do you remember our book The Small Book of Big People? I've worked on it some more, collecting some more of your paragraphs for it, and today would like to show you a few more paragraphs from it. Like before, I had to edit some of these, but the words and feelings are yours. Take a look at these.

I respect my cram school teacher. He was kindly and reliable. Now, I still often go to meet him and talk about various things. When I was a junior high school student, he taught me English, history and Japanese. His teaching was plain and interesting, so I was easy to understand him. He advised me how to study English. I practiced it and took high score in English tests. Thanks to meeting him, I came to like English. That is why I respect him!

Great! How about this one? 

My most respected person is Mizuki Noguchi. She is a marathon runner. She is very small, but her early characteristic was a stride form of running. She took the gold medal at the Athens Olympics. When I read her book, she impressed me greatly, because she said, “the distance does not let me down.” I was touched by her words. She is an unusually hard worker.  I want to become a player like her.

That's great too! Check this one:

Kim Jeajung is the most famous Korean singer. I think he is cool, mysterious, cute, a gentleman, elegant, smart and he sings very well! When I was 13 years old, I saw him for the first time on a TV music program when he appeared with the group he is famous for, Touhoushinki. When they sung, I was very surprised by their songs, and his beautiful voice especially shocked me. This group became famous in Japan, and he rose in popularity. I often listened to their songs then. Their beautiful harmonies relaxed me and cheered me up, especially his voice. He is now the face of Korean cosmetics store called Tony Mory. It profited thanks to him. I think his popularity shows no sign of abating. Recently, he has become an actor playing the leading roles in two films. I think he will have become a huge star! I want to continue to cheer for him, and I will love him forever.

Now how about this one:

My exceptional people are my parents. My mother is doing housework and she is working part time job too. It is very hard, but she never says complaint in the presence of a child. I always talk her when have a matter causing. My father is a self-employed person. His work is very hard and tired. But, he is working for us every day. My parents always come in on my side in the end and to help. They think about children in the very first. So I thank them and respect. I want to become parent like them in the future.

This person has great parents!

Let's remember! You can refresh yourself more on the exceptional people paragraphs that you saw on this blog in July. Click on this link for Part 1, on this link for Part 2, here for Part 3, and more here for Part 4.

There will be more in another blogpost coming up. See you there!