Blog Homework 7: What do you think about Shidai...?

Hi everyone,

Thank you for your wonderful blog entries last week. It was really interesting to read about your dreams, goals and ambitions. Although many of you say that you still don’t have a concrete or definite “life goal”, judging from your blog entries I think you have all found some kind of short-term or long-term goal that you can work towards.

I wish you all the best of luck with your dreams and goals!

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Okay, let’s move on to this week’s topic. As a teacher at Shimonoseki City University (Shidai) I’m of course very interested to know how Shidai students feel about their university. When I was a university student there were many things that I loved about my university. But, there were also many things that I wished were different. So, for this week’s homework, I want you to write about the following two things:

1. What is something that you like about Shidai?
2. What is something about Shidai that you wish were different?

I’m looking forward to reading your opinions.

As always, please write about 150 words. Complete your blog entry by next Monday (7th December), midnight. Please read the blog entry of the person who wrote before you, and give them a small comment. Also, please read as many of your classmates’ blog entries as you can, to find out their opinions about Shidai.

Have a good week,
Kris

Blog Homework 6: Dreams

Hi everyone,

I hope you found today’s and last week’s classes on “articles” and “pronouns” to be useful. Don’t forget to think about articles and pronouns when writing your essays and blog entries.

I enjoyed reading your blogs entries about “Studying English”. From reading your blogs, I felt that you all enjoy English and other foreign languages very much. And, I was very impressed with your ideas for studying English!

I really sympathize with the difficulties you feel when studying English. Yurika, Yukie, Hiroki, Chisato, Takaaki and Shotaro talked about the difficulties of English pronunciation. Ayano, Yoko, Toshiro, Yasuhiro T. and Yuki talked about having trouble with speaking. Kumiko, Chisato, Naoya, Shotaro, Natsumi and Yuri feel that listening is difficult. Kumiko, Hiroki, Naoya, Shotaro and Takaaki believe that vocabulary is the most difficult part of studying English, while Hiroki, Akihiro and Reiji think that grammar is challenging. Shihori thinks that everything about English is difficult, and Daigo said that learning not to hate English is hard. I totally agree with your opinions.

I think you had some very good ideas for studying English. You all agree that using or coming into contact with English EVERY DAY is extremely important. Yurika, Takaaki and Yuri suggest watching English-language movies, Ayano, Takaaki and Yuri recommend watching English-language tv shows, and Yukie, Chisato, Ayano, Takaaki and Yuri think that listening to English-language music is a great way to practice English. Yasuhiro T., Yuri, Hiroki and Reiji believe in the importance of practicing listening, and Yoko, Shihori and Yuki recommend listening to English textbook CDs every day. Yukie recommends actually going to an English-speaking country and making friends, while Yoko and Yuki also think that talking with foreigners is a good method. Kumiko thinks it’s good to practice English conversation, and Takaaki recommends speaking in English. Naoya recommends shadowing, Shotaro suggests studying vocabulary and Toshiro believes in the importance of reading. But, as Akihiro, Hiroki, Reiji and Natsumi say using creating opportunities to use and come in contact with English every day is crucial to become accustomed to English (Yuki). Hirotaka reminds us that it is also important to have a good understanding of our native language. But, as Daigo says, in the end, enjoying English is probably most important.

Thanks for your ideas, everyone!! And, keep studying English!!

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Okay, on to this week’s topic. Do you have a dream for the future? Do you have any goals that you want to achieve? It is very important to have dreams and goals. These can be ideas about your “dream job” or even things that you want to do or experience during your life. Having dreams and goals helps us to plan for our future. It is very important for university students in particular to have dreams and goals. It can sometimes be difficult for us to decide what our dreams are. And, sometimes, or dreams and goals can change. For this week’s blog homework, I want you to write about your dreams and goals for the future.

As for me…When I was a high school student, I couldn’t decide what I wanted to do in the future. But, I knew I wanted to study at university, so I tried hard to enter my dream university. When I was in the second year of high school I went to Japan for 10 days, and stayed with a Japanese home stay family for 3 days. This experience helped me to realize that I wanted to go to Japan again in the future, and that I wanted to become able to speak Japanese fluently. So, I studied Japanese at high school and university, and in my third year of university I went on exchange in Japan for one year. And now I work in Japan! So, I guess I have kind of realized this dream.

