Week 7 - Intro Paragraph 2 Due

Introduction presentations are today!

Did you submit your Introduction Paragraph 2 to Kevin? He will correct and return it so you can save it in your Google Drive with the other paragraphs.

Organization style
In your Introduction Paragraph 2, you mentioned how you will organize your report. There are basically two variations ...

Organize topics by Authentic & ESL Materials. Which one should be first?

• Authentic – streaming radio, streaming TV news, Reddit, e-reading, watching movies, TV or movie trailers, online comics, etc.
• ESL – Xreading, on-line ESL sites, ESl on Tik Tok, Instagram, YouTube, etc.

Example:

  Miho Takaku - report in Tsurumi Review 52
  (scroll down about halfway)

Assembling your graduation report (part 1)

1. Decide your organization concept.
2. Create a new document in your Google Drive (title: Your Name Report Draft)
3. If you have a title, type it at the top.
4. Paste your introduction paragraphs 1 & 2 below the title.
5. Find all of your topic paragraphs on the Lifelong English website, and copy and paste them into the document.
6. Be sure to paste the paragraphs in the same order as your organization concept.        
   * Your best blog post will be one of the topic paragraphs. Photos will be in black & white.
7. Write a conclusion for your report. 

Assembling your graduation report (part 2)

1. There should be a sentence at the beginning of each topic paragraph that explains what you are going to talk about. This is explained in detail at the * section below.
2. Tuesday class only: Add one academic quote in the appropriate place in your report. For example, if you believe Authentic Materials are essential, add a quote about it before or after one of your paragraphs that use authentic materials. [Thurs. class doesn't need to do this.]
3. Look at each of your paragraphs and make sure they agree with the main points in your introduction. If they don’t, you need to edit them and make sure they agree with your introduction.
4. Write a conclusion. Your conclusion will repeat some of the main ideas from your introduction, but hopefully using different words. (More about conclusions below.)
5. Paste your Bibliography after the conclusion. This is a list of all the sources, hard sources or online sources, you used during the year. Many of your sources will be URLs. Be sure to include the source for the quotes you used in #2 above.

* Adding a sentence at the beginning of each topic paragraph

Look at Maya’s streaming radio paragraph below:

Maya - 9/15/2015
I used jango and installed it on my iPhone. I had used only YouTube before, but now I like jango better than YouTube because jango has various kinds of music and the sound is clear. I use this app everyday  when I go to school. I like Taylor swift, so I often listen to her songs on jango. I learned new vocabulary from her song,  'Shake it off!' This expression means 「ドンマイ！」「気にしないで！」in Japanese. I want to listen to various music more!

If you start your paragraph like this, it will seem too sudden or random (突然あるいはランダム). You should add one or two sentences, like ...

Streaming Radio is an authentic way to practice listening skills. There are many streaming radio apps for smart phones. I used jango and installed it on my iPhone. I had used only YouTube before, but now I like jango better than YouTube because jango has various kinds of music and the sound is clear. I use this app everyday when I go to school. I like Taylor swift, so I often listen to her songs on jango. I learned new vocabulary from her song, 'Shake it off!' This expression means 「ドンマイ！」「気にしないで！」in Japanese. I want to listen to various music more!

Add one or two sentences like the above to each of your topic paragraphs to explain what you’re introducing. If you already have a sentence like that, then you don’t have to do this step.

Writing a Conclusion

• How did the topics covered in the Lifelong English Seminar help your English?
• Will the resources you used help you in the future?
• Which resources are most effective? Least effective?
• Will you continue to use any of these resources? (Please try to be positive!)
• What do you need to spend more time on?
• How do you imagine your study habits in the future?

* The bibliography comes after the conclusion.

Read your report!
Read the entire report a few times and fix any mistakes. Does the report make sense as a whole? If not, you may need to change some words or sentences. The report needs to sound good as one complete composition.
  
When you’re finished, look at your word count. Do you have over 2,500 words? Is every word in your report spelled correctly? Are there any grammatical errors? Did you fix any issues in red print that Kevin found in your sentences? Did you list all sources in the correct format? If so, you’re finished! Now, send it to Kevin.

Congratulations! You will (probably) graduate this year! 

To Do
1) Send your conclusion paragraph to Kevin; he will send it back to you with corrections.
2) Create the document that will be your graduation report as shown above.
3) Check everything again and again.
4) Make sure your Bibliography is complete and in alphabetical order

By next class: Put your report together! Make it perfect, including the Bibliography,! (No Thurs. class next week; Nov. 3 is Culture Day!)

Next is Report Formatting; this is important! Don't be absent!

Week 6 - Introduction Paragraph Due

Writing an Introduction to your graduation report

This week you are supposed to have submitted your first introduction paragraph. Some of the ideas you wrote about can be found in the list below.

•  Why did you become an English major?
•  Is your English ability good enough? Are you satisfied with your own progress?
•  How is English important in your life?
•  How will English be important in your future?
•  Do you expect to use English in your career?
•  Will you continue learning English after you graduate?
•  Will you study English on your own (i.e., not in a class)

The paragraph above will be your first introductory paragraph. Your second paragraph will try to tie the ideas in your introduction to the topics you wrote about in class this year. The second paragraph will be a transition paragraph, like a bridge between the introduction and your other writing.