At the end of my first year of university, I started to think that I wanted to work at a university in the future. I thought that I might want to teach about Japanese society or the Japanese language, or that I might want to work in the international affairs section of a university. And by luck… now I am working at a university! So, I guess I have kind of achieved this dream too.

I think I have been very lucky so far. And have realized many of my goals. But… I think as we get older, we have to keep changing our goals and dreams so we can live with some hope and excitement for the future. I guess my next goal is to help other people achieve their dreams and goals. I think that this is one job of a teacher. Having a goal for the future, no matter how big or small it is, gives us hope!!

So, please write about 150 words by next Monday (November 30) midnight. Please read the blog entry of the person who wrote before you and give them a small comment. Also, please try to read as many of your classmate’s blog entries as possible.

Have a good week,
Kris

Blog Homework 5: Studying English...

Hi everyone,

First, I’m very sorry for writing this week’s blog so late. As a result, I will extend the deadline for the blog homework until 9th November midnight. Also, as you know, classes on Wednesday are cancelled because of H1N1 influenza. So, we will need to change the deadline for your first essay. Let’s talk about this at our next class. I hope you are all well, and that anyone who has influenza feels better soon.

Okay, thank you so much for your blog comments last week. They were very enjoyable to read. It was very interesting to read about your hopes for the new government, and your concerns about society and the economy.

Many of you are concerned about finance issues. Natsumi wants a review of the use of government revenues. Yukie wants the government to absorb government bonds. Yukie and Toshiro want the government to eliminate the wasteful use of tax payer’s money.

Many of you are also concerned about employment. Hiroki, Naoya and Yukie hope the government will restore businesses and the economy. Takaaki, Narifusa, Kousei and Shihori hope the government will improve current employment problems. Shihori wants the government to improve the working environment of those working in the welfare sector. Yurika wants subsidies for vocational training, especially for those who have lost jobs. Hirotaka doesn’t want the government to stop public constructions.

Many of you are concerned about education. Akihiro, Ayato and Reizi want high school education to be free and Chisato and Reizi want more affordable university education. Ayano wants the education system to be more inclusive for students with disabilities.

And, of course, many of you are also concerned about other social policies. Toshiro wants the government to introduce child benefit payments, and Takaaki wants the government to solve the pension problem. Hiroki wants to see a cut in consumption taxes, Ayato wants the government to abolish gasoline taxes, and Yuri wants the government to ease the burden of the amount of taxes and welfare payments citizens have to make. Yuri and Shiho want highways to be toll-free. On the other hand, Kousei is against toll-free highways, while Yurika wants highways to be toll-free only for trucks and busses. Instead, she wants ship and train fares to be reduced. Hiroki wants more holidays, Takaaki wants the practice of high-ranking government officials obtaining executive posts in private firms to be abolished, and Yasuhiro H. wants the current government to work more positively than the previous government.

Thanks for all of your comments!!

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Okay, in this week’s blog I want us to talk about studying English (or any other foreign languages that you study). All of you at the moment are studying at least one foreign language. Studying foreign languages can be fun, but there are also a lot of difficult things too. There is so much to know about a language; so, studying a foreign language can be endless – a life long task. Also, becoming proficient at speaking, writing, listening and reading is also challenging. In this week’s blog I want you to write about two things:
1) What do you find most difficult when studying English (or another foreign language)?
2) What is a good study method you use to study English (or another foreign language)?

When I first started studying Japanese, I found listening to be the most difficult thing. No matter how hard I listened, I couldn’t understand what I was listening to. I couldn’t tell the beginning of one word, and the ending of another. There were so many words that I didn’t know. And, I didn’t know much about Japanese dialects, etc. But, I was determined to become a master at listening to Japanese. So, I practiced for hours every day. I did many listening problems. I listened and listened until I could understand everything without looking at the script. I listened to Japanese songs, TV shows, news, movies… anything I could! I listened all the time!! I watched Japanese movies, and tried to write what was being said. I mimicked what I heard. Through this I learnt many new words, and also discovered many things about Japan and the Japanese language. And, finally, I could come to be able to understand things said in Japanese. In fact, listening is now the easiest thing for me.

Anyway, this is my story. But, I would like to hear yours!! Please try to write about 150 words. Read the comment left before yours and write that person a brief message. Try to read as many of your classmate’s comments as possible. Write your blog comment by November 9, midnight.

Best of luck everyone,
Kris

Blog Homework 4: What do you want the government to do??

Hi everyone,

Thanks for your blog comments last week. They were very enjoyable to read. You all had many reasons for liking autumn. Hiroki, Yasuhiro H., Yurika, Ayata, Yoko, Akihiro, Kaori, Narifusa, Hikari, Shiho, Toshiro, Yuri and Yasuhiro T. all said they loved food available during autumn. Hiroki, Yasuhiro H., Chisato, Takaaki, Hikari, Toshiro, Yuki and Yasuhiro T. said that they enjoy the cool and comfortable autumn weather. Many of you also like the atmosphere of autumn: the air, the sounds, the smells, the wind, the sky and the moon (Ayano, Hikari, Chisato, Saki, Yuki, Kousei, Toshiro, Ayano, Saki, Naoya and Yurika). Akihito and Narifusa like travelling during autumn, Takaaki likes climbing mountains, Ayato, Reiji and Yoko like playing sports and participating in sports festivals, and Hikari likes sleeping in autumn. Natsumi said that she likes autumn events, but she was the only person who doesn’t like autumn! I like autumn, but actually I agree with her. Autumn can feel a little lonely.

You all also have many things that you’d like to do this autumn. Many of you (Naoya, Kousei, Yukie, Ayato, Yoko, Reiji, Takaaki, Shiho and Toshiro) are looking forward to catching up on your reading. Kousei, Toshiro, Yukie, Yoko, Hideaki, Kaori and Shiho all want to go travelling and see the colorful maple leaves. Hiroki, Yukie, Yasuhiro Hl, Akihiro, Yuki and Yasuhiro T. are looking forward to playing sports, and Yukie, Yasuhiro H., Yoko, Kaori and Kousei are looking forward to eating delicious autumn foods. Shihori would like to do some cooking and to try preserving foods. Yurika would like to experience Halloween. Yuri wants to watch some movies or dvds. Akihiro wants to get his license so he can go traveling. Hiroki, Yukie and Natsumi are looking forward to the school festival. And, Ayano, Toshiro, Hikari and Chisato are all looking forward to seeing the meteor shower. This was last night, wasn’t it? I hope you all managed to see it!! Have a great autumn!

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Okay, on to this week’s blog topic. As you all know, in August this year there was a general election in Japan, and the Democratic Party won office. Some people say that the Democratic Party won because many people were sick of the Liberal Democratic Party and wanted a change. Others say that people were moved by the Democratic Party’s “manifesto” and their promises and vision for social change in Japan. Whenever I turn on the TV these days, I constantly hear people talking about the Democratic Party’s new policies, for example ”こども手当て－Child Benefit Payments”, “高校無料化－Free high school education”, “高速道路の無料化－Toll-free highways”, “税金のムダづかいを無くす－Eliminating wasteful use of taxpayer’s money”, etc etc etc.

In this week’s blog, I want you to answer this question: What do you want the government to do? In other words, what kind of policies do you want the government to introduce? Any ideas are okay!! Please share your opinions!!

Here's my idea: In Japan we must make “welfare pension” (厚生年金), “national pension plan” (国民年金) or “mutual pension” (共済年金) payments every month. I too have to pay nearly 30,000 yen every month for this!! In my country, Australia, we don’t make “welfare pension”, “national pension plan” or “mutual pension” payments. Instead we have “superannuation” (退職年金？？) and it is compulsory for all workers to pay superannuation payments every month. Also, the company we work for also has to pay some money to our superannuation fund. The main benefit of superannuation is that the money you pay comes back to you, and people generally use this money to live off of when they retire. There is also an “age pension” (高齢年金) given to people 65 years and over who need it. This is funded by the government’s “general revenue” (一般歳入). Anyway, I wish Japan would introduce a “superannuation system” like my country, Australia. (Read this for more information about superannuation in Australia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Superannuation_in_Australia)

So, please write about 150 words by next Tuesday midnight. Please read the blog entry of the person who wrote before you and give them a small comment. Also, please try to read as many of your classmate’s blog entries as possible.