Second Introduction Paragraph 

• What are some of the topics we covered in this class?
• How do the topics we did in class connect with the things you wrote in your introduction?
• What are the best ways for you to study English?
• What resources (online or paper) are the most effective? Enjoyable?
• What resources will you probably continue to use in the future?
• How will your topic paragraphs be organized?

These ideas don't have to be in this order. Try to make a paragraph that leads from the introductory paragraph to your topic paragraphs.

To Do:
1) The writing assignment for this week is to write your second introduction paragraph. Send it to Kevin by email. He will correct it and send it back to you. This is due next week (Oct. 27 / Nov. 1).

The first and second introduction paragraphs will appear at the top of your report under the title. Your topic paragraphs (all the writing you did this year) will appear after the introduction paragraphs.

2) Your topic paragraphs in your report must be organized! Please think about how you will do that. (For example, Authentic, then ESL; or, ESL, then Authentic. You need to know this because you will mention it in your second introductory paragraph. (Scroll down to see sample order.)

3) Make a Google document in your Google Drive. Use a PC. Copy and past paragraphs from my website into your report. Fix all mistakes in red.

4) Think about a title for your report. Your title cannot be "My Graduation Report"!

5) About your bibliography entries for your blog and blog post ...
Did you do it? You must add your blog and a blog post to your bibliography.

6) Report Organization & Bibliography Checklist

Sample order of report topics:

Title

Introduction

Authentic vs ESL Materials

ESL Materials

   ESL Online Websites

   ESL on Instagram (or TikTok)

   ESL on YouTube

   Xreading

   LyricsTraining

Authentic Materials

   Streaming TV News

   Videos, Movies, TV, Trailers

   Streaming Radio

   Reddit

   E-reading

   Online Comics

Blogging

   “Review ‘I Feel Pretty'"

Conclusion

Bibliography

Week 5 - Blogging in English Presentations

Today ...

You will present your comments about Blogging in English.
** Please present with no paper. Content is below.

Your paragraph about Blogging in English is due today; Oct. 13 / Oct. 18.

• Think about all the blog posts you made last year and this year. What did you blog about? How many posts did you make? Did your blog topic change in two years?
• Did you learn anything by blogging? For example, did you learn more about the subject of your blog? Did you learn how to write better?
• Did blogging help you improve your English? For example, did you learn some vocabulary, grammar points or useful collocations?
• Did blogging help you learn about online posting? For example, did you learn anything about html, photo editing, how to use templates and color schemes, how to make links or embed videos, etc?
• Make a paragraph about Blogging in English and send it to Kevin. You will present this on Oct. 13 / Oct. 18. 
• This paragraph will appear in your graduation report and your best blog post will appear with it as an example of your blog writing.

Your bibliography needs two entries for your blog:

Your blog:
Takasaki, K. (2018). My Favorite Japanese Comics, http://keigocomic.blogspot.com

Your sample blog post:
Takasaki, K. (2018). My Favorite Japanese Comics, “Vocchi Men”,  http://keigocomic.blogspot.com/2018/04/comic-vocchi-men.html

For next week ...
You will write an introduction paragraph. This paragraph should include answers to the following questions:

•  Why did you become an English major?
•  How is English important in your life?
•  How will English be important in your future?
•  Do you expect to use English in your career?
•  Is your English ability good enough? Are you satisfied with your own progress?
•  Will you continue learning English after you graduate?
•  Will you study English on your own (i.e., not in a class)

You can add more information. Your paragraph should not be just a list of answers to the questions. You must write a paragraph that makes sense.

This introduction paragraph will be what you present on Oct. 27 / Nov. 1. You should try to remember as much as possible and not just read.

Introduction paragraphs are due next week; Oct. 20 / Oct. 25.

introduction presentations will be in 2 weeks; Oct. 27 / Nov. 1.

Thesaurus Activity

Reddit link to many comics: https://www.reddit.com/r/comics/

Also, try GoComics.com; https://www.gocomics.com/

My favorite comic is Calvin & Hobbes:  https://www.gocomics.com/calvinandhobbes/

Week 4 - Comic Presentations

Good afternoon! Let's talk about comics!

Jim Benton Cartoons

Jim Benton Cartoons

Today ...

• Comic Presentations
• Blogging Presentations are next week (Oct. 13 / Oct. 18).
• Introduction Paragraph (#1) is due Oct. 20 / Oct. 25  (in two weeks). Send me your paragraph by email as usual and I will send it back to you by email. These paragraphs will not be posted on the website.

Introduction paragraph. This paragraph should include answers to the following questions:

•  Why did you become an English major?
•  How is English important in your life?
•  How will English be important in your future?
•  Do you expect to use English in your career?
•  Is your English ability good enough? Are you satisfied with your own progress?
•  Will you continue learning English after you graduate?
•  Will you study English on your own (i.e., not in a class)

You can add more information. Your paragraph should not be just a list of answers to the questions. You must write a paragraph that makes sense.

In two weeks (Oct. 20 / Oct. 25) I will present how to make your complete graduation report. This is an important class, so please try not to be absent.