Have a great week and enjoy the school festival,

Kris

Blog Homework 3: Autumn has arrived...

Hi everyone,

Thanks for writing your blogs. It was interesting to read about your opinions on children having mobile phones. And I was surprised to see that most of you disagree with children having mobile phones! 11 people think it is a good idea for children to have mobile phones, while 15 believe that it is not necessary.

Hiroko, Ayano, Yukie, Ayato, Yurika, Kumiko, Yoko, Shihori, Kousei, Yuri and Yasuhiro H. all believe that children should have mobile phones. They had various reasons for thinking so. Hiroki, Ayano, Yukie, Ayato, Kumiko, Yoko, Shihori, Chisato, Yuri and Yasuhiro H. noted that having a mobile phone is important for children for safety reasons. If children have a mobile phone, they can call their parents in the case of an emergency. So, parents can also feel peace of mind, knowing that they can contact their children anytime. Ayano and Yukie noted that mobile phones give children more chances to communicate with people, and Yukie said that it could be a good learning opportunity for children. Very rightly, Yurika, Kousei, Saki and Yuri argued that if parents are careful with mobile phone settings and teach their children how to use them properly, then it is quite safe for children to be given mobile phones.

On the other hand, Akihiro, Naoya, Natsumi, Yasuhiro T., Kaori, Takaaki, Hikari, Toshiro, Narifusa, Shiho, Hideaki, Chisato, Yuuki, Saki and Shotaro are all against children having mobile phones. One of the major reasons why Naoya, Natsumi, Kaori, Yasuhiro T., Takaaki, Hikari, Toshiro, Narifusa, Shiho, Hideaki, Chisato, Yuki and Shotaro are against children having mobile phones is because of the associated dangers. There are many dangers related to mobile phone use, such as losing communication skills, getting caught up in internet crime and also various health concerns. Akihiro, Natsumi, Yasuhiro T., Toshiro and Yuki are also concerned that children may waste their time and miss many opportunities if they are given mobile phones. Naoya worries about children become over dependent on their mobile phones and Takaaki and Shotaro warn about the high cost of having a mobile phone.

Personally, I think I’m also against children having mobile phones. It doesn’t really seem to be necessary, and is just another distraction in a world where there are already enough distractions, like TV and the internet. Actually, when I was a child there were no mobile phones!! However, if I were a parent, I would probably want my child to carry a mobile phone when going to and from school. In the past there were many public phones around the place, however now most have disappeared because of the spread of mobile phones. So, if my child wanted to contact me urgently, they may not be able to do so without a mobile phone. Anyway, it was very interesting to read your ideas. Thanks.

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Okay, now on to this week’s topic “autumn” (or “fall” in Northern America). Well, as I’m sure you’ve all noticed, it has gotten colder recently, and it’s getting darker earlier at night. It seems that autumn has arrived. Personally, autumn is one of my favorite seasons, both in Japan and in Australia. I love the deep sky and the cool wind that we can experience during autumn. In Australia there is nothing special that people do during autumn. But in Japan, you have many special things that you can enjoy, such as seeing the beautiful colored maple leaves (紅葉), and eating delicious autumn foods. Also, it seems that people in Japan like to travel, read books, play sports or enjoy the arts during autumn. I was very surprised to discover this when I first came to Japan.

Anyway, in this week’s blog I want you to write about the following things:
1. What do you like most about autumn?
2. What do you want to do this autumn?

As always, aim for around 150 words, and don’t forget to write your name. Also, please remember to leave a comment/message to the person who wrote before you. And, if possible, try to read as many of your classmates’ blog comments as possible. The deadline is midnight next Tuesday (20th October).

Best of luck, and have a good week.
Kris

Blog Homework 2: Is it okay for children to have mobile phones?

Hi everyone,

First, thank you very much for writing your blogs last week. It was very interesting to read about your summer holidays. I think there were some common patterns to people’s summer holidays.

For example, Hiroki, Akihito, Chisato, Naoya, Takaaki, Hikari, Narifusa and Saki all studied for their drivers’ licenses. Some people were successful, but others weren’t. Keep trying!!

Nearly everyone went back to their hometown: Hiroki, Yukie, Ayano, Yurika, Chisato, Akihiro, Narifusa, Shiho, Yasuhiro T., Takaaki, Hikari, Kousei, Yuri, Toshiro, Kaori, Shotaro, Yoko and Ayato (but his hometown is Shimonoseki!)

Yukie went overseas to Qingdao, and Yasuhiro H., Naoya and Toshiro all travelled within Japan. By the way, Yukie, why did you go to Qingdao. Was this for 国際インターンシップ?

Yasuhiro H. (baseball), Ayato (tennis) and Toshiro (futsal) all participated in sports matches.

Finally, Akihito, Yasuhiro T., Shotaro and Hikari all worked during the summer holiday.

I hope you all enjoyed your holiday!! It sure sounds like it.

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For this week’s blog, I want to hear your opinions about “children using mobile phones”. Last night I saw this online news story about children using mobile phones (video: http://media.theage.com.au/opinion/national-times/too-young-for-a-mobile-phone-772184.html?&from=strap, article: http://www.theage.com.au/technology/are-kids-becoming-phone-addicts-20090615-c9s2.html). Some people say that it’s good for children to have mobile phones, because their parents can always know where they are. But other people say that mobile phones can be dangerous for children. Some children may become “mobile phone addicts”. Some children may use their phones too much and get expensive phone bills. Recently there was a similar debate in Japan, with Osaka talking about banning mobile phones at elementary schools. What do you guys think?? Is it good or not good for children to have mobile phones? Why? Please share you opinions in about 150 words!! Also, please read the blog of the person before you and give them a small comment. Finally, try to read as many of your classmate’s blogs as possible! Please write your blog comment by next Tuesday (13th) MIDNIGHT!

Best Wishes,

Kris

Blog Homework 1: Welcome to English Composition D

Hi everyone and welcome to English Composition B. My name is Kristen Sullivan and I will be your teacher for this semester I hope you enjoy the class and that it is useful for your English study.

In order to become a good writer, it's important to get a lot of practice. So in this class, in addition to the essay assignments, we will also occasionally have “blog writing” homework activities. I think this will be a good chance to not only practice English writing, but also to get to know your classmates a bit better, so I hope you enjoy this activity.

So, for our first blog writing activity I want you to tell us about your summer holiday. Did you have a good summer holiday, a boring summer holiday, a bad summer holiday? What did you do? Please write about 150, and don't forget to briefly introduce yourself too. Don't forget to write your name - otherwise I cannot give you your blog writing points!!!

I'll start...

My name is Kristen Sullivan, but please call me Kris. I have been teaching at Shimonoseki City University for 4.5 years. I'm originally from Brisbane, in Australia. This summer I took 32 students to Brisbane for 外国研修. Do you know about 外国研修? This is a subject (2 credit points) at Shidai, where you can study a language overseas during the summer vacation. There are three languages available: English, Chinese and Korean. My students studied at ICTE (http://www.icte.uq.edu.au/) in the University of Queensland (http://www.uq.edu.au/) for 4 weeks. They studied English, met students from the University of Queensland, did some sightseeing, and stayed with homestay families. I enjoyed taking these students to Australia, because it was a good chance for me to introduce them to my home country. Also, I got to see my own family, which was a nice bonus. If you are interested in studying languages, or experiencing another culture, please consider participating in 外国研修 next year!!!

So, anyway, that was my summer. Now, please tell us about your summer holiday!!

Don't forget to give a short comment to the person who wrote before you. And, try to read as many of your classmates' blogs as possible!!

See you next week,

Kris